One Sided Hearing Loss

Q. Over the last 3-4 years, it feels like my left ear is not picking up any sound at all. I struggle more now to talk with my family, work mates, and friends. Could a hearing aid help my left ear?

A. There are at least two non-surgical options to consider. For either of them, you should get a thorough hearing test.

First, a single hearing aid might help your left ear. If the left aid helps even a little, you will enjoy hearing in stereo

again. The left aid might also sound noisy at first since your brain is not accustomed to detecting sound from your left ear. In this case, it could take your brain a few weeks to become more and more capable of processing that

extra sound. Second, you might want to listen to a two unit Cros system. One unit is a microphone on your left ear. The second unit is a hearing aid on your right ear. The hearing aid plays the sounds from the left microphone into your right ear. If your brain interprets the signals properly, it will sound as if you are hearing from your left ear! In either case, you need to try the hearing aid solutions to find out if either of them can help you.

Call us at the Better Hearing Center of Austin 512-282-4327 for a free ear check-up, ear

cleaning, hearing test, and hearing aid demonstration. We also provide 4-week, no-obligation hearing aid trials with weekly followup appointments, plus lots of hands-on coaching and guidance. Saleem Assaf (BA – Rice, MBA – UT) is an ative Dallas, Texan and is a licensed fitter and dispenser of hearing instruments. He donates hearing aids to the Texas School for the Deaf and provides ear cleaning care at Safe Place and the Trinity Homeless Center.