{"id":154,"date":"2019-07-30T09:20:13","date_gmt":"2019-07-30T16:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hearingadvancement.fm1.dev\/hearing-loss\/single-sided-deafness\/"},"modified":"2021-12-08T11:51:05","modified_gmt":"2021-12-08T19:51:05","slug":"single-sided-deafness","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/hearingadvancement.com\/hearing-loss-overview\/single-sided-deafness\/","title":{"rendered":"Single Sided Deafness"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Single sided deafness (SSD), sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, is a condition in which an individual experiences hearing loss<\/a> in only one ear but can hear normally out of the other ear. While the majority of patients with a hearing impairment suffer from bilateral (two-sided) hearing loss, SSD is diagnosed in approximately 60,000 people in the United States each year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no cure, and treatment can be a challenge because traditional amplification devices prove less effective. However, alternative options are available for managing single sided deafness. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Causes Single Sided Deafness?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

SSD can be caused by a variety of factors. One of the most common causes is acoustic neuroma, a benign, slow-growing tumor that can push against the auditory nerve and affect the ability to hear properly in one ear. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sudden deafness \u2013 a rapid onset of hearing loss that occurs with little or no warning, often following a viral infection<\/a> \u2013 is another condition commonly associated with SSD. Patients may fall victim to sudden deafness as a result of an inflammation in the cochlea that causes permanent damage to the hair cells responsible for hearing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additional causes of SSD include trauma to the head, genetic disorders, Meniere\u2019s disease, labyrinthitis, microtia, mastoiditis and even common childhood diseases such as measles and mumps. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Patients with SSD find understanding speech in the presence of background noise especially problematic and have great difficulty localizing sound (recognizing the location or origin of a sound source). Sound localization depends on subtle hearing cues from two ears; removing one from the equation confuses the brain. Other symptoms might include anxiety, stress, social isolation, dizziness, difficulty paying attention and speaking loudly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Treatments for SSD<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While there is no cure for single sided deafness, options exist for helping patients cope<\/a> with unilateral hearing. While there is no cure for single sided deafness, options exist for helping patients cope with unilateral hearing. A traditional hearing aid<\/a> in the affected ear may not provide much assistance, however, Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS) hearing aids can improve hearing and localization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Utilizing a microphone on the impaired ear and an amplifier on the normal ear, the CROS system picks up sounds and transmits them to the patient\u2019s \u201cgood\u201d ear. A similar device known as BICROS is suitable for individuals with some degree of hearing loss in one ear and total deafness in the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another option is a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), a surgically implanted device that used direct bone conduction to transmit sounds from the affected ear to a normal one. Vibrations in the bones of the ear canal and middle ear stimulate the cilia (hair cells) in the cochlea, boosting the ability to hear. <\/p>\n\n\n

Call Hearing Advancement Center<\/span> at (425) 485-8430<\/span><\/a> for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Single sided deafness (SSD), sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, is a condition in which an individual experiences hearing loss in only one ear but can hear normally out of the other ear. While the majority of patients with a hearing impairment suffer from bilateral (two-sided) hearing loss, SSD is diagnosed in approximately 60,000…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":150,"menu_order":14,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"[phone format=none] | Single-sided deafness causes unique issues, and cannot always be treated with traditional hearing aids. Learn the signs. Get evaluated.","_seopress_robots_index":"","schema":"