Mixed Hearing Loss: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options

Written by the Nano Hearing Aids Team
Reviewed for Accuracy by Nano Hearing Aids.

Mixed Hearing Loss: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment Options

Any individual can develop hearing loss due to reasons like damage inside the ear, noise pollution, aging, medication side effects, and different health conditions. Among different types of hearing loss, mixed hearing loss is one of the most common ones. Here we will discuss the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for mixed hearing loss.

When individuals develop hearing loss due to damage in the inner ear and damage to the outer or middle ear, it is referred to as mixed hearing loss. 

MIXED HEARING LOSS

Mixed Hearing Loss Causes

Most hearing loss patients can develop one of the two major kinds of hearing loss:

Conductive hearing loss occurs when the patient develops a problem in their eardrum, ear canal, or middle ear and its little bones. Infections and fluid build-up are some of the reasons for damage in this area. 

On the other hand, people develop sensorineural hearing loss when the inner ear is damaged. Head trauma, exposure to loud noise, viral infections, chronic diseases, and high blood pressure are some of the major causes for the inner ear to undergo damage.

Patients with mixed hearing loss suffer from both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Aging, exposure to loud noise, genetic factors, and all the other factors causing conductive and sensorineural hearing loss are responsible for causing mixed hearing loss.

Mixed Hearing Loss Symptoms

One of the primary mixed hearing loss symptoms is being unable to hear sounds. This can occur either in both ears or in one ear. Here are some signs to identify that one is losing their hearing:

  • Difficulty in listening to speech and conversation, especially in noisy situations
  • Asking others to repeat themselves frequently
  • Having trouble identifying high-pitched consonant sounds
  • Frequently raising the volume on the television to listen clearly
  • Having a hard time keeping up with a conversation
  • Feeling stressed or tired when concentrating on a conversation
  • Having difficulties talking over the phone and feeling frustrated
  • Hearing ringing or a pulsing sound in the ear even in a calm environment

It is possible that the patient may not notice the symptoms or ignore them completely. However, rapid detection and treatment allow hearing loss patients to live a healthy and regular life.

Also: The presence of crackling or popping sounds in the ears can be alarming. Continue reading to learn more about crackling in the ear, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment options.

Diagnosis

Any individuals having problems with hearing will need to go through a hearing test. One can consult a doctor or an audiologist for a physical hearing exam. Also, there are several online applications and websites that offer free hearing tests.

It is highly recommended to see a doctor if anyone suffers from hearing problems. Online hearing tests only mention if one has hearing problems or not. On the other hand, a physical hearing exam conducted by a doctor or an audiologist is quite comprehensive and will determine the causes behind the hearing loss and the exact sound wavelengths the patients are unable to hear. Additionally, hearing specialists will mention if there are any other defects that need to be addressed.

Mixed Hearing Loss Treatment

Mixed Hearing Loss Treatment

Patients with mixed hearing loss are advised to address the causes of conductive hearing loss first. 

Sensorineural hearing loss cannot be completely treated in most cases. Thus, the patients will need to use additional assistive devices like hearing aids, cochlear implants, or assistive hearing devices.

Here are the Mixed hearing loss treatment options available for patients that may need to go through:

Treating Underlying Health Conditions

Several underlying health conditions are responsible for causing conductive hearing loss and most of these causes can be treated.

Infections in the ear are one of the primary causes of conductive hearing loss. These infections can occur in the ear canal, eardrum, or middle ear. With proper medications, many of these infections can be cured.

Besides infections, fluid build-up and puncture in the eardrum can be treated with medications and surgery. In most cases, conductive hearing loss is curable if detected early. 

Also Read: Meniere's disease is an inner ear disorder that can result in dizzy spells (also known as vertigo) as well as hearing loss in some people.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids allow mixed hearing loss patients to hear sounds and get back to their regular life. There are several hearing aid brands available in the market. These hearing aids need to be calibrated according to the patient’s hearing test.

Most hearing loss patients try to avoid wearing hearing aids as they are quite expensive and look like medical devices. However, several prominent hearing aid brands like Nano Hearing Aids are now cutting out the middleman to deliver hearing aids at a bargain.

Nano has hearing aid devices designed to fit the unique requirements of hearing loss patients. Most hearing aids from Nano are barely visible. Also, the visible ones have attractive colors that can be blended as fashion accessories. 

Also, Nano hearing aids contain several helpful features like telecoil, tinnitus masking, noise-canceling, and multiple channel sound processing to help hearing loss patients. These features help hearing-impaired patients hear sounds properly and take part in conversations.

 

Cochlear Implants

If the inner ear of mixed hearing loss patients is severely impaired, hearing aids may not be suitable for them. They will need to have cochlear implants to listen to sounds.

Cochlear implants need to be installed inside the ear of hearing loss patients. These devices stream sound directly to the patient’s brain. So, the patients with cochlear implants will need to learn to hear with their implant. 

Only patients with very low hearing abilities are recommended to have cochlear implants for additional health risks these devices possess.

Hearing aids and cochlear implants are used to help persons with hearing loss. Hearing aids and cochlear implants are both modest devices that help the deaf. Which is preferable, hearing aid or cochlear implant? Our experts researched the distinctions to help you understand them. Keep reading to learn more about these two devices.

Assistive Listening Devices

Many mixed hearing loss patients may need to attend public gatherings. These patients often struggle to hear properly with all the additional background noise. Hearing assistive devices can be very helpful in such situations.

There are four major types of assistive listening devices:

  • Amplified telephones
  • TV streamers
  • Personal amplifiers
  • Notification system

Patients can choose their preferable assistive listening devices depending on the situation they are in.

Bottom Line

Mixed hearing loss severely impacts the hearing ability of a person as it affects different parts of the ear at once. Mixed hearing loss patients can lead healthy and interactive lives with proper diagnosis and treatment.

Hearing aids can be the best friend for hearing loss patients. These devices allow them to keep their remaining hearing ability intact and take part in conversations efficiently. We absolutely love and recommend Nano Hearing aids for their affordability, excellent designs, and features.

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