4.22  conductive hearing loss. Impairment of hearing that occurs when there is interference with the transmission of sound waves through the external or middle ear.

Annotation 1      Some causes of conductive hearing loss are: wax (cerumen) accumulation in the external ear; inflammation in the external ear (otitis externa); hardening or perforation of the tympanic membrane; inflammation in the middle ear (otitis media); formation of cysts in the middle ear (cholesteatoma); formation of bony deposits near or at the stapes (otosclerosis); and congenital defects of the external or middle-ear structures.

Annotation 2      Conductive hearing loss often can be successfully treated by medical procedures.

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