Deafness in One Ear | Ear Specialist Dr Rebecca Heywood

Tel: 65 6950 2869

Deafness in One Ear

What is Deafness in One Ear?

Deafness in One Ear, or Single Sided Deafness, is the loss of hearing in one ear only. This can cause a number of problems including:

difficulty hearing conversations in noisy environments,
difficulty recognising the direction that sound is coming from,
inability to hear sound from one side of the head,
inability to appreciate sound in stereo, and
increased effort to listen which leads to fatigue.

Causes of Deafness in One Ear

A small number of babies are born with hearing loss in one ear. It can also develop later in life at any age due to numerous causes including injury to the ear, exposure to a very loud noise, a tumour, or infection. Sometimes no cause is identified (idiopathic).

Idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) is when inner ear hearing loss develops suddenly, or rapidly over hours to days. It needs urgent assessment and treatment.

How is Deafness in One Ear treated?

The treatment provided will depend on whether the middle ear or inner ear is affected and the level of deafness. SSNHL may be treated with steroid tablets or injections through the eardrum.