Sensorineural Hearing Loss Causes

Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

AGING

NOISE

PERSONAL MUSIC DEVICES

Overview:

At around 90% sensorineural or nerve deafness accounts by far for the majority of the cases of hearing loss. One quarter of our senior citizens (age 65 and older) suffers to some degree from this type of deafness. There are actually two subsets of the condition one involving cochlear deficit and the other nerve deficit. This is more involved than necessary for our purposes here on this site. We will leave it with the understanding that sensorineural hearing loss will involve damage to either the cochlea or the auditory nerve.

This is only a basic discussion of hearing impaired causes. Some but not all causes of sensorineural hearing loss :

Old Age. Accounting for 25% of all instances of the condition. Presbycusis, the loss of tiny hair cells and father time the culprit.
Meningitis. The result of lesions that arise from from the illness.
Tumors. Rare but not unheard of acoustic neuromas
Immune disorder. Autoimmune phenomena
Kawasaki Disease. Again a rare but not unseen one of the causes of sensorineural hearing loss in children
Diabetes. When the diabetes is well managed the condition is well hearing loss seems to slowed. Occupational Noise. This was especially true before laws were passed relating to noise and precautions in the workplace environment, musicians are susceptible here.
Non- Occupational Noise. People who listen to music through headsets for too long at too high a setting are the prime example here.
Extreme Noise. A loud explosion from fireworks is a common cause.
Meniere’s Disease is among these hearing impaired causes.
Mumps.
Rubella(German Measles).This can be a cause indirectly as in the event of being a child of a mother who has contracted rubella during her pregnancy.
Some medications. Most notably aspirin and quinine. The antibiotics gentamicin and streptomycin.
Trauma. Head injuries often upset the delicate workings of the middle and inner ear.

People who suffer true sensorineural hearing loss do not regain their hearing. They can however benefit from the use of hearing aids. There is an adjustment disorder due to hearing loss. Thsi is a severe emotional reaction to the lossor partial loss of this very life enhancing sense.