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Causes of Conductive Deafness

Conductive hearing loss is a partial loss of your hearing. A "conductive" hearing loss means that the sounds you are able to hear are weaker and less clear than they would normally be. Those sounds can become muffled and distorted as well. Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound vibrations don't go from outside the ear to the tiny, delicate moving bones of the inner ear as well as they should. Some causes of conductive hearing loss can be reversed with simple medical interventions, while others may be permanent.

  1. Ear Anatomy

    • Your ear is made up of several parts, beginning with the outer ear, which collects and funnels the sound waves into your middle ear. Your middle ear is separated from the outer ear by your eardrum. This part of your ear has the malleus (hammer), incus (anvil) and stapes (stirrup). These three bones magnify your eardrum's movement when sound waves enter. The Eustachian tube connects your ear to the back of your throat to equalize air pressure. Your inner ear contains the cochlea, which senses the sound vibrations and passes them to your brain via your cochlear nerve.

    Mechanical Failure

    • Conductive deafness may result from the bones in your middle ear malfunctioning, which may mean that sound waves are not being sent to your inner ear as they normally should be. The bones in your middle ear may be "frozen" by a buildup of calcium, meaning they won't move as much or as freely as they need to in order for you to hear clearly.

    Eardrum Malfunction

    • Your eardrum may not be vibrating as it should be. When your eardrum is not vibrating, sound waves are not being moved toward your inner ear for the cochlea to pick up. You may have an ear infection preventing your eardrum from working properly. Or you may have suffered from several ear infections as a child. These past ear infections may have permanently affected the function of your eardrum.

    Fluid Buildup

    • A buildup of fluid in the ear canal, near the eardrum, may dampen the sound waves' movement toward the eardrum. This buildup will also block the conduction of sound into your inner ear. While you are able to hear, the sounds you do pick up will be muffled and weak.

    Wax Buildup

    • A buildup of earwax in your ear canal can block the sound waves from reaching your middle and inner ear. Your ear canal is effectively prevented from receiving the sound waves you need to hear. This condition can be treated by a qualified specialist, who will remove the accumulated earwax.

    Otosclerosis

    • Otosclerosis is a common cause of hearing loss wherein portions of your middle and inner ear develop bony, spongy growths. The presence of these growths in your middle ear cause a conductive hearing loss. How much hearing you lose from otosclerosis depends on the degree of the disease.

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