About Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Your ear is made up of three parts— the outer, the middle, and the inner ear. Sensorineural hearing loss, or SNHL, happens after inner ear damage. Problems with the nerve pathways from your inner ear to your brain can also cause SNHL. Soft sounds may be hard to hear. Even louder sounds may be unclear or may sound muffled.

This is the most common type of permanent hearing loss. Most of the time, medicine or surgery cannot fix SNHL. Hearing aids may help you hear.

Causes of Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This type of hearing loss can be caused by the following things:

  • Illnesses.
  • Drugs that are toxic to hearing.
  • Hearing loss that runs in the family.
  • Aging.
  • A blow to the head.
  • A problem in the way the inner ear is formed.
  • Listening to loud noises or explosions.

Learn about other types of hearing loss:

  • Conductive Hearing Loss
  • Mixed Hearing Loss