Types of hearing loss are distinguished by the location of the damage:

Conductive hearing loss occurs when sounds cannot get through the outer and middle ear to the inner ear, where they are converted into electrical signals that the brain turns into a sound we understand.

People with this type of hearing loss may have difficulty hearing quieter sounds, and louder sounds may be muffled.

Conductive hearing loss can occur as the result of infection, fluid buildup in the middle ear, eardrum perforation, or blockage within the outer or middle ear.

Medication or surgery is used to treat this type of hearing loss.

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when the inner ear or the nerve pathway from the inner ear to the brain is damaged. Most permanent hearing loss is due to this type of damage.

Exposure to loud noises, aging, and trauma are common causes of this type of hearing loss.

Hearing aids can help people with sensorineural hearing loss hear.

Mixed hearing loss is some combination of the above two types of hearing loss.