I had no idea I was missing so much, said Katherine Edwards of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. You see, Katherine has been completely deaf in one ear for the past 18 years. However, now she has a CROS hearing aid which picks up sounds from the deaf side and sends them to her hearing ear. Now she’s no longer affected by her single-sided deafness and is more aware when someone is talking to her bad ear.
Here’s Katherine’s Story
First and foremost, my ear doctor’s appointment for my hearing aid. I want to clarify with everyone who might have questions about this device¦I am still completely deaf in my right ear. The device is called The Phonak CROS hearing aid. It picks up sound on my deaf side and transmits the sound to the ear I can hear with. So now, when someone sits on the right side (my deaf ear) and talks, I can hear them.
Also, it magnifies the sound of everything, making it as close to what a person with normal hearing would hear.
As you saw in the episode, it brought me to tears. I had no idea I was missing so much, I have been deaf in one ear for 18 years now, and I have missed a lot of conversations because I simply couldn’t hear. I was so surprised by all the little things I was missing.
Had no idea that I was talking loudly
Losing the sound in one ear is a monumental change¦so many things adjust when getting used to being deaf and adjusting the volume of my voice was a change I couldn’t gage until I got the Phonak.
By no means does this mimic what it’s like to hear in stereo, with two ears, but it is still a game changer for me. I feel so blessed that this was an option and I was able to get the Phonak aid.
My biggest hurdle now is remembering to wear it every day. There are days that I want to hear without assistance on my good ear, so I choose not to wear it, but I think I will change that habit because I want to get used to them completely.
I am so happy to share this with everyone, so hopefully, this can help someone else.
The solution for single-sided deafness
Like Katherine, many people with single-sided deafness are thankful there is a solution for their hearing problem. The CROS hearing aid is very small and hard to see when it is worn on the ears. However, the improvement in clarity and awareness is remarkable. Many of the leading manufacturers offer CROS solutions such as Signia, Phonak, Widex, and Rexton.
If you are dealing with a hearing problem in one or both ears, San Antonio Custom Hearing’s Board Certified Hearing Health Professionals will give you a comprehensive hearing exam free of charge.
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