{"id":266034,"date":"2025-11-06T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2025-11-06T08:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.horendgoed.nl\/geen-onderdeel-van-een-categorie\/how-does-hearing-work-and-what-happens-with-hearing-loss\/"},"modified":"2025-11-06T09:02:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-06T08:02:03","slug":"how-does-hearing-work-and-what-happens-with-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.horendgoed.nl\/en\/hearing-problems\/how-does-hearing-work-and-what-happens-with-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"How does hearing work – and what happens with hearing loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

At Horend Goed, we help people every day who find that their hearing is not what it used to be. Sometimes it creeps in slowly \u2013 you may hear the television a little louder, miss snippets of conversation, or not recognize the direction of sound properly anymore. To properly understand what\u2019s going on, it\u2019s helpful to know exactly<\/strong> how hearing works<\/strong> and what happens when that process gets disrupted. <\/p>\n\n

In this article we explain in an understandable way how the ear picks up sound, what the different forms of hearing loss are and what solutions exist today.<\/p>\n\n

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How does our hearing work?<\/h2>\n\n

Hearing is a clever interplay of three parts: the external ear<\/strong>, the middle ear<\/strong> and the inner ear<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n

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  1. The external ear<\/strong> captures sound waves. The auricle and ear canal ensure that sound is naturally amplified and directed toward the eardrum. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. The middle ear<\/strong> begins at the eardrum. This vibrates along with the sound and transmits the vibrations to three tiny bones: the hammer, anvil and stirrup. These amplify the sound and transmit it to the inner ear. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. The inner ear (cochlea or cochlea)<\/strong> converts vibrations into electrical signals. These signals are sent via the auditory nerve to the brain, where they are \u201ctranslated\u201d into recognizable sounds: speech, music, traffic, birds \u2013 everything we hear in our daily lives. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n

    If one of these parts is not working properly, sound can no longer be transmitted properly and we speak of hearing loss.<\/p>\n\n

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    Different types of hearing loss<\/h2>\n\n

    There are several types of hearing loss, depending on where in the ear the problem is located. Broadly speaking, we distinguish three forms: <\/p>\n\n

    1. Conductivity loss<\/h3>\n\n

    With conductive hearing loss, sound is not transmitted properly through the external or middle ear.This can be due to earwax, a middle ear infection, damage to the eardrum or the ossicles, for example. The sound then comes in, but too weakly \u2013 as if someone is talking with a hand over the ear. <\/p>\n\n

    2. Perceptive hearing loss<\/h3>\n\n

    In this form, the cause is in the inner ear or the auditory nerve. The cilia in the cochlea, which convert sound vibrations into signals for the brain, are then damaged. This is the most common form of hearing loss and often results from aging, prolonged exposure to noise or hereditary factors. <\/p>\n\n

    People with sensorineural hearing loss experience that they can still hear others talking, but do not understand the words well. It sounds like everything is mixed up, especially in company. <\/p>\n\n

    3. Mixed hearing loss<\/h3>\n\n

    Sometimes there is a combination of both. The sound is then both not properly transmitted and not properly processed. In that case, customization is needed to support the hearing as well as possible. <\/p>\n\n

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    How do you know if you have hearing loss?<\/h2>\n\n

    Many people do not notice hearing loss until late. It often begins subtly: <\/p>\n\n