The
term 'conductive hearing loss' refers to a problem with the passage of the
physical vibrations which we interpret as sound. This can be caused by damage
to the ossicles or the tympanic membrane or by an
obstruction such as a build-up of wax.
In the cochlea the physical vibrations are converted into electrochemical
signals which are transmitted to the brain via the auditory nerve. Failure by
the auditory nerve to conduct these electrochemical signals is not regarded as
conductive hearing loss.