About Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss (also known as nerve deafness) is where the inner ear or actual hearing nerve itself is damaged. About 90% of all people with hearing impairments suffer from sensorineural hearing loss, making it the most common type of hearing impairment.

Sensorineural hearing loss may be caused by:

  • the natural aging process
  • exposure to loud noises
  • infection or other disease, or
  • a genetic disorder.

Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears, is usually associated with sensorineural hearing loss.

This type of hearing loss is usually permanent and not medically or surgically treatable. In most cases, the nerves from the inner ear to the brain are irreparably damaged. However, most people with this hearing loss find wearing hearing aids to be of significant benefit.

Types of hearing loss