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How does conductive hearing loss differ from sensorineural hearing loss?

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Conductive and sensorineural hearing loss are distinguished by the location of the impairment within the auditory system and their potential for medical treatment.

Conductive Hearing Loss

This condition occurs when the outer or middle ear fails to conduct sound effectively to the cochlea in the inner ear. It is often associated with middle ear defects, such as otosclerosis or issues with the ossicular chain, and can frequently be corrected through surgery. In audiometric testing, it is characterized by an "air-bone gap," where air-conduction thresholds are significantly poorer than bone-conduction thresholds.12

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

This type involves damage to the sensory transducer cells in the cochlea or the neural pathways to the brain. Unlike conductive loss, sensorineural impairment is usually permanent, and surgery is rarely an effective treatment, though hearing aids may provide assistance. Audiograms for sensorineural loss show similar degrees of impairment for both air and bone conduction, resulting in an air-bone gap close to zero. Individuals with this condition may also experience "recruitment," an abnormal sensitivity to loudness growth.12