My dad just had his hearing tested and was told that he has a sensorineural hearing loss. The person testing his hearing explained to him what that meant. But now that he’s trying to explain what it means to me, he isn’t sure that he’s remembering what she said correctly. So, what is a sensorineural hearing loss?
Before we explain what a sensorineural hearing loss (often abbreviated as SNHL) is, we need to explain how you hear.
Briefly, sound waves enter the outer ear canal and vibrate a membrane at the most central (farthest) portion of the ear canal called the tympanic membrane or eardrum. The eardrum transfers those vibrations to three small bones called ossicles. The last bone (also the smallest bone) pushes in against the fluid filled inner ear (the cochlea).
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The displacement or movement of the fluid causes disturbances of small hair cells called cilia. The movement of the cilia triggers a chemical reaction that excites the auditory nerve (the hearing nerve). The nerve sends electrical signals to the brain and the brain interprets the sound into meaning.
What part of the ear is affected with a SNHL?A sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is damage to the inner ear (cochlea), or to the nerve pathways from the inner ear to the brain. Most of the time, a SNHL cannot be medically or surgically corrected.
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- Age (presbycusis)
- Autoimmune inner ear disease
- Exposure to loud noise
- Head trauma
- Inherited hearing loss (Genetic)
- Malformation of the inner ear
- Meniere’s Disease
- Tumors
- Virus
If your Dad has a sensorineural hearing loss that is interfering with his ability to communicate and impacting his quality of life suggest he give us a call. Chances are we can help.
For more information, please visit our website at http://www.newtonhearing.com/ or call our office at 617-332-7244.
