deafness

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deafness (def-nis) n. partial or total loss of hearing in one or both ears. conductive d. deafness that is due to a defect in the conduction of sound from the external ear to the inner ear. This may be due to perforations of the eardrum, fluid or infection in the middle ear (see glue ear, otitis (media)), or disorders of the small bones in the middle ear (ossicles). sensorineural d. (perceptive d.) deafness that may be due to a lesion of the cochlea in the inner ear, the cochlear nerve, or the auditory centres in the brain. See also cochlear implant, hearing aid, hearing therapy, Rinne's test, Weber's test.

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