{"id":546,"date":"2021-06-30T15:26:27","date_gmt":"2021-06-30T19:26:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.fm1.dev\/?p=546"},"modified":"2021-08-31T16:54:36","modified_gmt":"2021-08-31T20:54:36","slug":"what-is-unilateral-hearing-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/what-is-unilateral-hearing-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Unilateral Hearing Loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@type\": \"FAQPage\",\n  \"mainEntity\": [{\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What is single sided deafness?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"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 people in the United States each year. 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. \"\n    }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What causes single sided deafness?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"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. 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. \"\n    }\n  }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What is sudden deafness?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"Sudden deafness \u2013 a rapid onset of hearing loss that occurs with little or no warning, often following a viral infection \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.\"\n    }\n }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"What are the symptoms of single sided deafness?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"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.\"\n}\n }, {\n    \"@type\": \"Question\",\n    \"name\": \"How is single sided deafness treated?\",\n    \"acceptedAnswer\": {\n      \"@type\": \"Answer\",\n      \"text\": \"While there is no cure for single sided deafness, options exist for helping patients cope with unilateral hearing. Traditional hearing aids don\u2019t offer much help to those suffering from SSD, but Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS) hearing aids can improve hearing and localization. They utilize a microphone that is placed in the vicinity of the impaired ear and an amplifier near the normal ear. The microphone 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. Another option is a Bone Anchored Hearing Aid (BAHA), a surgically implanted device that uses direct bone conduction to transmit sounds from the affected ear to the normal one. Vibrations in the bones of the ear canal and middle ear stimulate the hair cells of the cochlea, boosting the ability to hear.\"\n    }\n }\n ]\n  }\n<\/script><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Single Sided Deafness?<\/h2><p>Sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, single sided deafness 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 people in the United States each year.<\/p><p>About one in every 1000 children is born with unilateral hearing loss and roughly three percent of school age children experience some degree of loss. Single sided deafness can impact both a child\u2019s speech recognition and language development as well as their ability to localize sounds.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Single Sided Deafness?<\/h2><p>SSD can be caused by a variety of factors.<\/p><p>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><p>Another condition commonly associated with SSD is sudden deafness, a rapid onset of hearing loss that occurs with little or no warning, often following a viral infection. Patients may develop sudden deafness as a result of an inflammation in the cochlea that causes permanent damage to the hair cells responsible for hearing.<\/p><p>Additional causes of SSD include:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Trauma to the head.<\/li><li>Genetic disorders.<\/li><li>Meniere\u2019s disease.<\/li><li>Labyrinthitis.<\/li><li>Microtia.<\/li><li>Mastoiditis.<\/li><li>Measles.<\/li><li>Mumps.<\/li><\/ul><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When Should I See a Doctor?<\/h3><p>You should seek prompt medical attention if hearing loss in one ear happens suddenly. The quicker you act, the higher chance there is for a full recovery. About 15 percent of the time sudden hearing loss can result in single sided deafness.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Symptoms Do Those with SSD Experience?<\/h2><p>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.<\/p><p>Many also report experiencing a sensation known as the \u201chead shadow\u201d effect. High frequency sound waves do not move around objects, so they never reach the good ear as the head gets in the way. This prevents those with SSD from hearing&nbsp;<em>s<\/em>&nbsp;or&nbsp;<em>t<\/em>&nbsp;sounds.<\/p><p>Other symptoms include:<\/p><ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Anxiety.<\/li><li>Stress.<\/li><li>Social isolation.<\/li><li>Dizziness.<\/li><li>Difficulty paying attention.<\/li><li>Trouble speaking loudly.<\/li><\/ul><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How is SSD Diagnosed?<\/h2><p>In order to diagnose your type of loss, your audiologist will review your symptoms and medical history before completing a physical exam.<\/p><p>Your doctor will then complete a comprehensive hearing exam. The tests are used to determine your exact type and degree of hearing loss.<\/p><h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Treatments for SSD<\/h2><p>While there is no cure for single sided deafness, options exist to help you cope with unilateral hearing. Traditional hearing aids don\u2019t offer much help to those suffering from SSD, but <a href=\"https:\/\/www.audiology.org\/\" data-type=\"URL\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contralateral routing of signal<\/a> (CROS) hearing aids can improve hearing and localization.<\/p><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">CROS Hearing Aids<\/h3><p>CROS hearing aids utilize a microphone that is placed behind the impaired ear and an amplifier in the normal ear. The microphone picks up sounds and transmits them to the your \u201cgood\u201d ear.<\/p><p>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><h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Bone Anchored Hearing Aids<\/h3><p>Another option is a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA), a surgically implanted device that uses direct bone conduction to transmit sounds from the affected ear to the normal one. Vibrations in the bones of the ear canal and middle ear stimulate the hair cells of the cochlea, boosting your ability to hear.<\/p><p><p class=\"secondary-site-cta\"><svg class=\"logo-icon-bear\" viewBox=\"0 0 320 265\" fill=\"currentColor\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<path d=\"M13.4884 107.14H7.44186C3.33183 107.14 0 110.473 0 114.585V150.275C0 154.387 3.33183 157.72 7.44186 157.72H13.4884C17.5984 157.72 20.9302 154.387 20.9302 150.275V114.585C20.9302 110.473 17.5984 107.14 13.4884 107.14Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M55.6977 98.7642H50.5814C46.2145 98.7642 42.6744 102.306 42.6744 106.675V158.209C42.6744 162.578 46.2145 166.119 50.5814 166.119H55.6977C60.0646 166.119 63.6047 162.578 63.6047 158.209V106.675C63.6047 102.306 60.0646 98.7642 55.6977 98.7642Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M98.2558 46.6484H93.6046C89.1093 46.6484 85.4651 50.2942 85.4651 54.7915V210.243C85.4651 214.741 89.1093 218.387 93.6046 218.387H98.2558C102.751 218.387 106.395 214.741 106.395 210.243V54.7915C106.395 50.2942 102.751 46.6484 98.2558 46.6484Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M141.047 23.2661H136.163C131.732 23.2661 128.14 26.8598 128.14 31.2929V233.579C128.14 238.012 131.732 241.606 136.163 241.606H141.047C145.478 241.606 149.07 238.012 149.07 233.579V31.2929C149.07 26.8598 145.478 23.2661 141.047 23.2661Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M184.419 0H178.372C174.262 0 170.93 3.3333 170.93 7.44513V257.497C170.93 261.609 174.262 264.942 178.372 264.942H184.419C188.529 264.942 191.86 261.609 191.86 257.497V7.44513C191.86 3.3333 188.529 0 184.419 0Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M227.326 23.2661H220.814C216.832 23.2661 213.605 26.4952 213.605 30.4786V234.394C213.605 238.377 216.832 241.606 220.814 241.606H227.326C231.307 241.606 234.535 238.377 234.535 234.394V30.4786C234.535 26.4952 231.307 23.2661 227.326 23.2661Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M269.767 67.1226H263.721C259.611 67.1226 256.279 70.4559 256.279 74.5677V190.409C256.279 194.521 259.611 197.854 263.721 197.854H269.767C273.877 197.854 277.209 194.521 277.209 190.409V74.5677C277.209 70.4559 273.877 67.1226 269.767 67.1226Z\"\/>\n<path d=\"M312.209 98.7642H306.86C302.558 98.7642 299.07 102.254 299.07 106.558V158.325C299.07 162.63 302.558 166.119 306.86 166.119H312.209C316.512 166.119 320 162.63 320 158.325V106.558C320 102.254 316.512 98.7642 312.209 98.7642Z\"\/>\n<\/svg>\n Call <span class=\"company-name \">Columbus Speech and Hearing<\/span> at <a href=\"tel:+16142635151\" class=\"phone \"> <span class=\"phNum\">(614) 263-5151<\/span><\/a> for more information or to schedule an appointment.<\/p><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What is Single Sided Deafness? Sometimes referred to as unilateral hearing loss, single sided deafness 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&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"schema":"","fname":"","lname":"","position":"","credentials":"","placeID":"","no_match":false,"name":"","company":"","review":"","address":"","city":"","state":"","zip":"","lat":"","lng":"","phone1":"","phone2":"","fax":"","mon1":"","mon2":"","tue1":"","tue2":"","wed1":"","wed2":"","thu1":"","thu2":"","fri1":"","fri2":"","sat1":"","sat2":"","sun1":"","sun2":"","hours-note":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-546","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hearing-loss"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=546"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1220,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/546\/revisions\/1220"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=546"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=546"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=546"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}