

Exposure to a single very loud noise such as a gun shot or bomb blast can cause noise-induced hearing loss. A common cause or exacerbating factor in SNHL is prolonged exposure to environmental noise, or noise-induced hearing loss. There are both external causes of damage, including infection, and ototoxic drugs, as well as intrinsic causes, including genetic mutations. Hair cells may be abnormal at birth or damaged during the lifetime of an individual. Sensory hearing loss often occurs as a consequence of damaged or deficient cochlear hair cells. Various other descriptors can be used depending on the shape of the audiogram, such as high frequency, low frequency, U-shaped, notched, peaked, or flat. SNHL is usually permanent and can be mild, moderate, severe, profound, or total. SNHL accounts for about 90% of reported hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss ( SNHL) is a type of hearing loss in which the root cause lies in the inner ear or sensory organ ( cochlea and associated structures) or the vestibulocochlear nerve ( cranial nerve VIII). Medical condition Sensorineural hearing loss
