CROS hearing aids are considered to be pretty effective for one-sided hearing impairment since the one-sided hearing issues may cause problems for your good ear to distinguish among sounds. So, the manufacturers of CROS hearing aids claim that their hearing devices can solve this problem.
To dive to the bottom of this, our experts have gathered all the features and information regarding CROS hearing aids, and you’ll also know the best alternative for this hearing aid.
CROS Hearing Aids
CROS stands for “Contralateral Routing of Signals.” This hearing device is designed in a way that you need to wear hearing devices on both ears, even if you can’t hear in just one ear. The sound is then detected by the “bad ear” and is transferred to the “good ear.” This entire process eliminates the “head shadow effect."
Now, the reason CROS is different from other hearing devices is, any traditional hearing aid transmits sound to the ear where they are sitting. With a CROS device, it sits on your ear like any traditional hearing device but with a transmitter and microphone that picks and transfers the sound to the other device that’s on your good ear.
So, it may seem like an advanced hearing device to some, but others disagree with this point as they believe that the entire “sound transferring to the good ear” process is way too complicated as there are other hearing aid brands that don’t follow this procedure of sound transfer and simply amplifies the sound and distinguish different sound pitch levels to make hearing easier in crowded places.
Who Should Choose CROS?
If you have issues hearing and identifying sounds, then you may require a CROS hearing device to aid with this issue.
One-sided hearing loss can take place due to many reasons. The most common reasons for one-sided hearing impairment are:
- Viral infection
- Head injury
- Benign tumor
- Blood shortage to the auditory pathway
However, Ménière's disease is another significant cause for one-sided hearing loss. With this disease, a type of fluid gets built up in the inner ear that results in deafness. There have also been cases that even after using CROS hearing aids, patients had to undergo treatments.
We recommend that if you face any issues regarding one-sided hearing loss, immediately consult with an audiologist to identify the problem. Moreover, you should also ask your physician whether you need hearing devices or not for your single-sided hearing loss.
If you think there is a medical reason for your hearing loss, see an ENT doctor right away. You may also need lab tests to rule out infectious causes of inflammation. Your doctor may even suggest steroids if you lose your hearing quickly.
Best Alternative Options for CROS
CROS is not the only option for people with one-sided hearing loss. There are other brands like Nano Hearing Aids, which can also help you with this problem.
Nano Hearing Aids
Nano Hearing Aids are one of the most efficient and affordable hearing devices available.
The Nano X2R is a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aid and is considered to be one of the best hearing devices till date.
The X2 Recharge's body is on the back of the user's ear and the earbud is inserted inside the ear canal and connects to the body through a thin piece of plastic tubing. It's also pretty easy for users to wear Nano X2 Recharge since it's big in size and also pretty convenient to operate.
Notable Benefits:
- It has high quality and cutting-edge technology that can make your hearing pretty easy and clear to understand.
- It's affordable and suits perfectly with your hearing issue
- Users find it easy to operate
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q: Is it worth it to use CROS hearing aids?
Ans: CROS hearing devices may be a good choice if one of the ears has normal or good hearing. It's called "single-sided deafness" when you can't hear in one ear because of various reasons. However, Nano hearing aids in this case can be a great option for you since it not only gives you more clarity, but is also pretty convenient.
Q: What do CROS hearing devices do?
Ans: The device easily picks up the sound from the ear that has less hearing and sends that sound to the ear that can hear. As with many of the newest hearing aids on the market today, CROS hearing aids are trying to be comfortable and discreet as possible for their wearers.
Q: Which hearing device is the best for moderate hearing loss?
Ans: Nano Hearing Aids are one of the most efficient and affordable hearing devices available for moderate hearing loss. Nano X2R is a Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aid and is considered to be one of the best hearing devices to date.