What type of hearing loss is indicated by damage to the inner ear?

Damage to the inner ear results in sensorineural hearing loss, which involves the sensory cells and the auditory nerve responsible for transmitting sound signals to the brain. This type of hearing loss can stem from a variety of factors, including aging, exposure to loud sounds, infections, or genetic conditions. Since the inner ear contains vital structures such as the cochlea, any damage here directly impacts the mechanism of hearing, leading to disturbances in sound processing that cannot be corrected simply by amplifying the sound, as might be effective with conductive hearing loss.

In contrast, conductive hearing loss typically arises from issues in the outer or middle ear, such as blockages or injuries that prevent sound from efficiently reaching the inner ear. Mixed hearing loss is a combination of both sensorineural and conductive hearing loss, while functional hearing loss refers to cases where a person does not show an organic cause for difficulty hearing, often linked to psychological or emotional factors. Thus, the presence of damage specifically to the inner ear clearly indicates sensorineural hearing loss.