Single-Sided Deafness at a Tertiary Care Rehabilitation Centre: A Cross-Sectional Retrospective Study

To estimate the Single-sided deafness (SSD) among sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) in Tertiary Care Rehabilitation Centre. To determine the audiological characteristics, associated and medical problems, and rehabilitative approaches among SSD.

A retrospective study was conducted to report on demographic details, audiological evaluation, and hearing aid management among SSD clients. A total of 11,534 cases of SNHL were reported to the Audiology department at the tertiary care rehabilitative center at Mysuru between January 2014 and December 2017.

A total of 225 were diagnosed as having SSD, accounting for approximately two cases of SSD in a cohort of 100 SNHL cases (225/11,534*100). In addition, males are affected more than females. SSD is found to have more in the right ear than the left ear. Their major complaints were tinnitus and vertigo, apart from reduced hearing sensitivity from the affected ear. In the side of the ear with profound hearing loss among SSD clients showed normal middle ear status with absent acoustic reflexes, otoacoustic emissions, and auditory brainstem response. Only 54 individuals (24%) out of 225 SSD clients underwent a hearing aid trial. Twenty-one (9%) SSD clients purchased a hearing aid, and a minuscule seven (3%) of 225 SSD clients are using a hearing aid. The preference for hearing aid uptake was low because of the experience of vibratory sensation and having near-normal hearing in one ear.

Two cases of SSD were observed among SNHL and they are less likely to get benefits from the hearing aid.