A client has a loss of hearing due to a disease of his middle ear, which has affected sound transmission. What type of hearing loss does this patient have?

The patient is experiencing conductive hearing loss, which occurs when there is an issue with the outer or middle ear that hinders the transmission of sound to the inner ear. In this case, the disease affecting the middle ear is impeding the mechanical processes that facilitate sound transfer, clearly indicating that the loss of hearing is due to a problem in the conduction pathway.

Conductive hearing loss can result from various conditions, such as ear infections, fluid build-up, perforated eardrums, or issues with the ossicles (the tiny bones of the middle ear). The diagnosis focuses on the physical mechanisms of sound conduction rather than the inner ear or auditory nerve pathways, which are involved in other types of hearing loss.

The other types, such as sensory neural hearing loss, involve damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, and central auditory processing disorders relate to how the brain processes auditory information. Functional hearing loss is typically associated with psychological factors rather than a biological or mechanical issue. Thus, the nature of the middle ear disease directly correlates to conductive hearing loss, making it the correct classification in this scenario.