Sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural hearing loss results from damages to the tiny hair cells in the cochlea in the inner ear.

Sensorineural hearing loss is a loss of hearing caused by damage to the sensory cells and/or nerve fibers of the inner ear. Everybody loses these tiny hair cells in the cochlea throughout life, while the hearing gradually becomes less acute. This is called Presbyacusis. However, the hair cells can also be damaged by excessive noise. As a result of prolonged exposure to high intensity noise either from the work environment or from listening to loud music, hearing impairment is becoming more common. You can also suffer from sensorineural hearing loss having been exposed to diseases such as mumps, meningitis, multiple sclerosis, ménières disease or if you have used certain drugs, in particular aspirin, cisplatin, quinine or the antibiotics streptomycin and gentamicin. Hearing impairment may also occur if your mother has had rubella (German measles) during pregnancy, or if your birth weight was low. Hearing impairment can be inherited and finally you may lose your hearing ability due to head/ear injuries. People with sensorineural hearing loss cannot regain their hearing, but most people with sensorineural hearing loss find hearing aids very helpful. A few cases of sensorineural hearing loss can be (partly)treated by means of an operation.