Patients with Hearing Loss should be investigated. The common causes of Hearing Loss are:

Problems involving the outer ear

Ear wax impaction Foreign body in the ear Ear canal narrowing (developmental abnormality or a result of repeated ear canal trauma)

Problems involving the middle ear

Ear drum hole Middle ear infection Fluid in the middle ear, usually caused by nasal infection Abnormal middle ear bone (ossicles) Barotrauma (middle ear pressure induced Hearing Loss)

Problems involving the inner ear

Age-related hearing nerve degeneration Hearing nerve degeneration from exposure to excessive loud noise Drug-induced hearing nerve degeneration Hearing Loss from viral infection Birth related Hearing Loss Hearing nerve damage from previous head injury

What tests are required?

A thorough physical examination and hearing test will often be adequate to help a clinician make a definitive diagnosis. Occasionally, radiological imaging may be required to visualize the middle and inner ear more to rule out abnormal growth.

What are the treatment options?

Hearing Loss can frequently be restored with the eradication of the cause. In cases involving irreversible damage to ear structures, such as Hearing Loss from nerve degeneration, hearing aids may be required to help patients hear. An audiologist will assist in the fitting of suitable hearing aids.