Wayne is a 75-year-old retired teacher who comes to the physician's office feeling quite upset. He tells Rebecca, the licensed practical nurse, that he does not know what is happening to him. When people speak to him their speech seems garbled, and lately he is having difficulty reading. After an examination, the physician tells him he has a conductive hearing loss because of accumulated cerumen.

1. What is a conductive hearing loss?
2. What is cerumen?
3. Describe other causes of conductive hearing loss.