http://MyHearingPartners.com Unilateral hearing loss occurs when a person has normal hearing in one ear and some degree of hearing impairment in the other ear.
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Unilateral Hearing Loss
1. Unilateral Hearing Loss
Unilateral hearing loss occurs when a
person has normal hearing in one ear
and some degree of hearing
impairment in the other ear. People
who have this type of one-sided
hearing decrease may have more
difficulty locating the direction of a
sound source, difficulty listening on the side with impairment, and
difficulty understanding speech in noisy backgrounds. When
conditions are favorable with a quiet environment, many with
unilateral impairment will have very little difficulty with speech
understanding.
Unilateral hearing impairment can be caused by birth defects,
recurrent ear infections, head injury, acoustic tumors, and a
variety of diseases (e.g, mumps, Meniere’s disease, meningitis,
and measles). Treatment and management will vary based on
how severe the one-sided loss is. Some patients may simply be
educated on the use of communication strategies, while others
may need hearing aids or even cochlear implants. There are a
couple of specialty hearing aid types that can be used in the case
of unilateral hearing impairment.
Website - Hearing Partners of South Florida, Inc
Hearing Aids Delray Beach FL - (561) 638-6530
Hearing Aids Boynton Beach FL - (561) 404-0365
2. One type is called a contralateral routing of signals (CROS)
hearing aid. With this type of aid, two hearing aids are worn, but
one picks up signals from the poorer hearing ear and routes that
signal to the normal hearing ear. This is especially helpful in
situations where people are trying to speak on the side of the
“bad” ear. It also can aid in sound localization.
Another type of special hearing aid is the bone anchored hearing
aid (BAHA). This may be used if your hearing impairment has a
conductive cause. Sound bypasses the outer and middle ear
systems and is transferred to the “good” ear through skull
vibration.
Communication strategies may be used as a standalone
treatment or in conjunction with hearing aids or cochlear
implants. Auditory communication strategies may include:
Turning the volume down on distracting background noises
(if possible)
Moving closer to your communication partner
Positioning the ear on your “good” side closer to the person
you are wanting to hear
Staying away from or at a further distance from noise
sources
Website - Hearing Partners of South Florida, Inc
Hearing Aids Delray Beach FL - (561) 638-6530
Hearing Aids Boynton Beach FL - (561) 404-0365
3. While many of these strategies are second nature to those with
unilateral hearing difficulties, they may not realize that
performing these actions is recommended even after being
amplified. It is strongly recommended for those with unilateral
hearing impairment to have their hearing re-evaluated
periodically. Any change in hearing status can affect those with
unilateral losses differently than it would for those with hearing
decreases in both ears. Talk with your hearing healthcare
professional about your options to treat your unilateral hearing
loss.
Website - Hearing Partners of South Florida, Inc
Hearing Aids Delray Beach FL - (561) 638-6530
Hearing Aids Boynton Beach FL - (561) 404-0365