Otosclerosis, which is also known as calcification of the middle ear, is one of the most frequently seen reasons of hearing loss. Otosclerosis is a hereditary disease and may emerge after skipping a couple of generations.
The first stage of hearing is vibration of the eardrum by sound waves, coming along the outer ear channel. This vibration is transferred to the inner ear fluid with the help of the small bones called malleus, incus and stapes. Sound waves are converted to electrical energy in the nerve endings found in inner ear region and transmitted to the auditory centers of the brain via auditory nerve and hearing is provided.
Problems occurring during the transmittance of sound waves to the inner ear fluids through outer and middle ear result in “ conductive type hearing loss” . In these types of losses, auditory organs of the inner ear are intact; however sound waves can not reach these organs. Hearing losses originating from inner ear and auditory nerve are called “ sensoneural type hearing loss” . In otosclerosis, which is a disease that can also affect the inner ear, both types of losses can be seen together. This type of hearing losses is called “mixed type hearing loss” .
