Conductive hearing loss is that hearing loss condition that occurs as a follow of sound waves not being properly conducted through one of the three segments of the ear. Usually, it manifests as an impossibility to hear faint sounds or as a reduction of the sound level. In the external ear, the possible causes for conductive hearing loss may be the earwax or cerumen buildup, otitis externa, foreign bodies like insects, pebbles or beans, or tumors of the external auditory canal. Some of these causes can be removed without needing surgery, and the hearing would be fully restored to normal. Living insects are dangerous, as they can perforate the eardrum if not extracted quickly. Beans are also a threat, as they can germinate inside the ear, causing severe troubles.

When conductive hearing loss occurs in the middle ear, it usually has causes such as acute or serous otitis media, tympanic membrane perforation, temporal bone trauma or ossicular chain problems such as fusion or discontinuities. The fusion of the ossicular chain bones is known as otosclerosis and involves the small bones of the middle ear: the malleus, the incus and the stapes.

In persons exposed to intense noise, sometimes an obstruction may occur in either the oval window or the round window, causing inner ear conductive hearing loss. This can be resolved surgically, by removing the obstruction. The diagnosis of conductive hearing loss is done using a audiometry, a Weber test, a Rinne test, tympanometry or WEMP testing. Based on the results, a specialist will be able to determine whether they are dealing with a conductive hearing loss or a sensorineural affection.
Although in some cases of conductive hearing loss, like foreign bodies or tumors, surgery gives good results, in other situations, like the otosclerosis, specialists advise that patients use hearing aids and postpone surgery as much as possible.