A 63-year-old man has become progressively hard of hearing. He's a retired airplane mechanic. He also notices a lot of wax in his ears. What kind of hearing loss is this man likely to have?

Question

A 63-year-old man has become progressively hard of hearing. He's a retired airplane mechanic. He also notices a lot of wax in his ears. What kind of hearing loss is this man likely to have?

A. Conductive
B. Conductive AND sensorineural

Answer 1

http://www.asha.org/public/hearing/disorders/types.htm

What do you think?

Answer 2

I think B (both) but I'm not sure if it's a trick question, that why i asked

Answer 3

I agree -- it is B.

Answer 4

This article might be helpful in the future:

http://www.members.cox.net/dagershaw/lol/DecisionTrap.html

Thanks for asking.

Answer 5

B. sensorineural hearing loss..this occurs when prolonged exposure to loud noise leads to damage of the cochlear cells.

Answer 6

To determine the likely type of hearing loss the 63-year-old man is experiencing, we can look at his symptoms and background information.

The presence of a lot of wax in his ears suggests that the hearing loss may be due, at least in part, to a blockage in the ear canal caused by the wax buildup. This information points us towards a conductive hearing loss.

However, it's important to also consider the man's profession as a retired airplane mechanic. Airplane mechanics are often exposed to loud noises, which can lead to sensorineural hearing loss over time. This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the inner ear or the auditory nerve.

Given this additional information, it is possible for the man to have both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss. The conductive component could be due to wax buildup, while the sensorineural component could be a result of his occupational noise exposure.

Therefore, the correct answer is B. Conductive AND sensorineural.