Which type of hearing loss is caused by damage to cochlea cilia due to noise or aging?

Which type of hearing loss is caused by damage to cochlea cilia due to noise or aging?

• A. Conductive
• B. Sensorineural (SNHL)
• C. Mixed
• D. Central

Answer: (B)

Damage to the cochlear hair cells from loud noise or aging causes sensorineural hearing loss. The hair cells in the cochlea convert sound vibrations into nerve signals for the brain; when these cells are damaged, the inner ear’s ability to transduce sound is compromised, leading to a loss of hearing that involves the neural pathways rather than the outer or middle ear. This type is often irreversible and frequently affects high frequencies first in both noise exposure and age-related changes. Conduction problems—issues in the outer or middle ear that block sound from reaching the inner ear—produce conductive loss, while central losses involve processing of sound in the brain. In tests, sensorineural loss typically shows elevated thresholds for both air and bone conduction with no significant air-bone gap, unlike conductive loss, which shows an air-bone gap due to the problem being outside the inner ear. Mixed loss includes both sensorineural and conductive components.

Damage to the cochlear hair cells from loud noise or aging causes sensorineural hearing loss. The hair cells in the cochlea convert sound vibrations into nerve signals for the brain; when these cells are damaged, the inner ear’s ability to transduce sound is compromised, leading to a loss of hearing that involves the neural pathways rather than the outer or middle ear. This type is often irreversible and frequently affects high frequencies first in both noise exposure and age-related changes.

Conduction problems—issues in the outer or middle ear that block sound from reaching the inner ear—produce conductive loss, while central losses involve processing of sound in the brain. In tests, sensorineural loss typically shows elevated thresholds for both air and bone conduction with no significant air-bone gap, unlike conductive loss, which shows an air-bone gap due to the problem being outside the inner ear. Mixed loss includes both sensorineural and conductive components.