Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Repeated exposure to loud noise can result in hearing loss. The exposure to loud noises results in irreparable damage to the hair cells or the cells that sense the sounds as it is conducted into the inner ear.

The body can sometimes act against itself. This is called an autoimmune response. Disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, and Crohn’s disease can be associated with hearing loss.

An infection of the inner ear from either a bacterial or viral infection can produce hearing loss to variable degrees. The hearing loss is typically very rapid in onset completing its deterioration over several hours to days. The hearing loss may be accompanied by dizziness.

Some people are genetically predisposed to premature hearing loss. Careful investigation of family history will often yield that other family members also had premature hearing loss.

Hearing loss that is seen in young adults and children can be derived from anatomic abnormalities of the inner ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the neural pathway from the brain to the inner ear is altered. Therefore, this can be a problem beginning in the brain, the auditory nerve, or the inner ear itself. The most common site of the problem is the inner ear. It can be congenital, or present at the time of birth. Otherwise, it is acquired during life.