Do you have single sided hearing loss? If you’ve been struggling to hear from one ear, you may be unsure if hearing aids will help you hear. You don’t want to invest in hearing devices if they won’t help your single sided hearing loss, and since your hearing loss seems to affect only one ear, you might be hesitant to look after your hearing health. Don’t settle for poor hearing, but learn how hearing aids can have a huge impact on your single sided hearing loss.
What is Single Sided Hearing Loss?
Single sided hearing loss is hearing loss that only affects one of your ears. Roughly 60,000 Americans are diagnosed with single sided hearing loss each year in the US. Single sided hearing loss can be caused by an injury to the ear or the head, an ear infection, or other illness. It can also be caused by pressure on the hearing nerve, or certain diseases like measles, meningitis, or mumps. While you might think that having one good ear is fine, and you can get by with severe hearing loss in one ear, the reality is that single sided hearing loss is costing you dearly.
The symptoms of single sided hearing loss are usually easy to spot, and one of the first signs is your inability to locate sounds in the environment. You might think a sound is coming from your left, but it’s really coming from behind you. You may not know where someone’s voice is coming from, or not be able to determine where a warning honk originated. You’ll have difficulty understanding conversation if the speaker is standing on the side or your bad ear, and you’ll favor your good ear in all listening situations.
Hearing Aids for Single Sided Hearing Loss
We have two ears for a reason, and binaural hearing, or hearing with both ears, is the key to being able to hear in noise, localize sounds, have spatial awareness, and focus on the important speech sounds you want to hear. There are a few hearing aids designed specifically for those with single sided hearing loss, and your level of hearing loss will determine which option is right for you. You may be able to hear clearly with a single hearing aid in your bad ear that will provide you with clear hearing. However, if you have some hearing loss in your good ear as well, you’ll need hearing aids in both ears to help you hear. You can easily treat your hearing loss with either CROS or BiCROS hearing aids, and have clear hearing for both your good and bad ear.
CROS Hearing Aids: CROS hearing aids work by fitting a microphone to your bad ear, and placing the receiver on your good ear. This takes the sounds picked up by the hearing aid in your bad ear, and sends them to your good ear, so that you’ll experience binaural hearing even if one of your ears has severe hearing loss. They’ll make a world of difference and help you hear in every listening environment. CROS hearing aids are particularly effective when you’re following a conversation in a complex listening environment where there’s a lot of background noise. You’ll be able to hear sounds from both your good side and your bad side, and you’ll hear your entire environment clearly without turning your head. These hearing aids come in behind the ear and receiver in the canal styles to suit every need.
BiCROS Hearing Aids: The BiCROS system works a little differently than CROS hearing aids. BiCROS hearing aids are designed for those who have hearing loss in both ears, but have more severe hearing loss in one ear. Just like the CROS system, you’ll be fitted with a microphone for your bad ear, but in the good ear you’ll have a normal hearing aid, designed to provide clear hearing for your better ear, while still receiving signals for your bad ear and helping you hear all the sounds around you.
My Hearing Centers
Ready to do the right thing for your hearing health? Visit us today at My Hearing Centers to find out all your options, and see our selection of CROS and BiCROS devices to help you hear with your unique hearing loss and hearing needs.