Conductive hearing loss

Conductive hearing loss is reduced hearing caused by impaired sound transmission through the outer or middle ear, despite inner-ear sensory structures remaining able to detect sound.

Outer ear: The external part of the ear, including the pinna and ear canal, that collects and directs sound toward the eardrum. Obstruction or malformation here can prevent sound from reaching the eardrum.
Cerumen impaction: A buildup of earwax that blocks the external auditory canal. The blockage prevents sound from reaching the eardrum and is often reversible.
Hearing aid: An electronic device that amplifies sound to improve hearing. Amplification can help when conductive loss persists or surgery is unsuitable.
Sensorineural hearing loss: Hearing loss caused by damage to the cochlea, auditory nerve, or central auditory pathways. It arises beyond the sound-conduction pathway and is not corrected by simply bypassing the outer or middle ear.
Middle ear: An air-filled cavity containing the eardrum and three small bones that transmit vibrations to the inner ear. Disease or stiffness in this cavity interrupts the main mechanical pathway for sound.
Otitis media: Inflammation or infection of the middle ear, often involving fluid behind the eardrum. Middle-ear fluid limits eardrum and ossicle movement, especially in children.
Bone conduction hearing device: A hearing device that sends vibrations through the skull to stimulate the inner ear. It bypasses impaired outer- or middle-ear transmission.
Mixed hearing loss: Hearing loss combining conductive impairment with damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve. It includes a conductive component but also has a separate sensorineural component.
Tympanic membrane: A thin membrane separating the ear canal from the middle ear that vibrates in response to sound. Perforation or scarring can weaken the vibrations passed into the middle ear.
Otosclerosis: An abnormal bone-remodeling disorder that commonly fixes the stapes at the oval window. Stapes fixation blocks efficient transmission of middle-ear vibrations.

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