Conductive Hear Loss

The Outer Ear picks up sound waves and the waves then travel through the outer ear canal to hit the eardrum. When there is a problem with a part of the outer ear that blocks sound from going to the middle ear, most commonly impacted wax, it results in a conductive hearing loss and is always reversible. Sound waves hit the eardrum in the Middle Ear, and cause the eardrum to vibrate, corresponding to the intensity of the sound. This vibration moves three tiny bones/ossicular chain in the ear, called the hammer/malleus, anvil/incus and stirrup/stapes. They help sound move along into the inner ear. A problem with the middle ear, that affects movement of sound in the form of mechanical vibrations along the eardrum and the ossicular chain will result in a conductive hearing loss. It may or may not be reversible to some extent.