Condition hub
Understanding Hearing Loss
A clear guide to the types and causes of hearing loss: sensorineural, conductive, mixed, age-related, noise-induced and sudden. Explained by our audiologists.
Read time: 6 min read
Hearing loss is a family of conditions, and the right next step depends on which one you have. Some kinds are permanent and very manageable with hearing aids. Others are a blockage that can be treated, sometimes reversed. One of them, sudden hearing loss, is a medical emergency.
This guide covers six: the three types named for where sound stops, and the three named for what caused them. Read the one that matches what you are noticing.
“The right next step for hearing loss depends on its type. Identifying the type is what a hearing evaluation is for.”
The two main types, and the one that combines them
Most hearing loss is either sensorineural (a permanent inner-ear or nerve loss, and the most common type) or conductive (a blockage in the outer or middle ear that is often treatable). When both are present at once, it is called mixed hearing loss. Those three names describe where sound stops, and a hearing test is what tells them apart.
By cause
Hearing loss is also described by what caused it. Age-related hearing loss (presbycusis) develops gradually over years. Noise-induced hearing loss comes from loud-sound exposure and is largely preventable. Sudden hearing loss appears rapidly, usually in one ear, and is a medical emergency: it needs to be evaluated the same day.
If you have read about a fourth, central type
Older material, on this site and elsewhere, sometimes listed a fourth type called central hearing loss and defined it by stroke. Conductive, sensorineural, and mixed are the three the audiogram sorts hearing loss into, and they are the ones used here. Difficulty making sense of speech when the ears themselves test normally is a separate question, assessed separately. If a report you were given uses the word central, bring it to the appointment.
How any hearing loss is evaluated
Whatever the type, the starting point is the same: a comprehensive hearing evaluation that measures what you can hear across pitches and how clearly you understand speech, along with an ear examination. Those findings identify the type and degree of loss and point to the right plan, whether that is treatment, a hearing aid fitting, medical referral, or monitoring.
When to move faster
Seek prompt medical care for sudden hearing loss, hearing loss in one ear, severe dizziness, drainage or bleeding, significant ear pain, facial weakness, or tinnitus that pulses with your heartbeat. Educational information cannot diagnose an individual ear.
A practical next step
Audiology Associates of Westchester evaluates hearing concerns at our Harrison and Somers, NY offices, serving Westchester County and nearby communities. A hearing test connects what you notice day to day to a clear, personalized next step.
Common questions
What are the main types of hearing loss?
The two main types are sensorineural (inner ear or nerve, usually permanent) and conductive (a treatable blockage in the outer or middle ear). Mixed hearing loss involves both. Hearing loss is also described by cause: age-related, noise-induced, or sudden.
Which type of hearing loss is most common?
Sensorineural hearing loss is the most common permanent type, frequently from aging and noise exposure. It is usually managed effectively with hearing aids.
Is there a fourth type called central hearing loss?
Some older material lists one, defined by stroke. The three types a hearing test sorts loss into are conductive, sensorineural, and mixed, and those are the ones used across this site. Trouble understanding speech when hearing itself tests normally is a separate question and is assessed separately.
How do I find out which type I have?
A comprehensive hearing evaluation with an ear examination and middle-ear testing identifies the type and degree of your hearing loss and guides the right next step.
