During a hearing assessment, if sound is lateralized to the right ear, which type of loss could this indicate?

When sound lateralizes to one ear during a hearing assessment, it suggests a specific type of hearing loss. The phenomenon of sound lateralization can indicate that there is a problem with the ear that does not perceive the sound as clearly. If sound is heard more prominently in the right ear, it often points to conductive hearing loss in that ear.

Conductive hearing loss occurs when there is an issue in the external or middle ear that prevents sound from being conducted effectively to the inner ear. This might be due to factors such as fluid, blockage, or damage in the ear structures. Therefore, when sound lateralizes to the right ear, it suggests that the right ear is experiencing conductive hearing loss, which allows the left ear (if it has normal hearing) to pick up the sound less effectively.

On the other hand, sensorineural hearing loss typically results in sound lateralizing to the better-hearing ear, which would not explain the situation of sound lateralizing specifically to the right ear in this context. Thus, identifying conductive hearing loss in the right ear aligns perfectly with the observed phenomenon during the hearing assessment.