Conductive hearing loss is caused by a blockage of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear. Sound needs to be able to pass freely from the outer ear to the inner ear in order to have hearing. There are many potential causes of conductive hearing loss.

Infections of the middle ear can impair hearing. The medical term for middle ear infections is called acute otitis media. A blockage of the middle ear by wax or a collection of fluid can cause conductive hearing loss.
Medical conditions that interfere with the transference of sound from the outer ear to the inner ear can cause conductive hearing loss. Otosclerosis is a medical condition that causes rigidity of the auditory ossicles of the middle ear. This makes the auditory ossicles less able to vibrate and transfer sound.

Damage to the auditory ossicles by injury to the ear or by infection can cause conductive hearing loss. Injury to the eardrum can cause it to rupture or be pierced which can cause hearing loss. Injuries that can cause a perforated eardrum can be a head injury, poking something into the ear, or a blow to the ear. The eardrum can also become ruptured or perforated by infection.

The physician is likely to do a physical exam to try to identify the cause of the hearing loss. The physician may conduct a variety of hearing tests to determine the degree of hearing loss. Two such hearing tests are the tuning fork test and the pure tone audiometry tests which are used to check for hearing loss and identify the degree of hearing loss.

Conductive hearing loss treatment involves identifying the cause of the hearing loss. If the hearing loss is caused by infection, the infection is often treated by antibiotics. Non-surgical removal of a blockage of fluid or earwax may be all that is needed to treat the conductive hearing loss caused by a blockage. An injury to the eardrum usually heals on without medical treatment. A substantial perforation of the eardrum may need to be surgically repaired. In many cases, damage to the ossicles can be surgically repaired.