Conductive hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss happens when something physically blocks sound from travelling through your outer ear, eardrum or middle ear. Think of it as a blockage rather than damage. Because of that, it is often temporary, and often treatable.
Four things cause most conductive hearing loss.
One of the most common causes, and one of the simplest to treat. Earwax removal, £60.
Infections or fluid in the middle ear can temporarily reduce how well sound travels through.
Damage to the eardrum, from injury, infection or pressure changes.
Issues with the tiny bones of the middle ear, sometimes from a condition called otosclerosis.
Signs of conductive hearing loss.
The feel of a blockage, more than a fading. Tick the ones you recognise.
Often, yes. Many causes, like earwax buildup or a minor infection, can be resolved, sometimes without needing a hearing aid at all. We always check for a treatable cause first during your hearing test. We would rather treat the cause than sell you a hearing aid you do not need.
When we refer you on.
If your hearing test suggests something that needs a medical opinion, we refer you rather than fitting a hearing aid regardless. This is standard practice across the industry, and something we take seriously. The right treatment first, always.
- Persistent fluid in the middle ear
- A perforated eardrum that has not healed
- Signs of otosclerosis, a middle ear bone condition
- Recurring or chronic ear infections
- Sudden or unexplained hearing loss in one ear
- Hearing loss alongside tinnitus, dizziness or pain
In our clinic, or in your home.
Same audiologists, same equipment, same full assessment. You choose where.
The full assessment at our Birmingham clinic, completely free, no obligation.
- 60 minutes, results before you leave
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- Bring someone, they are tested free too
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Common questions.
If wax is what is blocking it, very often yes, and people notice straight away in the chair. That is why we always look in your ears before we test them. Wax removal is £60, at the clinic or at home.
We look. If there is wax there, we will see it and tell you. If your ears are clear and you still cannot hear properly, the hearing test tells us where the problem really is.
A few days of olive oil or softening drops usually makes removal quicker and more comfortable, so it is worth doing if you have time. What you should not use is cotton buds, which push the wax further in, or ear candles, which do not work.
No. It is a small suction tube, and there is no water involved, so you stay dry. It is noisy while it is happening, which is the part people tend to mention. It is over in a few minutes.
For some people, yes. It depends on the shape of your ears, how much wax you make, and whether you wear hearing aids. Plenty of our patients come back every six to twelve months. That is normal, not a sign the first removal failed.
Often not. This type is a blockage rather than damage, so once the cause is sorted the hearing usually comes back. We always look for a cause we can treat first.
Written and clinically reviewed by our HCPC registered audiologists. Last reviewed: 14 September 2026. This page is general information, not a diagnosis. If you are worried about your hearing, book a hearing test or speak to your GP.