What type of hearing loss is generally irreversible and involves damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve?

Sensorineural hearing loss is a type of hearing loss characterized by damage to either the inner ear structures, such as hair cells within the cochlea, or to the auditory nerve itself. This condition is typically irreversible because the inner ear has limited regenerative abilities, and once the delicate hair cells are damaged or lost, they do not grow back. The auditory nerve's damage can also permanently disrupt the transmission of sound signals to the brain.

Sensorineural hearing loss often results in a permanent decrease in hearing sensitivity and may also affect the clarity of sounds, leading to difficulty understanding speech, particularly in noisy environments. It is commonly associated with factors such as aging, exposure to loud noise, genetic predisposition, certain medical conditions, and ototoxic medications. This distinguishes it clearly from other types of hearing loss, such as conductive hearing loss, which is often reversible through medical or surgical intervention, or temporary hearing loss, which may resolve on its own. Mixed hearing loss involves both conductive and sensorineural components but does not solely represent the irreversible nature of purely sensorineural loss.