Medical aspects of hearing loss

Abstract

Hearing loss may be due to a wide variety of pathological processes occuring in any part of the ear. ‘Pathology’ means the study of disease. Diseases, or disorders, can be considered under the following headings:

• traumatic, or from injury;

• infective, or from micro-organisms;

• tumours;

• iatrogenic, caused by physician or surgeon, by use of inappropriate medication, surgical accident or unsterile operation;

• idiopathic, or of unknown cause;

• physiological disorders, including degenerative effects of ageing;

• congenital, or from birth, whether inherited or caused by environmental factors.