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Single-sided deafness (SSD) can have a profound impact on a person’s life, making it challenging to detect sound direction, communicate in noisy environments, and fully engage in social activities. While not all cases of SSD can be prevented, there are ways to reduce risks.

Here’s what you should know about SSD, what causes it, how some cases might be preventable, and how working with one of our audiologists in Mesa or Scottsdale can help.

What is Single-Sided Deafness (SSD)?

Single-sided deafness is the significant or complete loss of hearing in one ear, while hearing in the other ear remains normal or close to normal. Unlike traditional hearing loss, which usually affects both ears to some degree, SSD affects only one ear. This leads to difficulties in localizing sounds and understanding speech in noisy environments. The effects can be isolating, often impacting a person’s quality of life and relationships.

What Causes Single-Sided Deafness?

SSD can result from various factors, which can be categorized into congenital (present at birth) and acquired (developed later in life) causes.

Congenital Causes:

• Genetic factors: Certain hereditary conditions can cause hearing loss in one ear.
• Birth complications: Complications during birth, such as low birth weight or premature birth, can lead to SSD.
• Maternal infections: Illnesses like rubella or cytomegalovirus during pregnancy can also increase the risk of hearing issues in newborns.

Acquired Causes:

• Infections: Viral and bacterial infections like mumps, measles, and meningitis can cause damage to the auditory nerve or inner ear, leading to SSD.
• Head Trauma: Injuries to the head, especially near the ear or auditory nerve, can result in hearing loss in one ear.
• Loud Noise Exposure: One of the leading causes of hearing loss, including SSD, is sudden or repeated exposure to loud noise.
• Acoustic Neuroma: This benign tumor develops on the auditory nerve and can cause SSD if left untreated or if treated with surgery that impacts hearing.
• Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss (SSHL): Sometimes, individuals experience a sudden, unexplained loss of hearing in one ear, possibly due to viral infections or vascular issues.

Can Single-Sided Deafness Be Prevented?

Is there a Correlation Between Diabetes and Hearing Loss?

Hearing loss is twice as common in individuals with diabetes as it is in those without the disease. In fact, one study even suggested that 70% of diabetics between the ages of 50 and 69 years old have high-frequency hearing loss, and as many as one-third experience low or mid-frequency hearing loss. The exact reason for this is unknown. It is theorized that diabetic nerve damage or the thicker blood from high blood sugars somehow damages the delicate capillaries of the cochlea. The damage to the small blood vessels in the inner ear may be similar to the way in which diabetes can damage the eyes and the kidneys.