Common causes of<unk>  include: External ear * Cerumen (earwax) or foreign body in the external auditory canal * Otitis externa, infection or irritation of the outer ear * Exostoses, abnormal growth of bone within the ear canal * Tumor of the ear canal * Congenital stenosis or atresia of the external auditory canal (narrow or blocked ear canal). * Ear canal stenosis & atresia can exist independently or may result from congenital malformations of the auricle such as microtia or anotia. * Acquired stenosis (narrowing) of the external auditory canal following surgery or radiotherapy Middle ear Fluid accumulation is the most common cause of<unk>  in the middle ear, especially in children. Major causes are ear infections or conditions that block the eustachian tube, such as allergies or tumors. Blocking of the eustachian tube leads to decreased pressure in the middle ear relative to the external ear, and this causes decreased motion of both the ossicles and the tympanic membrane. * Acute or Serous otitis media * Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) * Perforated eardrum * Tympanosclerosis or scarring of the eardrum * Cholesteatoma * Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, inflammation or mass within the nasal cavity, middle ear, or eustachian tube itself * Otosclerosis, abnormal growth of bone in or near the middle ear * Middle ear tumour * Ossicular discontinuity as a consequence of infection or temporal bone trauma * Congenital malformation of the ossicles. This can be an isolated phenomenon or can occur as part of a syndrome where development of the 1st and 2nd branchial arches is seen such as in Goldenhar syndrome, Treacher Collins syndrome, branchio-oto-renal syndrome etc. * Barotrauma unequal air pressures in the external and middle ear. This can temporarily occur, for example, by the environmental pressure changes as when shifting altitude, or inside a train going into a tunnel. It is managed by any of various methods of ear clearing manoeuvres to equalize the pressures, like swallowing, yawning, or the Valsalva manoeuvre. More severe barotrauma can lead to middle ear fluid or even permanent sensorineural<unk>  loss. Inner ear Third window effect caused by: * Superior canal dehiscence – which may require surgical correction. * Enlarged vestibular aqueduct * Labyrinthine fistula
Conductive hearing loss
Sensorineural hearing loss
Spatial hearing loss
Prelingual deafness
Unilateral hearing loss
Cortical deafness
Auditory exclusion
Noise-induced hearing loss