AUDITORY DEFECTS

BY KIVUMBI EMMANUEL AND EDNA

Auditory defects may either be partial or complete.
There are three types of auditory defects;
1. Conduction deafness
2. Nerve deafness
3. Mixed hearing loss
 CONDUCTION DEAFNESS

This is a type of deafness that occurs due to

impairment in transition of sound waves in the
external ear or middle ear.
causes of conduction deafness
1. Obstruction of external auditory meatus with dry wax or foreign
bodies.
2. Thickening of tympanic membrane due to repeated middle ear
infection.
3. Perforation of tympanic membrane due to inequality if pressure on
either side
4. Otitis media. (inflammation of the middle ear)
5. Ostoclerosis; fixation of footplate of stapes against oval window due
to alkalosis (the abnormal immobility and consolidation of a joint)
 NERVE DEAFNESS

Also called the sensorineural deafness,

Nerve deafness is the deafness caused by damage
of any structure in the cochlea such as hair cell,
organ of corti, basilar membrane or cochlear duct
of the lesion in the auditory pathway.

CAUSES OF NERVE DEAFNESS

i. Degradation of hair cells due to some antibiotics like

streptomycin and gentamycin
ii. Damage of cochlea by prolonged exposure to loud noise
iii. Tumor affecting VIII cranial nerve
 Mixed hearing loss

Mixed hearing loss is the combination of both

conductive and sensorineural or nerve
defects/hearing loss.
This means that not only is the outer or middle ear
affected, but the inner ear is as well.
Causes of mixed hearing loss
Genetic disease or disorders
Virus or ear infections
Head trauma
 Degrees of auditory defects or hearing loss

Hearing loss is broken down into four

clinically labeled degrees;
1.Mild level
Here u have the most trouble with soft sounds.
2. Moderate level
You will likely struggle when someone is speaking directly to you at a normal
volume.
3. Severe level
Here you are likely not to hear speech even when it is spoken to you at
a normal volume, and u will struggle to hear anything other than loud
sounds.
4. Profound hearing
This means that you probably don’t hear anything at all, other than
perhaps extremely loud sounds.