The hearing test in conjunction with the patient’s history is the primary means of differentiating between a conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. Within the pediatric population nearly 95% of hearing loss is conductive with the remaining 5% being sensorineural. Adult hearing loss is nearly the opposite with 5% being conductive and 95% being sensorineural. While conductive hearing loss most frequently can be corrected through medicine or surgery this is not the case with sensorineural hearing loss.
At Elite Audiology we follow the guidelines established by the medical director at the Veteran’s Affairs Hospitals. This protocol recommends adult patients first be seen by an audiologist for a comprehensive hearing evaluation. When a conductive hearing loss is identified the audiologist refers the patient back to his or her physician for possible medical treatment of the condition.
When sensorineural hearing loss is identified the most common treatment is the guided use of properly selected hearing aids and/or assistive listening devices.
