Tones and words will be played into each ear at different volumes and frequencies. If a doctor expects you have hearing loss, they will likely send you for a more accurate audiometer test performed by an audiologist.ĭuring the test, you’ll wear headphones in a soundproof booth. If you have SNHL, you’ll be able to hear the tuning fork better in front of your ear canal than against your bone. Your doctor then moves the tuning fork in front of your ear canal until you can’t hear the sound. The doctor strikes a tuning fork and places it against your mastoid bone behind your ear until you no longer hear the sound. If sound is louder in your unaffected ear, hearing loss is likely sensorineural. If the sound is louder in your affected ear, hearing loss is likely conductive. The doctor strikes a 512 Hz tuning fork softly and places it near the midline of your forehead. Tuning forksĪ doctor may use a tuning fork test as an initial screening. A doctor will search for inflammation, fluid or earwax buildup, damage to your eardrum, and foreign bodies. Physical examĪ physical exam can help differentiate SNHL from conductive hearing loss. The quicker you receive treatment, the more likely you are to minimize damage to the structures of your ear.ĭoctors use several types of tests to properly diagnose sensorineural hearing loss. In some cases, it’s possible to regain your hearing. It’s important to get a proper diagnosis if you’re dealing with hearing loss. Hearing loss is considered mixed if there are problems both before and after the cochlea. Some people experience a mix of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss. However, people with conductive hearing loss often hear muffled sounds while people with SNHL hear muffled and distorted sounds.
Keep reading to find out what causes SNHL, how you can prevent it, and your treatment options if you’re currently dealing with it.Ĭonductive vs. SNHL isn’t a life threatening condition, but it can interfere with your ability to communicate if not properly managed. A loss of hearing between 41 to 55 decibels. A loss of hearing between 26 to 40 decibels. SNHL can range from mild hearing loss to complete hearing loss depending on the degree of damage. Eighty-five decibels is roughly equivalent to heavy traffic noise heard from inside a car. However, you might not experience hearing loss until 30 to 50 percent of these hairs are damaged. Exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels can damage these hairs. These hairs convert vibrations from sound waves into neural signals that your auditory nerve carries to your brain.
Common causes of SNHL include exposure to loud noises, genetic factors, or the natural aging process.Ī spiraling organ inside your inner ear called your cochlea contains tiny hairs known as stereocilia. It is the cause of more than 90 percent of hearing loss in adults. Sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) is caused by damage to the structures in your inner ear or your auditory nerve.
0 kommentar(er)
