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Different Types of Deafness
By Manali Oak

Deafness, as we all know, is the loss of hearing that can be caused by various reasons such as certain illnesses or physical trauma.

Genetic factors can be responsible for deafness.

It can also result from a long-term exposure to noise. Before moving on, you may like to read about hearing loss.

Conductive: When sound is not conducted through the outer or middle ear, conductive hearing loss occurs. This type of deafness is often of the mild form and the sound quality is not affected, if the sound is amplified.

Perceptive: In this type of deafness, the sound waves can reach the inner ear but there is an impairment in the nerves leading to the brain, due to which sound cannot be sensed. In case of a sensorineural hearing loss, the inner ear, the cochlea or the auditory nervous system of a person is impaired. In rare cases, a defect in the functioning of the auditory sensors of the brain can cause deafness.

Deafness due to genetic factors: In case of the presence of a dominant deafness gene in the family, deafness may persist across the generations.

Certain congenital defects can also cause hearing loss.

Deafness caused due to exposure to noise: People whose lifestyles include heavy exposure to environmental noise, are found to suffer from deafness. Car stereos, noises produced by vehicles, loud noise produced as a result of industrial processes or air traffic are common causes of this type of deafness. An excessive use of headphones is an important reason behind the increasing cases of deafness around the world.

Diseases like meningitis, measles, mumps and otosclerosis can cause deafness. Premature birth is one of the important reasons resulting in an under-developed auditory system. AIDS patients also experience auditory system abnormalities. Ascending age is another major factor leading to hearing loss...