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Sensorineural Hearing Loss

Sensorineural (sen-sor-ee-NEW-ral) hearing loss is when the cochlea or the auditory nerve isn't working.

What causes sensorineural hearing loss

• Side effects of medicine
• Infections
• High fevers
• Genetics (passed through the family)

For more information, read our Causes of Hearing Loss page.

How it affects your child's hearing

• The hearing loss is permanent
• The hearing loss might get worse
• Your child may not be able to hear quiet sounds.
• Your child may not be able to tell the difference between sounds.
  • This would make it hard for your child to understand what people say.

Can it be fixed?
Probably not. Sensorineural hearing loss is usually permanent.
The cochlea or auditory nerve could be damaged.
Or they may never have grown right in the first place.

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