Have you ever had someone tell you that they hear just fine out of their good ear?
Sometimes that statement is something of a spoof. However, for the 350,000 Canadians diagnosed with single-sided deafness (SSD) annually, it can be a disabling condition, often worse than bilateral hearing loss (loss in both ears).
Worse yet, single-sided deafness often goes unreported or underreported, so the number of those affected by it is significantly larger.
The objective of this blog is to highlight some of the information I shared in a recent webinar [link to podcast if available], which I put together in order to help raise awareness of the condition and make it easier for individuals in the Port Credit area to recognize it and get the help they need.
Defining SSD and Its Impact
Single-sided deafness, or SSD, is defined as clinically unaidable hearing loss in one ear. This loss can be due to a profound hearing loss, no measurable thresholds, or I also like to include poor speech scores where an individual’s hearing wouldn’t benefit from a conventional hearing aid.
Traditionally, many have held to the belief that adequate hearing in one ear is sufficient. However, research has proven that individuals with single-sided deafness match or exceed the difficulties of those with a bilateral hearing loss, or a loss in both ears.
If we take a moment to consider how our brains use input from both ears to obtain critical information, we quickly see its impact in four different ways:
- Sound localization issues include a time delay between the two ears, creating a lag time for sound processing in the brain and a difference in volume intensity from one ear to the other. These two issues make it difficult to locate sounds, which can lead to safety concerns.
- Speech-in-noise challenges make it more difficult to separate other sounds from the conversation you are trying to focus on.
- Difficulty hearing on one side can cause you to have to concentrate harder on hearing sounds and conversations, leading to greater stress, listening fatigue and cognitive bloat.
- Psychosocial changes related to the other three areas of impact can include emotional and social consequences like stress, frustration, isolation and ultimately withdrawal and avoidance behaviour.
Possible Causes of Single-Sided Deafness
Now that we have defined SSD and its impact, let’s take a moment to consider the different causes related to it, including:
- Congenital hearing loss
- Sudden hearing loss or a viral infection
- Head injuries
- Acoustic trauma (loud blast or explosion)
- Acoustic neuroma
Each person’s experience can vary from one person to another. For those whose SSD is caused by sudden loss, head injuries or acoustic trauma, the impact is felt on a large scale from day to day.
However, those whose condition is the result of an acoustic neuroma may experience a gradual transition that worsens over time.
Available Options to Treat SSD
Thanks to advancements in technology, several surgical and non-surgical treatment options provide significant improvement to function in the affected ear. Like with any treatment option, it is best to maintain realistic expectations given the varying degrees of hearing loss from one individual to another.
Let’s take a brief look at the four main treatment options available but group them into two different categories in which each has a non-surgical and surgical option.
Rerouting Solutions
- CROS and BICROS
The most common non-surgical treatment options available are CROS (contralateral routing of signals) and BICROS (bilateral contralateral routing of signals) systems. CROS reroutes sound signals from the poor ear to the better ear. This helps with sound localization issues and helps improve speech-in-noise perception. BICROS does the same thing but also provides hearing aid help to the better ear, which has a mild to moderate hearing loss.
- Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHA)
The primary surgical rerouting solution is a bone anchored hearing aid, or BAHA. A BAHA uses bone conduction to transmit sound signals through the skull to the better cochlea. It is most beneficial when it comes to enhancing speech comprehension in noisy environments, and its behind–the–ear placement is an added benefit.
Restoring Solutions
If you’re experiencing hearing loss, you might notice the following signs in yourself or your loved ones:
- Conventional Hearing Aids
For true SSD, a hearing aid does not adequately provide a solution, but in cases related to acoustic neuroma, it can provide some residual hearing on the affected side and improve hearing in both quiet and challenging environments.
- Cochlear or Electronic Implants
Cochlear or electronic implants provide a restorative surgical solution by bypassing the hearing canal to transmit sound and speech directly into the cochlea. Like a hearing aid, this only helps in situations where some residual hearing exists on the affected side.
What to Do If You Are Experiencing SSD
If you are hearing fine in one ear but struggling in the other, you are apt to experience many of the same symptoms as an individual with a bilateral hearing loss, especially increased stress and fatigue when trying to keep up with a conversation in a noisy environment.
Many try to compensate by making sure that their “good ear” is always toward the person they are speaking to. Ultimately, this is not a viable solution. In the long run, you will begin to experience added difficulties that can lead to social isolation, withdrawal and cognitive issues.
If you suspect that you are experiencing single-sided deafness, don’t wait until things get worse; come in for a hearing assessment at Port Credit Audiology & Hearing Aid Clinic and find the right solution to help maintain an active, independent and rewarding lifestyle.
Contact us online by using this link, or give us a call at (905) 990-3755.
