hearing loss · 6 min read
Sensorineural vs Conductive vs Mixed Hearing Loss
Sensorineural: the most common type
Sensorineural loss originates in the cochlea or auditory nerve. The classic pattern is gradual, symmetrical, high-frequency-first loss in adults over 55 — age-related presbycusis — or a noise-notch pattern in people with industrial, traffic or loud-music exposure. It cannot be reversed by medicine or surgery; correctly fitted hearing aids are the evidence-based treatment, and outcomes are excellent when fitting is audiogram-based.
Conductive: often fixable — check before you buy
Anything blocking the mechanical path — impacted wax (extremely common in India), middle-ear fluid after infections, eardrum perforation, ossicle stiffening — produces conductive loss. Signs pointing this way: one-sided loss, ear fullness, discharge, or hearing that fluctuates. These need an ENT first, not a hearing aid. A reputable audiologist will always screen for conductive components before recommending devices; ours do, free of charge.
Mixed loss and what your audiogram shows
An audiogram plots your thresholds by frequency for both air conduction (headphones) and bone conduction (a vibrator on the mastoid bone). A gap between the two lines reveals a conductive component; overlapping depressed lines indicate sensorineural loss. This single chart determines which hearing aid power level and style is clinically appropriate — which is why every device we sell is programmed to your audiogram, never sold as a loose box.
Not sure where to start? Book a free hearing test — home visits available across India — or browse the full Signia range.
This article is educational and reviewed against published audiology guidance. It is not a medical diagnosis. Online screening indicates risk only — a clinical audiogram by a qualified audiologist is the diagnostic standard.