50+ Lifestyles

Single Sided Deafness

By Dr. Molly Parker
Audiologist and Owner
Parker Audiology, P.C.

Dr. Alison Soto
Audiologist
Parker Audiology, P.C.

“I can’t hear in my left ear,” she said.
“How long has this been going on?”  I asked.
 “Oh for a few years. The doctors are not worried, but I can’t pick out a conversation..  It is harder now because my one good ear is not so good any more.” 

The effects of unilateral hearing loss are quite difficult for the individual. Others don’t often understand, because having one good ear should make a person normal, right?  It is common to not locate a sound, or to hear some sounds but not others. Struggling hearing more than 6 to 10 feet away, and being affected by sounds that are too loud/soft are all common symptoms. Unilateral hearing loss puts the one good ear at risk for a more rapid decline from added noise exposure.

New technologies for single sided deafness have emerged. There is a new circuit that I have been particularly impressed with that came out earlier this year which automatically controls the loud/soft. We are observing greater initial acceptance from our patients. This feature works particularly well in BICROS hearing technology, which is commonly used to fit this population.

Directional microphones now work together on the good and bad side to increase the speech on one side while decreasing noise on the other side. This feature can work automatically, so that conversation can be heard in the back seat of the car, or hear while someone is strolling next to you.

Even if a patient has a “dead” ear and very poor hearing on the other side, we can get more power on the “good” ear.  There are also more possibilities hearing on the phone and in particularly noisy situations such as weddings and graduations.

Unilateral hearing is one of the hardest experiences to control.  It is not possible to give hearing back to an ear that can no longer hear. With some recent developments, we now know options that can control hearing better than ever before.

If you have any questions about new technology, help is available at Parker Audiology, PC.  Please call for an appointment today, (563) 326-5441.

Dr. Molly Parker has been practicing Audiology in the Quad Cities for nearly 15 years. She is the owner of Parker Audiology, PC. Call Dr. Alison Soto or Dr. Molly Parker today for an appointment at (563) 265-8003.