Auditory Ear Nerve hearing loss is rare and is caused by a break in the communication of nerve impulses between the inner ear and the brain. The cause of this condition is not completely understood, especially since both ears are usually affected. This condition might also be referred to as neural or nerve deafness.
The main symptoms of this condition are:
The causes of auditory ear nerve hearing loss are not well understood. In this condition, the structures of the ear might work perfectly when tested, but the person cannot hear correctly. There are risk factors that do seem to be associated with the condition, however:
This kind of hearing loss is diagnosed through the use of specific tests.
Many doctors will also test for an array of autoimmune conditions like Multiple Sclerosis (MS) to be sure that there is not an underlying disease process that is causing a patient’s hearing loss.
There is no cure for this hearing loss condition at this time. Cochlear implants remain the best tool to assist in restoring hearing for some patients. Hearing aids can also help in some cases but are not typically useful for this kind of hearing loss. Frequency modulation (FM) systems can also help patients to hear more effectively without the need for other kinds of implanted devices.
For patients with learning disabilities or delays related to their hearing loss, speech therapy, and other treatments can be useful as well. Even adults can benefit from this kind of treatment if they have struggled with hearing loss for years and have suffered from speech difficulties and comprehension problems due to their hearing loss.
Prevention of this kind of hearing loss is not possible. Since there is no known root cause for the condition, there is no reliable way to prevent it.