Mixed Hearing Loss

Mixed hearing loss is any combination of sensorineural and conductive hearing loss.

Causes

Mixed hearing loss commonly occurs when the ear sustains some sort of trauma. It also can happen gradually over time when one hearing loss is compounded by another. For example, a person with a long-standing conductive hearing loss might experience age-related hearing loss as they age. Alternatively, a person with age-related hearing loss may have a temporary mixed hearing loss due to wax impaction.

Symptoms

The symptoms of mixed hearing loss will be some combination of those listed above for the other two types of hearing loss.

Treatment

Treatment options for mixed hearing loss will depend on whether the loss is more sensorineural or conductive in nature. If a greater portion of the loss is caused by a conductive component, surgical procedures and other medical treatments might be more effective in correcting the hearing concerns. If a greater portion of the loss is sensorineural, hearing aids or implantable devices may be the best option.