• Difficulty To Hear Sound In A Noisy Environment

The brain can filter the unwanted sound reaching the ear. This ability of the brain is known as selective listening. It is difficult to do so when one of the ears is damaged. In a noisy environment, the person with hearing loss in one ear cannot differentiate between multiple sounds.

• Unable To Determine The Loudness Of Sound

The sound reaching the brain from both the ears combined is louder than the sound received by the brain from any one of the ears. The sound reaching the brain when heard through both the ears is louder though the source is of the same intensity or loudness. The auditory nerves of both the ears receive sound signals and process the signals into information independently.

• The Head Shadow Effect

People with hearing loss in one ear are likely to suffer from the ‘head shadow’ effect. If the sound is coming from the side, which is deaf, the person cannot hear until the sound travels across the head and reaches the other ear. The head shadow effect results in loss of high-frequency sound, which makes it more difficult to hear high frequency sounds such as ‘s’, “Sshh or ‘t’.

• Single Sided Deafness Makes It Hard To Multi-Task

Due to all the above reasons, the brain has to work harder to understand speech and sound signals. It gets difficult to concentrate on other activities or multitask, especially when the environment is noisy. For instance, a simple activity like listening to someone and writing at the same time becomes difficult and stressful.

Causes Of Hearing Loss In One Ear

There are several reasons why people suffer from hearing loss in any one ear. Some of the common reasons for loss of hearing in the ear are-

• A blow or injury to the ear
• Continuous exposure to loud noises
• Taking drugs in excessive amounts or ototoxicity
• Any blockage in the ear due to an external object or excessive wax buildup
• Abnormal bone growth inside the ear

Other Health Conditions Which Cause Hearing Loss

Apart from injury to the ear or an ear infection, several other diseases can increase the chances of hearing loss in any one of the ears. In case you are suffering from any one of the following medical conditions, the chances are that it will develop into a hearing loss.

• Perforation or hole in the eardrum
• Acoustic neuroma
• Meniere’s disease
• Swimmer’s ear
• Labyrinthitis
• Otitis media with effusion
• Neurofibromatosis type 2
• Shingles
• Reye’s syndrome
• Temporal arteritis
• Vertebrobasilar insufficiency-

Ototoxic Drugs Responsible For Hearing Loss

There are several medicines prescribed by doctors for serious medical conditions that can cause hearing loss in one or both the ears as a side effect

• Drugs used for chemotherapy
• Furosemide which is a type of diuretic
• Toxicity due to salicylate
• Antibiotics such as streptomycin and tobramycin

Other Symptoms Of Hearing Loss In One Ear

Hearing loss in one ear is itself a sign of deafness. In addition to this, some other symptoms that a person is likely to experience include-

• Muffled hearing in the other ear
• A feeling of fullness in the ear
• The feeling of some object inside the ear
• Asking people to repeat themselves
• Increasing the audio level of the television or music system

Diagnosis Of Hearing Loss In One Ear

In case you are experiencing any of the above symptoms, consult an ENT specialist. The doctors will take your medical history and prescribe a hearing test. A hearing test generally includes checking the range of sounds and tones at various frequencies; the test will indicate the frequencies and intensity at which you can hear without any problem. Some of the common hearing tests include pure tone audiometry and tuning fork test.

Treatment Of Hearing Loss In One Ear

Based on the underlying cause of the hearing loss, the doctor suggests the appropriate treatment options. In severe cases of hearing loss, it won’t be treatable. For mild to moderate hearing loss, doctors recommend using a hearing aid. A hearing aid is an instrument that amplifies the sound entering the ear. There are several types of hearing aids–

• Contralateral Routing Of Signal (CROS Hearing Aid)

This hearing aid is specially designed for people with hearing loss in one ear. It picks up sound from the deaf ear side and sends it to the functional ear.

• Bone-Anchored Hearing Systems (BAHA)

This hearing aid is surgically implanted inside the ear. Sometimes it is not possible for the sound vibrations to reach the inner ear due to defect in the outer or the middle ear. The BAHA works by sending vibrations directly to the inner ear through the skull.

• Cochlear Implants

These also need to be surgically implanted inside the ear; they work by stimulating the auditory nerve to function again. Find out how the Cochlear Implant works.

• Eardrum Surgery Or Tympanoplasty

Due to repeated ear infections, the eardrum can get damaged, resulting in a hole. Ear perforation is a serious condition that can only be treated with a surgery known as Tympanoplasty. It is a process of patching the hole with tissue taken from the other part of the ear.

Conclusion

Although hearing loss is a common phenomenon, delaying its treatment can lead to permanent deafness. Fortunately, there are several treatment options to try for curing hearing loss in one ear. Consult an ENT specialist who can suggest the appropriate treatment after a thorough diagnosis.