Conduction hearing loss:
In conduction hearing loss, the outer or middle ear are damaged, i.e. the ear parts which are responsible for the mechanical transfer of the sound. People who suffer from this type of hearing loss find quiet speech and noises difficult irrespective of the pitch. They have the feeling that their ears are blocked with cotton wool and hear themselves speaking unusually loudly.

Sensorineural hearing loss:
Sensorineural hearing loss has its cause in the inner ear. This can involve problems with the hair sensory cells (defective hair cells cannot regenerate themselves or be reproduced). It is also possible that the incoming sounds are not transformed correctly into nerve impulses. People affected by this hearing difficulty hear but they do not understand: sounds cannot be correctly interpreted and processed.

Mixed hearing loss:
If both the middle ear and the inner ear are affected, this is known as a combined hearing difficulty. In such a case problems of both the types presented above occur at the same time.

Neural and central hearing difficulty:
In these types of hearing difficulty, either the auditory nerve is affected in its function or the actual processing of sounds in the brain is disturbed in its function.

Tinnitus: 
Tinnitus is not a form of hearing difficulty. It is a symptom of an illness which makes itself known through the hearing. People suffering from tinnitus constantly hear annoying and unpleasant noises in their ear. Sometimes tinnitus and a hearing difficulty occur jointly, which can also result in problems understanding speech. As it is difficult to treat tinnitus correctly, those affected should seek advice in one of our specialised shops without delay.