H91: Other hearing loss

H91.0: Ototoxic hearing loss

The ear is a sensory organ that is used to hear and to maintain one's balance. There are 3 different areas in the ear: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The actual hearing organ, the cochlea, is in the inner ear. The cochlea consists of a channel of bone in a spiral, like a snail. Inside the cochlea are the sensory cells for hearing. The inner ear connects to the brain via the auditory nerve.

Your inner ear is no longer working properly. There can be different reasons for this. The sensory cells for hearing can become damaged due to certain drugs, for example. But viruses and bacteria can also damage the inner ear. In the process, the inner ear can become damaged so that one's hearing is worse than normal. One may even lose the ability to hear entirely.