Sensor neural hearing loss, also known as ‘nerve deafness’, typically occurs when part of the inner ear, the hair cells, are damaged or destroyed. Sensor neural hearing loss may have a variety of causes, such as heredity, aging, disease, infection, or loud noise.


Despite the term “nerve deafness,” the hearing nerve trunk is rarely damaged. Instead, damage most often occurs in the hair cells located in the cochlea, which serve to send information, in the form of electrical signals, to the hearing nerve.

When hair cells are damaged, they are unable to send information to the hearing nerve and the person experiences hearing loss.

The degree of hearing loss depends on the number of hair cells that are damaged. If a significant number of hair cells are damaged, a person will experience severe or profound hearing loss, and hearing aids will not be able to help. In cases of severe-to-profound sensor neural hearing loss a cochlear implant may be medically indicated.

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