Hearing Aid for One Ear - Single-Sided Hearing Loss Options

Single-sided hearing loss, also known as unilateral hearing loss, occurs when one ear has normal hearing while the other has significant hearing loss. This condition presents unique challenges, including difficulty locating the direction of sounds, understanding speech when someone speaks from your affected side, and struggling in noisy environments. If you have hearing loss in one ear, there are effective solutions available.

Types of Single-Sided Hearing Loss

Mild to Moderate Loss in One Ear

If your hearing loss in one ear is mild to moderate (25-65 dB), a standard hearing aid fitted to that ear usually works well. The hearing aid amplifies sounds to compensate for the loss, and together with your normal ear, you regain balanced hearing. This is the most common scenario and the most straightforward to address.

Severe to Profound Loss in One Ear

If one ear has severe or profound hearing loss (greater than 70 dB) while the other is normal, a standard hearing aid may not be sufficient for the deaf ear. In this case, a CROS (Contralateral Routing of Signal) system may be recommended. CROS uses a microphone on the deaf ear that transmits sound wirelessly to a receiver on the good ear, allowing you to hear sounds from both sides.

CROS and BiCROS Systems

CROS System

Used when one ear is unaidable (profound loss) and the other hears normally. A transmitter on the deaf ear picks up sounds and sends them to a receiver on the good ear. This does not restore hearing in the deaf ear but ensures you do not miss sounds coming from that side.

BiCROS System

Used when one ear is unaidable and the other also has some hearing loss. The system works like CROS but also amplifies sound for the better ear. Signia offers BiCROS solutions that are available in Pakistan.

Single Hearing Aid Options from Signia

For mild to moderate single-sided hearing loss, we recommend these Signia options:

• BTE Hearing Aids: Starting from Rs. 35,000 for a single unit. Reliable, powerful, and easy to use.
• CIC Hearing Aids: Starting from Rs. 35,000. Invisible when worn, ideal for those who want discretion.
• RIC Hearing Aids: Starting from Rs. 85,000. Excellent sound quality with minimal visibility.

Challenges of Hearing with One Ear

People with unilateral hearing loss face specific daily challenges that a hearing aid can help address:

• Sound Localization: Difficulty telling where sounds are coming from. This affects safety in traffic and social awareness.
• The Head Shadow Effect: Sounds coming from the deaf side are partially blocked by the head, making them harder to hear.
• Noisy Environments: Separating speech from background noise is harder with one ear than two.
• Meetings and Group Conversations: Missing dialogue from people sitting on your affected side.
• Phone Calls: Difficulty if you habitually hold the phone to the affected ear.

Do You Need a Hearing Test?

If you suspect hearing loss in one ear, a PTA hearing test will confirm the type and degree of loss in each ear separately. This information is essential for determining whether you need one hearing aid, two, or a CROS system. Share your audiogram with us on WhatsApp and we will provide a clear recommendation.

Tips for Single-Sided Hearing Aid Users

• Position yourself with your good ear toward the speaker in conversations
• In restaurants, sit with your good ear toward the table and your deaf side toward the wall
• In meetings, sit at the end of the table with your good ear facing the group
• Consider using your hearing aid's Bluetooth feature to stream phone calls directly