Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Sensorineural hearing loss is due to damage to the sensory hair cells in the cochlea of the inner ear, preventing nerve cells from sending complete signals to the brain.
Causes
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:
- Congenital/Hereditary – Many sufferers are born with sensorineural hearing loss or are predisposed to the condition through genetics. Congenital causes can include lack of cochlear development and congenital rubella syndrome.
- Disease and Viral Infections – A number of illnesses and infections can cause sensorineural hearing loss, including meningitis, mumps, measles and syphilis
- Noise Exposure – Prolonged exposure to sounds over 80 decibels has been shown to cause hearing loss. People who work in noisy environments, such as loud manufacturing facilities; those who live close to highways, airports or other sources of loud noise; audio headphone users and musicians are all at risk of damaged hearing due to prolonged exposure to high sound levels.
- Oto-toxic Medicines – Ototoxicity is damage to the ear. Oto-toxic medications include loop diuretics and salicylates, which includes ASA, or aspirin (in high doses).
- Trauma – A blow or injury to the head can result in damage to the ear, including inner ear concussion, or to the parts of the brain that process the hearing signals from the ear.
- Aging – Presbycusis is hearing loss due to the degeneration of cells caused by aging. Presbycusis can be compounded by any of the other causes of sensorineural hearing loss.
Treatment
Sensorineaural hearing loss cannot be treated with medication or surgery. The main treatment methods are hearing aids and cochlear implants.
Hearing Tests
If you suspect you have sensorineural hearing loss, you must consult a hearing specialist as soon as possible.
The hearing instrument specialists at Bravo Hearing Centre can help you learn a lot more about your hearing loss, including ways to protect your hearing and choosing the right treatment.
Experience the difference our award winning (Etobicoke’s Best Hearing Services Award) services can make.
- Audiometric hearing testing to identify your needs
- Expert evaluations of your test results
- A full range of top quality hearing aids and other Assistive listening devices like personal FM systems, alerting devices, portable personal amplifiers, voice carry over telephones and TTY/TDD devices improve your comfort and convenience
Learn more about your sensorineural hearing loss from the experts. Contact Bravo Hearing Centre today at 416-207-9711 or Contact Us.
