Sometimes a conductive hearing loss occurs in combination with a sensorineural hearing loss. In other words, there may be damage in the outer or middle ear and in the inner ear (cochlea) or auditory nerve. When this occurs, the hearing loss is referred to as a mixed hearing loss.

Degree of Hearing Loss
Degree of hearing loss refers to the severity of the loss. There are five broad categories that are typically used. The numbers are representative of the patient's thresholds, or the softest intensity that sound is perceived:

Normal range or no impairment = 0 dB to 20 dB
Mild loss = 20 dB to 40 dB
Moderate loss = 40 dB to 60 dB
Severe loss = 60 dB to 80 dB
Profound loss = 80 dB or more