Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by a dysfunction of the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This is the most common type of hearing loss. Hearing losses caused by damage to the receiving segment of the ear may refer to changes in the inner ear (sensory deafness) or the auditory nerve (neuro-derivative deafness).
Sensorineural hearing lossis caused by a dysfunction of the inner ear or the auditory nerve. This is the most common type of hearing loss. Mixed defects develop as a result of damage occurring both in the receiving and conductive sections.
Sensorineural hearing loss - types and causes
Hearing loss caused by damage to the receiving segment of the ear may refer to changes in the inner ear ( sensory deafness ) or the auditory nerve ( neuro-derivative deafness ).
Sensorineural sensorineural hearing lossis the most common type of hearing problem. It is caused by the loss of hair cells in the ear cochlea, which is a consequence of biological changes in the body related to the aging process.
Other causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:
- genetic diseases
- meningitis
- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- rheumatoid arthritis
- hearing damage as a result of loud listening to music or inadequate hearing protection while working in harmful acoustic conditions. It is a common cause of hearing loss in young people, which is why it is so important to educate people about how to properly care for and protect their hearing
Sensorineural neurotransmitter hearing lossdevelops as a result of disorders that arise within the auditory nerve. When the changes affect neuron I of the eighth cranial nerve, the diagnosis isretrocochlear hearing loss .
If the abnormalities are located above the cochlear nuclei, i.e. in neurons from II to the cerebral cortex,central hearing loss .
The causes of sensorineural hearing loss of a neuro-derivative nature include mainly tumors of the cerebellopontine angle and demyelinating diseases, e.g. multiple sclerosis.
This is important to keep in mind as significant hearing loss, especially over a short period of time, can be a harbinger ofserious systemic diseases.
However, in 90% of cases, sensorineural hearing loss is associated with the loss of hair cells in the ear cochlea.
Sensorineural hearing loss - symptoms
A characteristic feature of sensorineural hearing loss is the poor hearing of high tones, such as women's or children's speech, as well as the sound of a doorbell or telephone. So it may happen that a person with this type of disease can hear a knock on the door better than the bell.
Sometimes hearing loss causes tinnitus, felt by patients as a very unpleasant acoustic sensation. Other symptoms of hearing loss include:
- having poor hearing of your watch or dripping water
- louder than before setting the radio or TV
- problems with understanding sounds coming from a greater distance, e.g. during a lecture or meeting
- Difficulty understanding the interlocutor in a place with a lot of different sounds
- the need to focus strongly on the interlocutor, making conversations tiring
- difficulties in making phone calls
Often close people are also able to notice the deterioration of hearing faster than the patient himself. With these symptoms, you should visit an audiology clinic for a professional hearing test that allows you to identify the causes of hearing problems and identify the place they concern.
Thanks to these findings, it is possible to undertake hearing rehabilitation. It is not worth delaying a visit to a specialist, as untreated hearing loss progresses quite quickly. On the other hand, proper rehabilitation of hearing, undertaken at an early stage, effectively inhibits the further progress of the disease.
Sensorineural hearing loss - diagnosis
The basis for a correct diagnosis is a professional hearing test, which can be performed by an ENT specialist or an experienced hearing care professional. The basic examination for the assessment of hearing loss is otoscopy.
The examination can be carried out in a doctor's office or at the patient's home using an otoscope - a device emitting light that allows you to look into the ear canal and visually assess its condition. Other commonly performed hearing tests are:
- verbal audiometry
- tonal audiometry
- impedance audiometry
- tympanometry
Verbal and tonal audiometry is performed in a quiet cabin, putting on headphones and asking the patient to react with each heard sound (tonal audiometry). Thanks to the examination, it is possible to determine the parameters of the softest sound heard by the patient. Repeating a sequence of words(verbal audiometry) allows you to determine the level of speech understanding.
Tympanometry and impedance audiometry are performed using a tympanometer that records the deviations of the tympanic membrane under the influence of acoustic stimuli. These are very detailed tests allowing to determine the efficiency of the hearing organ.
Impedance audiometry is especially widely used, in which the reflexes of the stapes muscles and the tympanic membrane are determined. All hearing loss tests are painless and do not require prior preparation of the patient. The tests are carried out in the office. In some situations, it is also justified to perform specialized hearing tests, which include:
- study noise parameters
- test of evoked auditory potentials (ABR, BERA)
- otoacoustic emission TEAOE
- DPOAE
- suprthreshold tests (Langenbeck, SISI, Sullivan's test)
The specialist decides about carrying out additional tests. Their results can be useful both in making an appropriate diagnosis and in selecting a hearing aid.
Sensorineural hearing loss - treatment
Once the causes of the hearing problems have been determined, appropriate therapy should be instituted. When hearing loss is a condition that coexists with other serious diseases (neuro-derivative deafness), medical intervention and pharmacological treatment are necessary. In some cases, it is also advisable to support your hearing with an appropriate hearing aid.
However, in the case of a sensory hearing loss, which developed as a result of a dysfunction of the ear cochlea, hearing aids are widely used.
This type of illness is permanent. Hearing improvement will be brought about by a properly selected hearing aid, which will be adapted to the type and degree of hearing loss and the individual needs of the patient.
Patient may choose BTE or IE hearing aid. Contemporary hearing aids are digital devices with a high degree of technological advancement. Thanks to specialized functions, it is possible to effectively prosthesize hearing also in case of profound hearing loss.
According to the adopted classification, it is assumed that profound hearing loss is the threshold sound level is higher than 91 dB (decibels) in the subject.
In the range from 65 to 90 dB we are talking about severe hearing loss, from 41 to 64 dB - moderate. 20 to 40 dB is a minor hearing loss. The threshold level is the softest sound that the patient can hear.
In certified audiology clinics, hearing testing is usually free of charge. Universal fundingThe purchase of the hearing aid is co-financed by the National He alth Fund and covers people suffering from a small hearing loss, whose degree of hearing loss exceeds 30 dB (up to 26 years of age) or 40 dB (over 26 years of age).
Reimbursements from the National He alth Fund and PFRON allow to reduce the expenditure from the patient's pocket for the purchase of a hearing aid, making these devices available to an increasing number of people requiring such support.
Also read:
- Conductive hearing loss
- Hearing disorders - causes and types
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.
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