 Any condition in the outer or middle ear that interferes with sound passing to the inner ear is classified as a
conductive hearing loss.
- A conductive hearing loss can result from:
- Excessive wax in the auditory canal.
- A ruptured or heavily-scarred eardrum.
- Fluid in the middle ear.
- Dislocated or missing elements of the ossicular chain.
- Eustachian tube blockage.
- Otosclerosis (an abnormal growth of bone in the middle ear).
- Work-related conductive hearing loss is not common, although it may occur occasionally as the result of accidents involving:
- An eardrum rupture or a break in the ossicular chain by a head blow.
- Explosions.
- A rapid pressure change in a decompression chamber.
- Penetration of the eardrum by a sharp object or fragment.
- A significant number of conductive hearing losses are reversible through medical or surgical treatment.
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