This is the most common type of hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss is caused by damage to the tiny hair cells in the ear that help transmit sound to your brain. These can bend or break due to:
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Exposure to very loud noises
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Genetic disposition
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Virus infections in the inner ear
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Certain medical treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation
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Head injury
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Age
The effects are almost always the same – it becomes harder to distinguish speech from noise, certain high-pitched sounds such as birdsong disappear altogether, people seem to be mumbling and you often have to ask them to repeat themselves.
Sensorineural hearing loss is permanent and can’t be corrected medically, but hearing aids can almost always help.