Single-Sided Hearing Loss

Hearing aid solutions for single-sided hearing loss –The CROS and BiCROS

Phonak’s CROS wireless device enables individuals with Single-Sided Deafness (SSD) to follow conversations from wherever they come from. The CROS system can be used when there is normal hearing in the one ear and a severe or total loss of hearing in the other ear. In this case the device worn in the better ear acts merely as a microphone. The device worn on the poorer ear is a transmitter, This is known as a CROS system.

When there is a mild to moderate hearing loss in the better ear and a total hearing loss in the worse ear, a BiCROS system is used. In this case the device in the better ear is a hearing aid and is programmed according to the hearing test results. The transmitter on the poorer ear sends the signal over to the better ear (hearing aid) and amplifies it.

CROS systems use the better ear’s hearing to hear on both sides. CROS users report better speech understanding in noise as well as a better sense of surround sound and improved localization.

Left untreated, single-sided deafness can lead to increased stress and anxiety for clients, and a decrease in social interaction, due to difficulty in following conversations and navigating their surroundings.

With CROS P-R, the user can now get all the proven benefits of Phonak CROS in a rechargeable option allowing one full day of hearing from both sides, with no battery hassles.