What Is Sensorineural Hearing Loss?

The ear is a complex organ that plays a wide-ranging role in life’s experiences. For these reasons, hearing loss can be caused by many different factors. Some causes of hearing loss have solutions, and others do not, but understanding the types of hearing loss is crucial for any hope of recovery.

 

 

 

There are two main types of hearing loss. One of these is conductive hearing loss, which affects the outer and middle ear. The other type of hearing loss is called sensorineural, or nerve related hearing loss. This refers to some sort of malfunction with the inner ear.

 

 

Because we deal in shooting ear protection, sensorineural hearing loss is much more relevant to us at ESP. As you might expect, acoustic trauma is a leading cause of sensorineural hearing loss—in other words, loud noises like gunshots.

 

 

Other common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include trauma to the head, sudden and dramatic changes in air pressure, in which the only hope to save hearing  is often some type of emergency procedure.

 

 

Even viral and bacterial diseases can cause sensorineural hearing loss. In the case of diseases, hearing loss can be either a main component or a side effect of an ailment. When a side effect, treatment of the disease might allow for partial or complete recovery. Auto-immune diseases can also cause sensorineural hearing loss by mistakenly attacking and damaging the inner ear over time.

 

 

But then there’s what’s known as irreversible sensorineural hearing loss, the type that can be caused by exposure to loud noises without the proper protection. Often, the only recourse is to have hearing aids installed. While hearing aids are wonderful for those who rely on them, they are far from a perfect or permanent solution.

 

 

The only way to truly eliminate hearing loss is to prevent it from happening in the first place by wearing ear protection. Some shooter shy away from ear protection because they believe it compromises the quality of sound, but these people have never tried digital ear protection. To learn more about what modern technology has to offer in preventing sensorineural hearing loss, visit the ESP website today.