One “Dead” Ear
Nov 15, 2021

One “Dead” Ear

Today’s treatment options for single-sided deafness, often referred to as a “dead” ear, can vastly improve a person’s quality of life and safety.


Have you ever wondered why we have two ears instead of just one? Our ears come as a pair for several very important reasons. Here’s why.


Localization

Having an ear on each side of your head makes it easier to determine where sound is coming from. This is called localization. Try this experiment: Plug one ear then have someone stand behind you and speak to you. It becomes very difficult to determine, without looking, if the person is to your right, left or directly behind you.


Clarity

Having two ears also allows you to hear sounds more clearly. Have you ever listened to a stereo, and one speaker is not working? How does it sound? Muffled and garbled, right? Two speakers give you crisper, louder sound. The same is true with your two ears.


Cushioning

Having two ears also provides cushioning for louder sounds as the sound is divided between both ears. It allows you to tolerate sudden, jarring sounds much easier.


With all this in mind, it is simple to understand how important it is to receive sound from both sides of the head. Now consider that a unique type of hearing loss, called single-sided deafness, affects tens of thousands of Americans. Just as the name of the condition implies, single-sided deafness is when a person has lost all hearing in one ear and has normal to even profound hearing loss in the other ear. The condition is also referred to as having a “dead” ear.


Though the precise causes for single-sided deafness are not always identified, it may be caused by viral infections, a sudden and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, Meniere’s disease (an inner ear disorder which causes dizziness), a stroke within the inner ear, genetic defects, vascular diseases, physical trauma to the head or ear, autoimmune diseases and surgical removal of tumors within the lower part of the brain.


Each year, 60,000 new cases of single-sided deafness are diagnosed in the United States, and since your brain expects to hear sounds from both the right and the left ear equally, single-sided deafness can be a real challenge for those who suffer with it. Commonplace activities—that those with normal hearing take for granted—are hurdles that must be surmounted daily. In fact, those with single-sided deafness report that difficulty understanding basic conversations with others, especially when any background noise is present, is one of the most difficult struggles associated with the condition.


Patients with single-sided deafness often relate that every listening environment requires a plan, a workaround. For instance, professionals with single-sided deafness often mention that they must arrive at meetings early to carefully pick a seat in the room which will allow the best opportunity to hear as much as possible.


Mike Gallagher, age 75, struggled with single-sided deafness since birth. He related this experience: “I was in management at Wal-Mart for 20 years, and my hearing loss really impacted my work life. Tasks like working a check-out line were impossible for me because as I scanned items for purchase, I wasn’t able to distinguish a beep at my register from beeps at other registers. When someone called to me over the walkie-talkie, I couldn’t hear them. When I finally addressed my single-sided deafness, it made a huge difference in my life.”


A parent of a child with the condition explained that participating in Little League, an iconic childhood pastime, was a struggle for her young son because the typical raucous background noises of a ball field make verbal cues from the coach almost impossible for him to discern and process.


Attending a church service, eating in a restaurant, conversing with a loved one on a car ride, recognizing a honking horn in traffic—all these activities become a mountain to climb for those with single-sided deafness. And what does this mean for the brain? It is working double time to keep up. Those with single-sided deafness report that everyday listening environments can be intimidating, stressful and exhausting. In fact, a technical audiologic term even exits for it—listening fatigue. Over time, research shows that various forms of untreated hearing loss—including single-sided deafness—can lead to social isolation, anxiety, and depression and can contribute to brain tissue loss and dementia.


Most troubling is that single-sided deafness is all too often discounted and left unaddressed because of a lack of awareness and understanding of the condition and of the treatment options, even among some medical practitioners. People with single-sided deafness are told their hearing is “adequate,” that they will “adapt” and are left untreated.


Here’s the great news though! Advancements in hearing aid technology now offer a host of options so that “adequate hearing” and “adapting” can become a thing of the past for many with the condition. By working with your partner in hearing health—a university-trained audiologist—restoration of the sensation of hearing from both sides is now available for many challenged with single-sided deafness.


Current treatment and technology options are outlined below, and it is worth noting that this advanced technology is available from reputable, university-trained audiologists and not through channels like hearing aid counters at big box stores or off the internet.


Contralateral Routing Of Signals (CROS) hearing aid system

With a CROS hearing aid system, a person wears a device on the poorer ear that wirelessly transmits sound signals from that side of the head to an instrument on the better ear. If a person also has some hearing loss in their better ear, a BiCROS device can address their needs for both ears, with a BICROS being a CROS transmitter paired with an active hearing aid. Several of the major hearing aid manufacturers offer a CROS and BICROS system.


Bone-conduction hearing aid

With a bone-conduction hearing aid, a bone vibrator is held on the mastoid bone behind the poorer ear by a soft or rigid headband. The aid detects sounds and transmits the information through micro-vibrations of the skull to the better ear.  


Bone-anchored hearing aid

A bone-anchored hearing instrument acts similarly to the bone conduction hearing aid. However, it requires the surgical placement of a magnet or titanium screw within the mastoid bone behind the poorer ear. Following recovery from this surgical placement, the hearing aid is then attached to the screw or magnet leading to optimal sound transmission via vibrations of the skull to the better ear.

People with single-sided deafness experience a unique hearing impairment. However, by partnering with your audiologist, who can recommend and offer support for adjusting to today’s available CROS, BICROSS, bone-conduction or bone-anchored technology, the person with single-sided deafness can experience vast improvement in many facets of life. They can enjoy better communication with friends, family, co-workers and others in a variety of listening settings. Safety issues associated with not being able to respond to cues like sirens and alarms are minimized.


Treating hearing loss can help reduce a person’s risk for co-morbidities associated with the loss like anxiety, depression and dementia. And statistics support that addressing single-sided deafness—and all forms of hearing loss for that matter—can even increase a person’s ability to advance in their career and have a higher earning potential.


To learn more about single-sided deafness and to work with an audiologist trained in all types and degrees of hearing loss, please contact Johnson Audiology.

 

By Jan Hollingsworth 09 Jan, 2024
Johnson Audiology is pleased to announce that the practice will be moving one of its Chattanooga area offices from its current location on Gunbarrel Road to a new location at 6830 Lee Highway. The move will take place January 15. “We are extremely excited to be re-locating to a much larger space later this month,” Dr. Megan Johnson, founder and owner of the award-winning practice, says. “About a year ago, we realized that we needed more room to meet the needs of our growing patient base so we could help even more people with hearing loss. We sought a place that would allow us to stay in the East Brainerd/Hamilton Place area so that the office would still be conveniently located for patients. Our Hixson office will remain at 5617 Highway 153, Suite 203 and is also being upgraded with a second sound booth and beautiful new decor. These two strategically located offices mean that we can continue to serve patients who live east and west of the Tennessee River.” Dr. Johnson says that when she identified the building on Lee Highway, she knew it was an ideal site for this next growth leap. “Our company culture is anchored on the premise of always offering an exceptional patient experience,” she says. “Thanks to our wonderful family of Johnson Audiology patients, we have outgrown our current office and have found the perfect location for offering the best care to even more of our Chattanooga neighbors.” The new location offers many positive features that will benefit patients: The office is conveniently located off Lee Highway in the area between Shallowford Road and Hickory Valley Road, directly behind Dr. Keith B. Dressler’s orthodontic practice. It is a stand-alone office that is not shared with any other businesses. The building is more than 4,000 square feet, which is double the space of the current office on Gunbarrel Road. The added square footage will accommodate a spacious patient welcome and reception area, three sound booths for hearing testing, and a private area for patient check-out. The building has exam rooms for four full time audiologists and an audiology assistant, a large front desk area, and a sizeable lab for hearing aid maintenance and repair. The office has ample space for the practice’s growing Cochlear Implant (CI) Program with a dedicated sound booth and exam area just for CI patients. The building design allows for easy circular patient flow throughout the office. The building has a dedicated, 20-space parking lot just for Johnson Audiology patients and additional parking for Johnson Audiology staff. Dr. Johnson mentions that the building was a non-medical office previously, so updates were needed to bring it up to par for a bustling hearing health care clinic. It currently is being remodeled, and the parking lot resurfaced. “We have plans to transition to the new building by January 15 with some final touches to the office’s aesthetics continuing through the spring,” she says.  Dr. Johnson wishes to assure folks that measures are in place to alleviate disruption to the service patients receive during this time and thanks patients in advance for their continued support and understanding during the transition. “The new office is going to be incredible!” she says. Initial correspondence has been delivered to patients about the move. Dr. Johnson says, “Patients who have appointments scheduled in early January or those who need walk-in service for hearing aid maintenance and supplies from now until January 15 should continue visiting the Gunbarrel Road location.” Dr. Johnson says, “In February, we will invite our friends and neighbors in the Chattanooga community to an open house celebration, where we will do an official reveal of the new space!” Johnson Audiology has been faithfully serving the citizens of Chattanooga since the practice opened its doors on October 1, 2009. “As we prepare to celebrate our 15th anniversary this year, the new office location on Lee Highway and the upgrades to the Hixson office are evidence of our commitment to patients.” Dr. Johnson goes on to say, “Chattanoogans have named Johnson Audiology Best of the Best in the category of Favorite Audiologist and Hearing Aid Clinic for 11 years straight. And they consistently name Johnson Audiology in the top three in the category of Best Customer Service among all Chattanooga businesses. We seek to live up to those accolades daily!” Dr. Johnson concludes, “One of our patients, Mr. Van Tenpenny, recently had this to say about us: ‘My visit to Johnson Audiology has been life changing! After decades of hearing loss, I am able to hear normal conversations in any environment.’ It is our highest ideal to be here for Mr. Tenpenny and the thousands of other patients like him who prioritize their hearing for the best quality of life.” Do you want to get on the road to healthy hearing? Johnson Audiology is currently accepting new patients at all locations. Call today to schedule an appointment or book online at www.johnsonaudiology.com/schedule.
15 Aug, 2023
Tinnitus, often described as a persistent ringing or buzzing sound in the ears, is a common auditory phenomenon that affects millions of people worldwide. While tinnitus is not a disease itself, it can be a symptom of an underlying issue. At Johnson Audiology, we are committed to helping you understand tinnitus and guiding you through the steps to manage this often-distressing condition. Understanding Tinnitus Tinnitus can vary in intensity and pitch, and it may present as a constant sound or come and go intermittently. It can be caused by a range of factors, including exposure to loud noise, age-related hearing loss, earwax blockage, and even certain medications. Tinnitus can impact your quality of life, leading to sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating, and emotional distress. Steps to Manage Tinnitus Consult an Audiologist: If you're experiencing tinnitus, the first step is to seek professional help. A university-trained audiologist, a hearing health specialist, can conduct a comprehensive evaluation to determine the underlying cause of your tinnitus and its impact on your hearing. Identify Underlying Causes: Tinnitus often has an underlying cause, such as hearing loss, a medical condition, or exposure to loud noise. An audiologist can help identify these causes and recommend appropriate treatment options. Customized Treatment Plans: Based on the evaluation, your audiologist will develop a personalized treatment plan tailored to your specific needs. Treatment approaches may include: Hearing Aids: If hearing loss is contributing to your tinnitus, hearing aids can help by amplifying external sounds and reducing the perception of the tinnitus. More than 90% of those who have tinnitus, also, have hearing loss, even if the loss is mild. Sound Therapy: Sound therapy involves using external sounds, such as white noise or nature sounds, to mask or distract from the tinnitus noise. Counseling: Counseling and education can help you better understand tinnitus and learn coping strategies to manage its impact on your daily life. Tinnitus Retraining Therapy (TRT): TRT combines sound therapy and counseling to help you habituate to the tinnitus and reduce its perception over time. Lifestyle Modifications: Your audiologist may recommend lifestyle changes, such as managing stress, avoiding loud noise exposure, and adopting healthy sleep habits. Monitor and Adjust: Tinnitus management is an ongoing process. Regular follow-up appointments with your audiologist allow for adjustments to treatment plans based on your progress and changing needs. Seek Support: Tinnitus can be emotionally distressing. It is important to seek support from friends, family, and even support groups where you can connect with others who are experiencing similar challenges. While tinnitus can be disruptive, understanding the condition and taking proactive steps to manage it can lead to improved quality of life. At Johnson Audiology, our dedicated team of audiologists is here to guide you through the journey of tinnitus management, providing the expertise and support you need to find relief and regain control over your hearing health. Contact us today to take the first step toward a more peaceful and harmonious auditory experience.
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