Single Sided Hearing Loss

@nla4625 You are talking about the Head Shadow Effect. You can Google it to find a good definition. I am almost totally deaf on the left side of my head. I got BiCROS hearing aids about a week ago and love them. I can actually hear someone whispering to the left of me. I, of course, can't tell where sound is coming from because it all goes to my right ear, but I couldn't before I got the BiCROS hearing aids either. So, for me, this system of hearing aids is helpful.

Sorry to say bi cros may not help with your brain not understanding. The only benefit I have found is they let you know whenSomeone is trying to talk to you from your self side. It is still stressful when in a nosy environment. Mine are 5 years old so I am sure some of the newer models are better as for as sound quality.

@ellene. I'm so glad the bicros are helping you. I was really interested in your story about the noninvasive surgery they did to remove your two acoustic neuromas and really admire your positive can-do attitude in facing whatever comes regarding your potential loss of hearing. My one acoustic neuroma on my left side was removed at Mayo in 1987 by an amazing team of doctors. An ENT doctor handled the part outside my head, and a neurosurgeon did the work inside. They removed the tumor without damaging my facial nerve, which was pretty amazing. I have a hole in my skull about the size of a half dollar that they didn't fill in which I use as an excuse for any mistakes I make, ie what can you expect from someone with a hole in her head. I'll read about the head shadow effect. Thanks for letting mr know about it. I hope you continue to do well! Nancy

@dwi. This wasn't what I wanted/hoped to hear, but I really appreciate learning about your experience. I'll ask a lot of questions when I'm trying different options to be sure I know what to realistically expect. I know technology is changing so rapidly...maybe by the time you get your new hearing aids they will be more help for you. Hope so. Thanks. Nancy

I am not a Dr. but have years of advocate and personal experience with hearing loss. If your hearing problem is caused by nerve damage in one ear, that ear's cochlea isn't able to send the sound messages to the auditory nerve which goes to the brain for interpretation. As I understand it, the brain may react by the loss of sound messages from one ear a number of ways. Lack of hearing, but also it can affect balance, cause tinnitus, early dementia and more, if not treated. If the loss is caused by bone conduction, it happens differently but the brain is still reacting to with other problems, also. I have both problems so have had this explanation given to me. My bone problems are much more recent.

Technology is rapidly changing, as you said. I always recommend shopping in 3 different places to get the quality, features, price and most importantly, care, you need. I went to one very capable provider with similar quality and price as another but he talked my ear off! Appointment took 3 hours. Went to two others, testing and all, was done in hour or a little more. I also checked Consumer Reports ratings and now they even ask on Next Door who is good in your area.

Hope this helps

@nla4625 Thank you for the feed back on the article posted about the "growing new hair cells"... the future holds promise .. I wear Starkey Cross over rechargeable hearing aids... my left ear only hears most sounds at a 90db level.. my thought was just hearing the sounds from what ever way they came from was the most important part of the problem... When I was riding with someone else driving... the road noise/ wind noise was big problem but with the car closed up the cross hearing aids hearing that one person over there was easy to figure out... even in a meeting situation I could tell by the voice who was speaking ... even though it was all heard in that one ear doing the work for both... Ken

so interesting to hear of your experiences. i have the sensorineural sudden hearing loss and cannot hear from the left ear. it was rapidly and almost immediately replaced with very annoying, chronic tinnitus. i wonder if there are any hearing aids that mask or diminish tinnitus?

@wendymb @erikas Hi Wendy, I don't know anything about this issue, fortunately, other than it drives people crazy and must be awful. If you go to the Hearing Group Page and scroll down through discussion topics, there is a whole discussion group sharing information about hearing aids that help with tinnitus. I'm sure you will get some great ideas and tips there. Good luck! Nancy

@th1. This does help, thanks, and reminds me that I need to refresh my memory when I visit the audiologist about precisely what my problem is and all the ways it can be addressed. I think the deafness in my left ear was caused by damage to the auditory nerve when they removed the acoustic neuroma. I read an article several years ago that doctors can now remove acoustic neuromas without destroying the auditory nerve if the nerve hadn't been too badly damaged to begin with. I remember thinking at the time mine must have been pretty damaged, since I was having serious hearing problems in that ear, which led to the diagnosis and subsequent surgery. I don't think they could have preserved the nerve.

Thanks for the good advice about buying and testing hearing aids. Before I spend more than $25 on anything, I consult Consumer Reports to see what their recommendations are. Before I go HA shopping, I'll look at their website again and download their latest information on hearing aids and do a lot of research on the internet. I'm a member of the professed luddite group here but am amazed at how much I love my Ipad and the worlds it opens up to me. I don't know what Next Door is but will check it out. Thanks! Nancy

Hearing aids are one of the symptom relievers for tinnitus, and some of the newer ones have settings that, among other things, are supposed to reduce the effects on you of tinnitus - I have not tried any, but have seen releases of various manufacturers for this. Consumer Affairs website shows their favorite tinnitus app options for hearing aids are:
Embrace Hearing and Beltone
Our favorite tinnitus technology:
Miracle-Ear and Widex
Hope this helps