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Single sided hearing loss

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Edited

My granddaughter had an ear infection about 5 years ago that caused her to lose some hearing on one side. She has tried a single side hearing aid but is struggling to hear. I wonder about trying other hearing aid solutions and I have read a little on cross but not sure that is her solution.

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I wish my hearing was so good. Any advice on a solution, or is it trial an error. An will probably work, but can one aid make her speech recognition in noise better and improve her directionality? The Cros solution seems to complicate things. Does just fitting two regular hearing aids work better than one?

Obviously, I wear two and could not function without them. I have Phonak Naida P90 and use frequency shifting with good successs.

Thanks, Phil

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@pclewis said:

I wish my hearing was so good.

There’s nothing good about the level of loss here ( if I’m reading this right) it’s a severe pushing into profound loss!

@pclewis said:

An open fit will probably work

An will definitely not work, no way would you get suitable gain with complete open, I’d recommend a custom mould with a power , just like your own, most people don’t have a lot of success with Cross/ bi Cross anyway, lots of people doing fine with just one aid, but you need two to get the full benefits of noise reduction and directionally features etc

@pclewis said:

or is it trial an error.

Yes it can be (you may of noticed this yourself, not always perfect first time) are you ? If so she could try one of yours fit to her loss with a power dome, just to see what see thinks, if not her audiologist should be offering different solutions for her to try if she’s not happy with the present setup she has now.

Thanks Tenkan,

She just moved here to Houston and is in graduate school. She was originally fitted with a single hearing aid 6 years ago and does not use it much because it is not working well. She went to an audiologist here without much help. I do finish my settings with Target using my piano to fine tune. I have a spare set of the Naida Paradise and use custom molds with a small vent. I think she could operate with open domes, since her low frequency is good and most feedback is in the lower frequency.

I guess I am a little curious why the audiologist here did not even try cross fitting. Even suggested might be a good option. I can’t refute that, but it is not reversible and she is not in a time of life in graduate school to take on the training of CI.

I am perhaps going to search out an audiologist here in Houston that has cross experience and at least try it. I think is essential for cross fit. Does this make sense?

@pclewis said:

I am perhaps going to search out an audiologist here in Houston that has cross experience and at least try it. I think REM is essential for cross fit.

Cross hearing aids are giving up on the bad ear. She would not get any sound stimulation to that ear and cochlea nerve. This could end her chances of a in the future. Personally I would be leaning towards a CI for that single sided hearing loss. Maybe get her in for a CI evaluation to just get better testing, learn about more options.

Edited

I had a conversation with a friend who at one time was head of the American Academy of Audiology. She is retired but keeps up with things. She confirmed your thoughts and my brief research. keeps making great strides and as you know can now be updated and should negate any thought of . She confirmed the bad track record with CI.

We just made an appointment with Coclear Hearing Center near my house in Houston. I am going along because if I were not 84 would be looking at this too. Maybe I need to look anyway. I like your comment about getting better testing and learn about more options.

I recall you have had CI with great success. Do you think one could get reasonable recovery and training in a summer? She goes to school and the option is to get a better and try to finish grad school or get the CI this summer and move along. I think we have arrived to the conclusion that this is not if but when.

Thanks you so much for your input. I was thinking you were probably the best online source for this information.

One last question. If you were buying a CI today what brand would you prefer? or Off the Ear?

Phil

@pclewis said:

Do you think one could get reasonable recovery and training in a summer?

That’s a really tuff question. Odds are yes but you just don’t know for sure.

actually has a very good record but there are some failures. Rehabilitation is a big part of CI. Most failures involve a lack of rehabilitation. The candidate must have a good frame of mind about a successful implant, preserver. For her she would probably need to block off her good ear while doing rehabilitation to the new CI. Force the CI to learn.

We have some very helpful CI members here on the forum. Here to help.

I made an additional question about brands and style questions.

One last question. If you were buying a today what brand would you prefer? or Off the Ear? Or does it matter much?

@pclewis said:

If you were buying a CI today what brand would you prefer? BTE or Off the Ear? Or does it matter much?

Usually I try to stay out of the brand competition but you are correct about Cochlear America having a new internal that is updatable. It’s a slick system. The other brands are good too but a little behind Cochlear America technology wise. Finding the best support where she lives is important.

As far as on the ear or off the ear processors both have the same sound, very little difference. It tends to be a personal thing about which one is best. I have worn both and prefer the off the ear processors. I enjoy not having the processors on my ears.

The place down the road is a Cochclear center and has a great reputation. My granddaughter lives not far away. So, off we go. I am studying and discovered I need to buy a subscription rather than use the freebies. Here is the some of the info:

1. Cochlear (Market Leader)

Cochlear is the most widely used brand globally and is often cited for its long track record of reliability.

Cochlear +2

  • Key Products: The Nucleus 8 (behind-the-ear) and the Kanso 2 or Kanso 3 (off-the-ear single unit).

  • Latest Innovation: Recently introduced the Nucleus Nexa System, marketed as the first “smart” cochlear implant with upgradeable firmware.

  • Best For: Users seeking the smallest off-the-ear processor (Kanso) or those who prioritize a company with the largest global support network.
    strong text

Very wise tenkan. It is my granddaugter talking and not my direct experience. What she is describing is a serious word recognition problem. I like Raudrive’s comment about explore for more completetesting to learn about more options.
This was the response:
Why Choose an Implant Over a Aid?

In cases of profound deafness, a hearing aid might just produce “louder mumbling” because the ear’s sensors cannot translate loud sound into clear signals. A cochlear implant can:

  • Provide clearer speech recognition, especially in noisy environments.
  • Access a wider range of sounds, including high-frequency speech that hearing aids might miss.
  • Offer better social and professional outcomes for those with post-lingual deafness (losing hearing after learning to speak).
  • Why Choose a BTE Aid Over an Implant?

If your hearing loss is not yet profound, a BTE aid is typically preferred because:

  • It is less expensive and generally easier to maintain.
  • It requires no surgery or significant recovery time.
  • The adjustment period is shorter (weeks rather than months or years of rehabilitation for an implant).
Edited

I certainly hope we don’t have to make a decision based on input. Tenkan, you are a wise observer. Raudrive knows a lot and has been there personally. This is a great forum. I personally have learned a lot about hearing. Funny, I view my granddaughter’s decision harder. Now, to keep it her decision and not mine.

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