Is her hearing loss genetic?

Dear Ask The Doctor: My girl friend has a nerve damage in her ear,,so she can't hear well and now she is wearing a earring microphone. so my question is, will it cause to our future babies? Is that problem through her genetics? if it comes to our children will it only affect their ears? If it comes through, what can we do to avoid that kind of situation? Please I beg to answer this question cause I am in a very desperate situation.

Dear Thushara: The answers to all your questions depends on how your girlfriend sustained the nerve damage to her ear. If she has close relatives with similar problems, it would suggest a genetic basis for the condition. Therefore all her children would be at risk for developing the same condition. However, if she sustained the nerve damage in some other way such as blow to the head/ears then her children would not be at risk.