Curr Opin Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 25 (5): 396 - 399, 2017. doi: 10.1097/MOO.0000000000000390 Etiology of Hearing Loss Hearing loss can be Congenital (see table) or acquired (see table) Progressive or sudden Temporary or permanent Unilateral or bilateral Mild or profound Table The most common causes of hearing loss overall are the following: Cerumen accumulation Noise Aging Infections (particularly among children and young adults) Table Cerumen (earwax) accumulation is the most common cause of treatable conductive hearing loss, especially in older patients.