More often than not, with a hearing loss, you’ll find a relatively similar loss in both ears. However, sometimes one ear may be worse off than the other, and sometimes, it may be classified as “unaidable”. In this case, the hearing loss is too severe for a hearing aid to give sound. The good news is your sound quality doesn’t have to end there!
Hearing Loss in one ear.
A severe hearing loss in one ear can come from a range of reasons. Injury, illness, infection, or sudden loud noises can all be contributing factors. While a cochlear implant may be a solution to regaining some sound in that ear, it’s not always an option. However, if your other ear has good hearing or less of a loss, there is another way.
CROS devices
Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS) devices are a solution to aiding the unaidable ear. This device acts as a microphone, picking up sounds coming from the side of the unaidable ear. It then relays that sound to the hearing aid in the good/better ear. The result is the ability to hear sound from a 360-degree angle. It also allows you to determine where the sound is coming from and respond accordingly.
Understand CROS.
It is essential to understand that a CROS device will not give sound into the unaidable ear. However, the use of this method has allowed wearers to enjoy a much more surround sound. Recently, most brands of hearing aids have been adding CROS devices to their repertoire of products. So there are a multitude of options if you have been told one of your ears is unaidable. Furthermore, CROS devices are cost-effective and are not limited to a specific manufacturer technology level. They are also fully subsidised for those on a government pension.
The value of your Audiologist
So one of your ears has been classified with an unaidable hearing loss, think again! Your Falls of Sound team will be delighted to explore options with you to get that full surround sound feeling. Give us a call at 3378 5999 for Indooroopilly or 5443 8993 for Maroochydore.