Final answer:
Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is a blockage or damage in the middle ear, impeding the transmission of sound vibrations to the inner ear, and can often be treated with certain types of hearing aids or surgery.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conductive hearing loss is a type of hearing impairment caused by a blockage or damage to the middle ear, which prevents sound vibrations from being properly transmitted to the inner ear. Unlike sensorineural hearing loss, which is related to damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, conductive hearing loss can be caused by multiple factors such as a blockage in the ear canal, a hole in the tympanic membrane, issues with the ossicles (the small bones in the middle ear), or fluid between the eardrum and cochlea. In some cases, hearing aids that press against the bone behind the ear can help by sending vibrations through the skull to the cochlea, bypassing the middle ear. However, damage to the inner ear's nerves or loss of the cilia within the cochlea typically cannot be corrected, and such conditions may require a cochlear implant to directly stimulate the auditory nerve.