Sensorineural hearing loss: Symptoms and management

What are the causes?

Sensorineural hearing loss is sometimes known as nerve-related hearing loss, on account of the way deafness sets in through trauma to the cochlea nerve endings.

There are two different types of sensorineural hearing loss: congenital and acquired.

Congenital hearing loss happens at birth; it can be inherited genetically or during the foetal development stages.

Acquired hearing loss happens after birth and can be due to a variety of factors.

The most common causes of sensorineural hearing loss include:

• Aging

• Lengthy exposure to loud noises

• Injury to the head or ear

• Certain medications

• Infections such as measles, mumps or meningitis

• Ménière’s disease

Another thing to bear in mind is family history. If a more senior member of your family has sensorineural hearing loss that came on without any external interference, this makes you more susceptible.

What are the symptoms?

Sensorineural hearing loss tends to happend gradually over time. It is therefore worth knowing the symptoms, so that it can be identified as early as possible and medical treatment can be sought.

Symptoms that are common with sensorineural hearing loss include:

• Certain sounds seeming overly loud in one ear

• Problems following conversations between two or more people

• Difficulty hearing in noisy areas

• Other people’s voices sounding mumbled or slurred

• Difficulty hearing over background noise

Feeling of being off-balance or dizzy

• Tinnitus

Identifying the symptoms that are exclusive only to sensorineural hearing loss can be difficult. However, if you experience any of the above symptoms, then it’s likely that you’re suffering from some form of sensorineural hearing loss – and should seek immediate medical treatment.

What treatments are available?

Sensorineural hearing loss is typically treated with the help of hearing aids. There are many types of hearing aid available, so be sure to find a model that fits your needs.

Sensorineural hearing loss is untreatable through medicine or surgery. We recommend that you adopt a treatment plan put together by your GP or audiologist as soon as possible, given that sensorineural hearing loss can have unwanted side effects such as isolation and lower quality of life.