Conductive Hearing Loss

Occurs when sound cannot pass normally through the outer or middle ear.

Symptoms: Muffled hearing, blocked-ear sensation, reduced hearing and sometimes ear pain or discharge.

Treatment: Earwax removal, treatment of infections, middle-ear treatment or surgery when required.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Occurs due to problems affecting the inner ear or auditory nerve.

Symptoms: Difficulty understanding speech, difficulty hearing in noisy places, increased TV volume and tinnitus.

Treatment: Treatment of the underlying cause when possible, hearing aids, hearing rehabilitation or cochlear implant evaluation in selected cases.

Mixed Hearing Loss

A combination of conductive and sensorineural hearing loss.

• Frequently asking people to repeat themselves
• Increasing TV or phone volume
• Difficulty hearing in noisy places
• Difficulty understanding speech
• Hearing better in one ear
• Muffled sounds
• Ringing or buzzing in the ears

• Earwax blockage
• Ear infections
• Loud-noise exposure
• Age-related hearing changes
• Middle-ear problems
• Inner-ear disorders
• Genetic or congenital conditions
• Certain medications and medical conditions

An ENT specialist may recommend an ear examination and hearing tests to identify the type, cause and severity of hearing loss. Depending on age and clinical requirements, evaluation may include:

• Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) – assesses hearing sensitivity across different frequencies.
• Speech Audiometry – evaluates how well a person hears and understands speech.
• Tympanometry – checks middle-ear function and helps identify conditions such as fluid or eardrum problems.
• Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) Test – evaluates inner-ear, particularly cochlear, function and is commonly used for hearing assessment in newborns and young children.
• Neonatal Hearing Screening – helps identify possible hearing loss in newborns at an early stage. OAE and other appropriate screening methods may be used as part of newborn hearing screening.
• Additional tests may be recommended based on the patient's age, symptoms and suspected cause of hearing loss.

Treatment depends on the cause and severity and may include:

• Medical treatment
• Earwax removal
• Treatment of ear infections
• Ear surgery when required
• Hearing aids
• Hearing rehabilitation
• Cochlear implant evaluation for selected patients

Hearing is important for speech, language and learning. Parents should seek evaluation if a child does not respond to sounds, has delayed speech, frequently asks for repetition, watches TV at high volume or has recurrent ear infections.

• Protect your ears from loud noise
• Keep headphone volume at a safe level
• Limit prolonged exposure to loud sounds
• Do not put cotton buds or other objects inside the ear
• Treat ear infections and other ear problems early
• Get hearing checked if you notice changes

Sudden hearing loss, especially in one ear, requires prompt medical evaluation. Do not wait for the hearing to improve on its own.

Gene therapy is an emerging treatment for certain genetic types of hearing loss. It works by delivering healthy genetic material to target cells in the inner ear to help restore or improve their function. It is currently being studied for specific genetic conditions and may be suitable only for selected patients after specialist evaluation and genetic testing.

Amrita ENT & Head–Neck Hospital in KPHB, Kukatpally, Hyderabad provides comprehensive ENT evaluation and hearing care for adults and children, including diagnosis, treatment and hearing rehabilitation guidance.

If you or your child is experiencing hearing difficulty, tinnitus or recurrent ear problems, consult an ENT specialist for proper evaluation and treatment.