Hearing loss gets treated as a single problem, but it comes in different types, and the distinction changes everything about the treatment approach.
Conductive hearing loss happens when something physically blocks sound from reaching your inner ear. Unlike the nerve-related hearing loss that typically comes with age, many causes of conductive loss are fully correctable.
Practicing out of his Brooklyn, New York, office, Steven D. Kushnick, MD, diagnoses and treats conductive hearing loss along with other conditions affecting the ears.
Sound normally travels through your outer ear canal, vibrates your eardrum, moves through three small bones in the middle ear, and reaches the inner ear, where nerve signals carry it to your brain. Conductive hearing loss develops when a problem in the outer or middle ear interrupts that chain.
The inner ear and hearing nerve work fine in these cases. Sound simply can’t get through at full volume, which is why people with conductive loss often describe everything as muffled, rather than distorted.
Several conditions can obstruct sound transmission, and most of them are treatable:
Some of these resolve quickly once identified, while others call for medication or a procedure.
A few symptoms tend to show up with conductive hearing loss, including:
Sudden onset hearing loss often points to wax, fluid, or infection. A gradual hearing decline over months or years suggests something like otosclerosis.
Evaluation begins with a discussion of when your hearing changed, whether one or both ears are affected, and what other symptoms come along with it. Dr. Kushnick examines your ear canal and eardrum directly, which often reveals wax, fluid, or perforation immediately.
Hearing tests measure how well you detect sounds through air conduction versus bone conduction. A gap between those two measurements is the hallmark of conductive loss, showing that your inner ear works while something upstream is blocking sound.
Tympanometry assesses how your eardrum moves and can confirm fluid or pressure problems behind it. Imaging tests may follow when the cause involves bone or structural changes.
Dr. Kushnick’s recommendations depend on what’s blocking the sound. Your treatment options may include:
Dr. Kushnick matches his approach to what he finds during your evaluation. Many patients see substantial improvement, and some regain normal hearing entirely.
Muffled hearing, ear fullness, or a sudden change in one ear deserves a proper diagnosis rather than waiting to see if it passes. Reach our Brooklyn, New York, office at 718-250-8520 today, or book your evaluation with Dr. Kushnick through our website at your convenience.
