Hearing impairment causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Overview

Causes based on each organ system, mode of injury, anatomy of ear, and choronicity are listed below.

Causes

Conductive

• Acute or chronic otitis media
• Cerumen impaction
• Cholesteatoma
• Earwax (foreign bodies)
• Eustachian tube dysfunction
• Head trauma
• Mastoiditis
• Middle ear effusion
• Otitis Externa
• Otosclerosis
• Physical straining (barotrauma)
• Rapid descent in air or water (barotrauma)

Sensorineural

• Acoustic neuroma
• Alport's Syndrome
• Drugs
• Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss
• Meniere's Disease
• Noise-induced
• Presbycusis

Mixed

• Berger's Disease
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Diabetes Mellitus
• Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV)
• Fat emboli
• Herpes simplex
• Herpes zoster
• Hypercoagulable states
• Hyperlipoproteinemia
• Infarction
• Influenza
• Leukemia
• Lyme Disease
• Macroglobulinemia
• Measles
• Meningitis
• Metastases
• Mumps
• Ototoxic drugs, toxins
• Polycythemia vera
• Prolonged QT syndrome variant
• Sickle Cell Anemia
• Tertiary Syphilis
• Wardenberg's Syndrome

Miscellaneous

• Autoimmune disease
• Congenital deafness
• Hereditary conditions
• Hypothyroidism
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Pregnancy
• Presbycusis
• Trauma

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Wegener's granulomatosis
Chemical / poisoning	Bromates, Lead poisoning, Lobeline, Mercury poisoning, Fetal methylmercury syndrome
Dermatologic	Keratosis obturans
Drug Side Effect	Amikacin, Amphotericin B, Aspirin, Bumetanide, Capreomycin, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Deferasirox, Desferrioxamine, Etacrynic acid, Ethacrynic acid, Frusemide, Gentamicin, Isotretinoin, Kanamycin, Loop diuretics, Neomycin, Netilmicin, Nitrogen mustard, Quinine, Streptomycin, Sulfasalazine, Vancomycin
Ear Nose Throat	Acoustic neuroma, Adenoid hypertrophy, Aural polyps, Branchiootic dysplasia, Cholesteatoma, Eustachian tube dysfunction, Glue ear, Hydrocodone bitartrate and acetaminophen, Keratosis obturans, Labrynthitis, Labyrinthitis ossificans, Meniere disease, Mondini Dysplasia, Nasopharyngeal cancer, Nonsuppurative otitis media, Oculovestibuloauditory syndrome, Otitis externa, Presbycusis, Suppurative otitis media, Tympanic membrane perforation, Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss, Otodental dysplasia, Otopalatodigital syndrome type 1, Otosclerosis, Vestibulocochlear dysfunction progressive familial, Middle ear effusion, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Strachan syndrome, Malignant external ear canal tumor, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Barotitis Media, Tympanic membrane rupture, Cerumen impaction, Ear wax
Endocrine	Hypothyroidism
Environmental	No underlying causes
Gastroenterologic	No underlying causes
Genetic	17- beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase X deficiency, ABCD syndrome, Acrocephalosyndactylia, Alopecia mental retardation syndrome, Alpha-L-iduronidase deficiency (Hurler syndrome), Alport syndrome, Alström syndrome, Apert syndrome, Arias oculootoradial syndrome, ARTS syndrome, Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic deafness type 1, Barakat syndrome, Bart-Pumphrey syndrome, Bartter syndrome, Biotinidase deficiency, Bjornstad syndrome, Black locks, oculocutaneous albinism, and deafness of the sensorineural type, Blau syndrome, BOR syndrome, BOR-Duane hydrocephalus contiguous gene syndrome, Branchio-oculo-facial syndrome, BRESHECK syndrome, Brown-Vialetto-van Laere syndrome, Canavan disease, CATSPER-related male infertility, Cerebrocostomandibular syndrome, Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, X-linked 1, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, X-linked recessive type 5, Charcot-Marie-Tooth-Hoffmann syndrome, CHARGE syndrome, Chromosome 1, deletion q21 q25, Chromosome 1, monosomy 1p22 p13, Chromosome 17 trisomy mosaicism, Chromosome 18, deletion 18q23, Chromosome 22q11.2 microduplication, Chromosome 3, trisomy 3q13 2 q25, Cockayne syndrome, Colobomatous microphthalmia-heart disease-hearing loss, Combined pituitary hormone deficiency 3 (LHX gene), Cornelia de Lange Syndrome, Craniofacial-deafness-hand syndrome, Craniometaphyseal dysplasia, Jackson type, Cushing proximal symphalangism, Davenport-Donlan syndrome, Deafness onychodystrophy syndrome, autosomal dominant, Dentinogenesis imperfecta-short stature-hearing loss-mental retardation, Diabetes-deafness syndrome maternally transmitted, DIDMOAD syndrome, Donnai-Barrow syndrome, Down syndrome, Duane-radial ray syndrome, Emanuel syndrome, Enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome, Epstein macrothrombocytopenia syndrome, Exostosis of external auditory canal, Fabry disease, Fabry's Disease, Faisalabad histiocytosis, Familial Danish dementia, Fanconi anaemia, Fechtner syndrome, Fine-Lubinsky syndrome, Galactosamine-6-sulfatase deficiency, Galactose epimerase deficiency, Gangliosidosis GM1, type 1, Goldenhar syndrome, Goldscheider disease, Hajdu-Cheney Syndrome, Harboyan syndrome, Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss, Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1A, Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1B, Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1E, Hunter syndrome, Hunter-Mcdonald syndrome, Hystrix-like ichthyosis with deafness, I-cell disease, Iduronate-2-sulfatase deficiency, Infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia, Jacobsen syndrome, Jensen syndrome, Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome, Johanson-Blizzard syndrome, Johnson-Mcmillin syndrome, Jones syndrome, Kallmann syndrome, Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome, autosomal recessive, Keutel syndrome, Kjer-type optic atrophy, Klippel Feil deformity conductive deafness absent vagina, Klippel-Feil syndrome, Kniest dysplasia, Lacrimoauriculodentodigital syndrome, LAMM syndrome, Lange Nielsen syndrome, Larsen syndrome, Lenz-Majewski hyperostosis syndrome, Levy-Hollister syndrome, Lobstein's disease, Loken Senior syndrome, Mandibuloacral dysplasia, Marshall syndrome, May-White syndrome, MELAS, Melnick-Fraser syndrome, MERRF, Microcephaly, Growth Retardation, Cataract, Hearing Loss, and Unusual Appearance, MNGIE syndrome, Mohr-Claussen syndrome, Mohr-Tranebjaerg syndrome, Monosomy 1p36 syndrome, Morquio Disease, Muckle-Wells syndrome, Mucolipidosis II , Mucosulfatidosis, Muenke syndrome, Multiple lentigines syndrome, Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency, Multiple synostoses syndrome type 1, MURCS association, Myhre syndrome, Myositis ossificans progressiva, Nager acrofacial dysostosis, Nance perilymphatic gusher-deafness syndrome, Neurofibromatosis type 2, Neuropathy-ataxia-retinitis pigmentosa, Nievergelt-Pearlman syndrome syndrome, Nonsyndromic deafness, Norrie disease, Okihiro syndrome, Osteogenesis imperfecta, Osteopathia striata with cranial sclerosis, Osteopathia striata, cranial sclerosis, Osteopetrosis (malignant), Otodental dysplasia, Otopalatodigital syndrome type 1, Otosclerosis, Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia, Paget disease of bone, Palmoplantar keratoderma with deafness, Pendred syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase deficiency, Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity, Polyneuropathy, Hearing Loss, Ataxia, Retinitis Pigmentosa and Cataract, Polyostotic osteolytic expansile dysplasia, Postaxial acrofacial dysostosis syndrome, Prolonged QT syndrome variant, Propionic acidemia, Recessive deafness-onychodystrophy-osteodystrophy-retardation syndrome, Refsum disease, Richards-Rundle syndrome, Robinow Syndrome, Robinson syndrome, Rosenberg-Chutorian Syndrome, Saethre-Chotzen syndrome, Sanfilippo disease, Sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria, and ophthalmoparesis, SeSAME syndrome, Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome, Smith-Magenis syndrome, Sotos syndrome, Soto's syndrome, Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome, Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita, Spondyloperipheral dysplasia, Steinfeld syndrome, Stickler syndrome, Succinyl-CoA synthetase deficiency, Teunissen-Cremers syndrome, Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia syndrome, Tietz hypopigmentation-deafness syndrome, Townes-Brocks syndrome, Treacher Collins type syndrome, Treacher Collins-Franceschetti syndrome, Upper limb defect eye and ear abnormalities, Usher syndrome, Van Buchem disease, Verloes Gillerot Fryns syndrome , Verloes-David Syndrome, Vestibulocochlear dysfunction progressive familial, Vohwinkel mutilating keratoderma, Vohwinkel syndrome, Wardenberg's Syndrome , Wildervanck syndrome, Willems De vries syndrome , Wittwer sydnrome, Wolf-Hirschorn syndrome, Wolfram syndrome, Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome, Wright dick syndrome, Xeroderma pigmentosum, X-linked diffuse leiomyomatosis-Alport syndrome, X-linked mental retardation-hypotonic facies syndrome, X-linked mixed hearing loss with stapes fixation, Yemenite deaf-blind hypopigmentation syndrome, Zellweger spectrum, Ziprkowski-Adam syndrome, Zunich neuroectodermal syndrome, Sickle cell anemia
Hematologic	Polycythemia vera, Sickle cell anemia, Fanconi anaemia, Leukemia
Iatrogenic	Mastoidectomy, Middle ear irradiation, Myringoplasty, Myringotomy, Nasopharynx irradiation, Radiotherapy, Skull irradiation
Infectious Disease	Adenoiditis, Epstein-Barr virus , Herpes simplex, Herpes zoster, Influenza, Lassa fever, Lyme Disease, Mastoiditis, Measles, Meningitis, Meningococcal disease, Meningoencephalitis, Middle ear effusion, Middle ear infection, Mumps, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Rickettsiae, Rocky mountain spotted fever, Rubella, Tertiary Syphilis, TORCH Syndrome, Typhus fever, Upper respiratory tract infection, Suppurative otitis media, Congenital cytomegalovirus infection, Congenital rubella infection , Congenital syphilis infection
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	Acrocephalosyndactylia, Lobstein's disease, Osteogenesis imperfecta, Osteopetrosis (malignant), Paget disease of bone, Temporal bone fracture
Neurologic	Athabaskan brain stem dysgenesis, Basilar artery migraine, Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Cerebral palsy, Glomus jugulare tumor, Hydrocephalus, Intracranial space-occupying lesion, Kernicterus, Multiple sclerosis, Spinocerebellar ataxia, Strachan syndrome, Sudanophilic cerebral sclerosis, Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system, Kallmann syndrome, Neurofibromatosis type 2, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, Head injury
Nutritional / Metabolic	Fabry's Disease, Galactosamine-6-sulfatase deficiency, Galactose epimerase deficiency, Gangliosidosis GM1, type 1, I-cell disease, Morquio Disease, Mucolipidosis II , Mucosulfatidosis, Propionic acidemia, Succinyl-CoA synthetase deficiency, Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia syndrome
Obstetric/Gynecologic	Congenital cytomegalovirus infection, Congenital rubella infection , Congenital syphilis infection, Fetal methylmercury syndrome, Neonatal jaundice, Pregnancy, TORCH Syndrome
Oncologic	Leukemia, Malignant external ear canal tumor, Metastases, Nasopharyngeal carcinoma, Paraganglioma, Acoustic neuroma, Nasopharyngeal cancer, Glomus jugulare tumor
Opthalmologic	Strachan syndrome
Overdose / Toxicity	Amikacin, Amphotericin B, Aspirin, Bumetanide, Capreomycin, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Desferrioxamine, Etacrynic acid, Ethacrynic acid, Frusemide, Gentamicin, Kanamycin, Loop diuretics, Neomycin, Netilmicin, Nitrogen mustard, Quinine, Streptomycin, Vancomycin
Psychiatric	No underlying causes
Pulmonary	Branchiootic dysplasia
Renal / Electrolyte	Berger's Disease
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	Allergic rhinitis, Macroglobulinemia, Polychondritis, Susac syndrome, Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome, Oculovestibuloauditory syndrome, Multiple sclerosis
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Barotitis Media, Barotrauma, Ear trauma , Head injury, Skull fracture, Temporal bone fracture, Tympanic membrane rupture
Urologic	No underlying causes
Dental	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Aging, Cerumen impaction, Ear wax, Forein body in the ear, Noise-induced hearing loss, Physical straining (barotrauma), Rapid descent in air or water (barotrauma)

Causes in Alphabetical Order

17- beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase X deficiency ABCD syndrome Acoustic neuroma Acrocephalosyndactylia Adenoid hypertrophy Adenoiditis Aging Allergic rhinitis Alopecia mental retardation syndrome Alpha-L-iduronidase deficiency (Hurler syndrome) Alport syndrome Alström syndrome Amikacin Amphotericin B Apert syndrome Arias oculootoradial syndrome ARTS syndrome Aspirin Athabaskan brain stem dysgenesis Aural polyps Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic deafness type 1 Barakat syndrome Barotitis Media Barotrauma Bart-Pumphrey syndrome Bartter syndrome Basilar artery migraine Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Berger's Disease Biotinidase deficiency Bjornstad syndrome Black locks, oculocutaneous albinism, and deafness of the sensorineural type Blau syndrome BOR syndrome BOR-Duane hydrocephalus contiguous gene syndrome Branchio-oculo-facial syndrome Branchiootic dysplasia BRESHECK syndrome Bromates Brown-Vialetto-van Laere syndrome Bumetanide Canavan disease Capreomycin Carboplatin CATSPER-related male infertility Cerebral palsy Cerebrocostomandibular syndrome Cerumen impaction Chanarin-Dorfman syndrome Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, X-linked 1 Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, X-linked recessive type 5 Charcot-Marie-Tooth-Hoffmann syndromeed CHARGE syndrome Cholesteatoma Chromosome 1, deletion q21 q25 Chromosome 1, monosomy 1p22 p13 Chromosome 17 trisomy mosaicism Chromosome 18, deletion 18q23 Chromosome 22q11.2 microduplication Chromosome 3, trisomy 3q13 2 q25 Cisplatin Cockayne syndrome Colobomatous microphthalmia-heart disease-hearing loss Combined pituitary hormone deficiency 3 (LHX gene) Congenital cytomegalovirus infection Congenital rubella infection Congenital syphilis infection Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Craniofacial-deafness-hand syndrome Craniometaphyseal dysplasia, Jackson type Cushing proximal symphalangism Davenport-Donlan syndrome Deafness onychodystrophy syndrome, autosomal dominant Dentinogenesis imperfecta-short stature-hearing loss-mental retardation Desferrioxamine Diabetes-deafness syndrome maternally transmitted DIDMOAD syndrome Donnai-Barrow syndrome Down syndrome Duane-radial ray syndrome Ear trauma Ear wax Emanuel syndrome Enlarged vestibular aqueduct syndrome Epstein macrothrombocytopenia syndrome Epstein-Barr virus Etacrynic acid Ethacrynic acid Eustachian tube dysfunction Exostosis of external auditory canal Fabry disease Fabry's Disease Faisalabad histiocytosis Familial Danish dementia Fanconi anaemia Fechtner syndrome Fetal methylmercury syndrome Fine-Lubinsky syndrome Forein body in the ear Frusemide Galactosamine-6-sulfatase deficiency Galactose epimerase deficiency Gangliosidosis GM1, type 1 Gentamicin Glomus jugulare tumor Glue ear Goldenhar syndrome Goldscheider disease Hajdu-Cheney Syndrome Harboyan syndrome

Head injury Hereditary sensorineural hearing loss Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1A Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1B Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1E Herpes simplex Herpes zoster Hunter syndrome Hunter-Mcdonald syndrome Hydrocephalus Hypothyroidism Hystrix-like ichthyosis with deafness I-cell disease Iduronate-2-sulfatase deficiency Infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia Influenza Intracranial space-occupying lesion Isotretinoin Jacobsen syndrome Jensen syndrome Jervell and Lange-Nielsen syndrome Johanson-Blizzard syndrome Johnson-Mcmillin syndrome Jones syndrome Kallmann syndrome Kanamycin Kearns-Sayre Syndrome Keratitis-ichthyosis-deafness syndrome, autosomal recessive Keratosis obturans Kernicterus Keutel syndrome Kjer-type optic atrophy Klippel Feil deformity conductive deafness absent vagina Klippel-Feil syndrome Kniest dysplasia Labrynthitis Labyrinthitis ossificans Lacrimoauriculodentodigital syndrome LAMM syndrome Lange Nielsen syndrome Larsen syndrome Lassa fever Lead poisoning Lenz-Majewski hyperostosis syndrome Leukemia Levy-Hollister syndrome Lobeline Lobstein's disease Loken Senior syndrome Loop diuretics Lyme Disease Macroglobulinemia Malignant external ear canal tumor Mandibuloacral dysplasia Marshall syndrome Mastoidectomy Mastoiditis May-White syndrome Measles MELAS Melnick-Fraser syndrome Meniere disease Meningitis Meningococcal disease Meningoencephalitis Mercury poisoning MERRF Metastases Microcephaly, Growth Retardation, Cataract, Hearing Loss, and Unusual Appearance Middle ear effusion Middle ear infection Middle ear irradiation MNGIE syndrome Mohr-Claussen syndrome Mohr-Tranebjaerg syndrome Mondini Dysplasia Monosomy 1p36 syndrome Morquio Disease Muckle-Wells syndrome Mucolipidosis II Mucosulfatidosis Muenke syndrome Multiple lentigines syndrome Multiple sclerosis Multiple Sulfatase Deficiency Multiple synostoses syndrome type 1 Mumps MURCS association Myhre syndrome Myositis ossificans progressiva Myringoplasty Myringotomy Nager acrofacial dysostosis Nance perilymphatic gusher-deafness syndrome Nasopharyngeal cancer Nasopharyngeal carcinoma Nasopharynx irradiation Neomycin Neonatal jaundice Netilmicin Neurofibromatosis type 2 Neuropathy-ataxia-retinitis pigmentosa Nievergelt-Pearlman syndrome syndrome Nitrogen mustard Noise-induced hearing loss Nonsuppurative otitis media Nonsyndromic deafness Norrie disease Oculovestibuloauditory syndrome Okihiro syndrome Osteogenesis imperfecta

Osteopathia striata with cranial sclerosis Osteopathia striata, cranial sclerosis Osteopetrosis (malignant) Otitis externa Otodental dysplasia Otopalatodigital syndrome type 1 Otosclerosis Otospondylomegaepiphyseal dysplasia Paget disease of bone Palmoplantar keratoderma with deafness Paraganglioma Pendred syndrome Pfeiffer syndrome Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase deficiency Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity Physical straining (barotrauma) Polychondritis Polycythemia vera Polyneuropathy, Hearing Loss, Ataxia, Retinitis Pigmentosa and Cataract Polyostotic osteolytic expansile dysplasia Postaxial acrofacial dysostosis syndrome Pregnancy Presbycusis Prolonged QT syndrome variant Propionic acidemia Quinine Radiotherapy Ramsay Hunt syndrome Rapid descent in air or water (barotrauma) Recessive deafness-onychodystrophy-osteodystrophy-retardation syndrome Refsum disease Richards-Rundle syndrome Rickettsiae Robinow Syndrome Robinson syndrome Rocky mountain spotted fever Rosenberg-Chutorian Syndrome Rubella Saethre-Chotzen syndrome Sanfilippo disease Sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria, and ophthalmoparesis SeSAME syndrome Shprintzen-Goldberg syndrome Sickle cell anemia Skull fracture Skull irradiation Smith-Magenis syndrome Sotos syndrome Soto's syndrome Spinocerebellar ataxia Spondylocarpotarsal synostosis syndrome Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita Spondyloperipheral dysplasia Steinfeld syndrome Stickler syndrome Strachan syndrome Streptomycin Succinyl-CoA synthetase deficiency Sudanophilic cerebral sclerosis Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system Suppurative otitis media Susac syndrome Temporal bone fracture Tertiary Syphilis Teunissen-Cremers syndrome Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia syndrome Tietz hypopigmentation-deafness syndrome TORCH Syndrome Townes-Brocks syndrome Treacher Collins type syndrome Treacher Collins-Franceschetti syndrome Tympanic membrane perforation Tympanic membrane rupture Typhus fever Upper limb defect eye and ear abnormalities Upper respiratory tract infection Usher syndrome Van Buchem disease Vancomycin Verloes Gillerot Fryns syndrome Verloes-David Syndrome Vestibulocochlear dysfunction progressive familial Vogt-Koyanagi-Harada syndrome Vohwinkel mutilating keratoderma Vohwinkel syndrome Wardenberg's Syndrome Wegener's granulomatosis Wildervanck syndrome Willems De vries syndrome Wittwer sydnrome Wolf-Hirschorn syndrome Wolfram syndrome Woodhouse-Sakati syndrome Wright dick syndrome Xeroderma pigmentosum X-linked diffuse leiomyomatosis-Alport syndrome X-linked mental retardation-hypotonic facies syndrome X-linked mixed hearing loss with stapes fixation Yemenite deaf-blind hypopigmentation syndrome Zellweger spectrum Ziprkowski-Adam syndrome Zunich neuroectodermal syndrome