Because you’re so hip, you rocked out in the front row for the whole rock concert last night. It’s enjoyable, although it isn’t good for your ears which will be ringing when you wake up in the morning. (That’s not so enjoyable.)
But what happens if you can only hear out of one ear when you wake up? Well, if that’s the case, the rock concert may not be the culprit. Something else must be happening. And you may be a bit concerned when you experience hearing loss in only one ear.
Also, your overall hearing might not be working right. Your brain is accustomed to processing signals from two ears. So only getting signals from a single ear can be disorienting.
Hearing loss in one ear causes issues, this is why
In general, your ears work together. Your two outward facing ears help you hear more accurately, similar to how your two front facing eyes help your depth perception. So hearing loss in one ear can wreak havoc. Amongst the most prominent impacts are the following:
- You can have trouble identifying the direction of sounds: You hear someone trying to get your attention, but looking around, you can’t find where they are. It’s extremely hard to triangulate the direction of sound with only one ear functioning.
- When you’re in a loud setting it becomes really hard to hear: Loud settings such as event venues or noisy restaurants can become overwhelming with only one ear working. That’s because all that sound seems to be coming from every-which-direction randomly.
- You can’t be sure how loud anything is: Just like you need both ears to triangulate location, you sort of need both ears to figure out how loud something is. Think about it this way: If you can’t figure out where a sound is coming from, it’s impossible to know whether that sound is simply quiet or just distant.
- Your brain becomes tired: When you lose hearing in one ear, your brain can get overly tired, extra fast. That’s because it’s failing to get the whole sound range from just one ear so it’s working extra hard to make up for it. And when hearing loss suddenly happens in one ear, that’s especially true. basic daily activities, as a result, will become more taxing.
So what’s the cause of hearing loss in one ear?
Hearing professionals call impaired hearing in one ear “unilateral hearing loss” or “single-sided hearing loss.” Single sided hearing loss, in contrast to common “both ear hearing loss”, typically isn’t the result of noise related damage. This means that it’s time to evaluate other possible causes.
Here are some of the most common causes:
- Ruptured eardrum: A ruptured eardrum will typically be very obvious. Objects in the ear, head trauma, or loud noise (amongst other things) can be the cause of a ruptured eardrum. When the thin membrane dividing your ear canal and your middle ear gets a hole in it, this kind of injury occurs. Normally, tinnitus and hearing loss along with a lot of pain are the outcomes.
- Meniere’s Disease: When somebody is dealing with the chronic condition known as Menier’s disease, they often experience vertigo and hearing loss. In many cases, the disease advances asymmetrically: one ear might be impacted before the other. Hearing loss in one ear with ringing is another common symptom of Meniere’s Disease.
- Abnormal Bone Growth: It’s possible, in extremely rare cases, that hearing loss on one side can be the result of irregular bone growth. This bone can, when it grows in a specific way, interfere with your ability to hear.
- Earwax: Yup, occasionally your earwax can become so packed in there that it cuts off your hearing. It’s like using an earplug. If this is the case, do not grab a cotton swab. Cotton swabs can jam the earwax even further up against the eardrum.
- Other infections: One of your body’s most prevailing responses to an infection is to swell up. It’s just how your body responds. This response isn’t always localized, so any infection that produces inflammation can result in the loss of hearing in one ear.
- Acoustic Neuroma: While the name may sound rather intimidating, an acoustic neuroma is a benign tumor that grows on the nerves of the inner ear. You should still take this condition seriously, even though it isn’t cancerous, it can still be potentially life threatening.
- Ear infections: Infections of the ear can trigger swelling. And this swelling can obstruct your ear canal, making it impossible for you to hear.
So how should I deal with hearing loss in one ear?
Treatments for single-sided hearing loss will vary based upon the underlying cause. In the case of certain obstructions (like bone or tissue growths), surgery may be the appropriate solution. A ruptured eardrum or similar issues will usually heal on their own. And still others, like an earwax based obstruction, can be removed by basic instruments.
Your single-sided hearing loss, in some cases, may be permanent. We will help, in these situations, by prescribing one of two potential hearing aid solutions:
- Bone-Conduction Hearing Aids: These hearing aids bypass most of the ear by making use of your bones to transfer sound to the brain.
- CROS Hearing Aid: This kind of specially created hearing aid is specifically made to address single-sided hearing impairment. With this hearing aid, sound is picked up at your bad ear and sent to your good ear where it’s detected by your brain. It’s quite effective not to mention complex and very cool.
Your hearing specialist is the beginning
If you can’t hear out of both of your ears, there’s likely a reason. In other words, this isn’t a symptom you should be neglecting. Getting to the bottom of it is essential for hearing and your general health. So schedule a visit with us today, so you can begin hearing out of both ears again!
References
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230949/
https://www.hear-it.org/single-sided-deafness
