Need to know information from Chattanooga Health & Beauty professionals.Every Wednesday

Single-sided deaf-ness, a condition in which a person has profound hear-

ing loss in one ear and normal hearing sensitivi-ty in another ear, is more common and bothersome than many people realize, according to Dr. Megan Johnson of Johnson Audi-ology.

Approximately 55,000 new cases are identified each year in the United States alone.

Though the precise ori-gin of SSD is not always identified, it may be caused by viral infections, a sudden and prolonged decrease in blood pressure, Meniere’s disease (an inner ear dis-order which causes spin-ning), a stroke within the inner ear, genetic defects, vascular diseases, physi-cal trauma to head or ear, autoimmune diseases and surgical removal of tumors within the lower brainstem.

Various struggles asso-ciated with this condition exist that are not readily acknowledged or under-stood by the general public.

Dr. Courtney Guthrie of Johnson Audiology said that though a person with SSD hears normally with one ear, dynamic environ-ments can provide unique challenges. The Johnson Audiology team explained how the auditory system is structured to receive information from both the right and left ears to pro-vide specific cues to the central auditory cortex of the brain for appropriate sound processing. When only one ear is capable of

providing auditory stimu-lation to the brain, sound localization and hearing in background noise are neg-atively affected.

For people suffering from SSD, the most com-mon complaint is difficulty understanding conversa-tions in group gatherings or restaurants.

“A person with SSD experiences extreme dif-ficulty separating noise from the speech they want to hear, which makes social engagements intimidat-ing, stressful and simply exhausting,” said Dr. Lara Ford of Johnson Audiology.

People with SSD are not able to easily locate sounds in their environments.

“Identifying the location of traffic sounds or a loved one calling your atten-tion, for example, can be a daunting task, not to men-tion a safety hazard,” said Dr. Susan Porter of Johnson Audiology.

Commonly this con-dition is not addressed because of a lack of aware-ness of the condition and available treatment options by some practitioners and the general public.

“Unfortunately, people suffer unnecessary reduc-tions in quality of life from this condition when excel-lent intervention options are available,” said Dr. Lydia Dudney of Johnson Audiology.

In the past, people with SSD were left untreated and informed their hearing was adequate based on the presence of one normal ear.

“At Johnson Audiology, we understand the signif-

icant social and psycho-logical impacts when SSD is not treated appropriate-ly,” said Dr. Anna Wade of Johnson Audiology.

The Johnson audiolo-gists explained that people with SSD are presented with a unique impairment that requires lifestyle changes to better cope with routine occupational and recreational settings and ensure their safety.

Several types of hearing devices are currently used to alleviate the effects of SSD. Depending on one’s acoustical needs, personal desires and medical health, one option may be more appropriate than another. People should discuss these options with their audiol-ogist.

1. Contralateral Routing Of Signals hearing aid - With a CROS aid, a person wears a device on the poor-er ear that transmits sound signals from that side wire-lessly to an instrument on the better ear. If a person has some hearing loss in their better ear as well, a BiCROS device can address their acoustic needs for both ears.

2. Bone conduction hearing aid - With a bone-conduction hearing instrument, a bone vibra-tor is held on the mastoid

bone behind the poorer ear by a soft or rigid headband. The aid detects sounds and transmits the information through micro-vibrations of the skull to the better ear. Brands include the Cochle-ar Baha and Oticon Ponto.

3. Bone-anchored hear-ing aid - A bone-anchored hearing instrument acts similarly to the bone conduction hearing aid. It requires the surgical placement of a magnet or titanium screw within the mastoid bone behind the poorer ear. The hearing aid is then attached to the screw or magnet following surgical recovery for opti-mal sound transmission via vibrations of the skull to the better ear. Brands include Cochlear Baha, Oti-con Ponto and Medtronic Sophono.

One of the goals at John-son Audiology is to educate the public on issues that are not widely recognized.

“There are many peo-ple suffering from this condition who are sim-ply unaware of the avail-able treatment options that could improve their communication in various environments, improve their safety and increase their quality of life,” said Johnson.

Noteworthy:“There are many people suffering from [single-sided deafness] who are simply unaware of the available treatment options that could improve their communication in various environments, improve their safety and increase their quality of life,” said Dr. Megan Johnson of Johnson Audiology.

One good ear

MORE INFORMATIONTo consult with an audiologist about single-sided deafness, hearing loss or tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears), contact Johnson Audiology at 423-933-3623 to schedule a consultation.

Fifty-five thousand new cases of single-sided deafness are identified each year in the United States.

T I M E S F R E E P R E S S . C O M• • •PAID ADVERTISINGA8 › Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Dr. Susan Porter, Au.D., Dr. Anna Wade, Au.D., Dr. Megan Johnson, Au.D., Dr. Lydia Dudney, Au.D., Dr. Laura Ford, Au.D., Dr. Courtney Guthrie, Au.D.

1618 Gunbarrel Rd, Suite 102, Chattanooga, TN 37421

Chattanooga’s

DOCTORS OF AUDIOLOGY

423.933.3623 • JohnsonAudiology.com

38937816

VOTED #1 HEARING AID CENTERDD ##11 DD CC2 YEARS IN A ROW!

MANDY & ROBERT SHEARER, D.D.S.9759 Dayton Pike • Soddy Daisy, TN

423-332-5275 www.soddydaisysmiles.com

Special Offer

ONLY $49New Patient Exam

& X-Rays

{{{

affordable dentistry

FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY

with this card. Expires 11/30/15. One offer per person only.

38937889

38937769

Breast Augmentation • Rhinoplasty Face Lift • Mommy Makeover

Brazilian Butt Lift

423.266.3331southernsurgicalarts.com

38937798

423.899.0431 | www.ChattanoogaAllergyClinic.com

Visit one of our 8 o�ces to experience our state-of-the-art

testing, treatment and education for adults and children with

ALLERGIES and ASTHMA.

Marc Cromie, MDTodd Levin, MDLee Perry, MD Hyman Kaplan, MDJennifer Patel, MD

38937915

Don’t let Fall pollen keep you from going outside.We can help!

8 Convenient Locations

J.D. Bonner, M.D. • Jack Vontillius, O.D.9453 Dayton Pike, Soddy Daisy, TN

423-332-8222 • completeeyecare.org

Complete Eye Care Now Offers

• A level of accuracy that exceeds manual surgery methods

• Plans & procedures unique to you

• Bladeless, computer controlled laser• Exact, individual precision

Laser assisted cataract surgery using the LenSx system

38937838

Brainerd - Brainerd Rd. • 423.698.1966East Brainerd - E. Brainerd Rd. • 423.553.8556

Hixson - Hwy. 153 • 423.875.9211Fort Oglethorpe - Battlefield Pkwy. • 706.861.6200

Dalton - Cleveland Hwy. • 706.259.6882St. Elmo - TN Ave. • 423.702.6453

www.advancedfootcarecenters.com

frightful feetbe gone!

See us for your

toenail fungus treatment

today!

38937868

7760 E. BRAINERD RD. CHATTANOOGA, TN

THEARKSPA.COM

$10 OFF

CALL TODAY!423-521-8888Offer Valid To New Customers Only / East Brainerd Location Only

ANY BREEDHydro Spa BathFluff Dry & StyleFull Cut & Style

Teeth CleaningEar CleaningNail Trim

*

00

COMPLETE GROOM

39201046