Single sided hearing can be extremely worrying and isolating for sufferers and families alike, with many people not realising that there are fantastic solutions available, thanks to modern technology.
A Patient’s Perspective
We were lucky enough to spend time with Angie Aspinall, a single sided hearing sufferer, at a recent event.
Angie first visited her doctor when she had nearly been hit by cars on two consecutive days because she hadn’t heard them approach, and he referred her for a hearing test. During the long wait for a hearing test, Angie described her feelings of anxiety and self-consciousness, something that we could understand from our own clients describing similar feelings. Angie says, “I saw only a future where I would end up being profoundly deaf, unable to hear anything at all and the thought absolutely terrified me.”
Having been diagnosed with otosclerosis in one ear, Angie managed her hearing loss for a few years by ‘getting by’ with lipreading and positioning herself so speech was on her ‘good side’. Then, at age 42, she suffered what is known as SSHL – Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. Angie lost all her hearing on her better side in one morning.
She wasn’t keen on having a cochlear implant or a BAHA – bone anchored hearing aid, so started looking for non-surgical options, which was then that she discovered the Phonak CROS system.
Once the Phonak CROS is fitted, you can just switch on and start hearing from both sides.
CROS stands for Contralateral Routing of Signal, and the CROS system consists of 2 parts:
- a CROS aid with a microphone to pick up sounds and voices from the non hearing (un-aidable) ear and wireslessly transmit them to a hearing aid
- The Hearing Aid to receive the signal from the non-hearing ear and play it to your good ear
Angie says, “I’ve often said that CROS gave me back my life”.
The Phonak CROS System
We have been fitting the Phonak CROS I for a number of years and getting some really good results from our clients. As part of the Phonak Venture hearing aid portfolio, the Phonak CROS II has become available and we have already seen the enhanced benefits it gives to our clients. Two weeks ago, Phonak launch the Phonak Venture Virto range, and now the CROS II is available as a custom product also.
Hearing Wales Phonak CROS Swansea Wales
At Hearing Wales, we are really excited to be able to demonstrate this solution to our customers old and new. If you would like to book your free appointment, please call us on 0800 313 4304 or email us on office@hearingwales.com. We have clinics all over Wales, including in our 5 star Main Branch in Swansea. We also offer free home appointments as standard.
FREE – SINGLE SIDED HEARING INFORMATION PACK
When Angie was diagnosed with single sided hearing she wasn’t given any information or leaflets, and so has helped to put together a really useful handbook for sufferers with a ‘deaf ear’. If you would like a free copy of ‘Single Sided Hearing and You’, please call us on 0800 313 4304 or email us on office@hearingwales.com.
