Sound waves enter our ears, travel down the ear canal and make the tympanic membrane (ear drum) move back and forth from the pressure of the sound waves.  The tympanic membrane is attached to the ossicular chain (Hammer, stirrup and anvil). 

The ossicular chain transfers the sound from the outer ear to the Cochlea in the inner ear.  The cochlea has many tiny hair cells that pick up the sound and transfers it to the auditory nerve which sends the information to your brain.

Conductive Hearing Loss

Conductive hearing loss occurs when a function of the outer or middle ear is impeded.  This type of  loss may be medically correctable.
Some examples are malformations of the ear, build up of ear wax, perforations of the ear drum, polyps, ear infections, otosclerosis (build up of calcium on ossicular chain) and failure of ossicular chain.

Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural hearing loss occurs when there is nerve damage in the inner ear (Cochlea).  This loss is not medically correctable.  This type of loss occurs with the aging process, exposure to loud noises, or some kinds of medications.

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