Types of deafness
The main types of deafness are conductive and sensori-neural. If you are told that your child has mixed deafness, it means that your child has a combination of both conductive and sensori-neural deafness.
Conductive deafness or Otitis Media is the most common type. It means that sounds cannot pass efficiently through the other and middle ear to the cochlea and auditory nerve. This is most often caused by fluid building up in the middle ear. This condition is called Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) and can be referred to as 'glue ear' in some countries. Most conductive deafness is temporary but there is a chance that it can be permanent.
Sensori-neural deafness is caused by a fault in the inner ear or auditory nerve. This is sometimes called ‘nerve deafness’ but this term is usually not completely accurate. Most sensori-neural deafness is caused by a problem in the cochlea. Commonly, this is because the hair cells of the cochlea are not working properly. Sensori-neural deafness is permanent.
Mixed deafness is a combination of both conductive and sensori-neural deafness. For example a child may have glue ear and at the same time have a problem in their cochlea.
Sensori-neural deafness is caused by a fault in the inner ear or auditory nerve. This is sometimes called ‘nerve deafness’ but this term is usually not completely accurate. Most sensori-neural deafness is caused by a problem in the cochlea. Commonly, this is because the hair cells of the cochlea are not working properly. Sensori-neural deafness is permanent.
Mixed deafness is a combination of both conductive and sensori-neural deafness. For example a child may have glue ear and at the same time have a problem in their cochlea.
