{"id":518,"date":"2020-10-05T09:19:26","date_gmt":"2020-10-05T00:19:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/what-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/"},"modified":"2020-12-01T08:35:13","modified_gmt":"2020-11-30T23:35:13","slug":"what-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-device\/what-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/","title":{"rendered":"What Are CROS and BiCROS Hearing Aids?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Do you have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-asymmetrical-hearing-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">asymmetrical hearing loss<\/a> or single-sided deafness? Well, perhaps you should consider switching to a CROS or BiCROS hearing aid. They\u2019re designed specifically for those who have better hearing in one ear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This article explains the ins and outs of CROS and BiCROS hearing aids.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hearing loss is rarely experienced equally in both ears. In the United States,<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\/what-is-one-ear-hearing-loss\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> unilateral hearing loss<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (the term for single-sided deafness) affects <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hear.com\/hearing-aids\/cros-bicros\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">60,000 people<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> every year.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around one in 1,000 children are born with unilateral hearing loss, and three percent of school-age children are affected by it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To accommodate the unique aspects and special requirements of one-sided deafness and asymmetrical hearing loss, special hearing aids have been designed that suit the needs of these patients. These are known as CROS (contralateral routing of sound) and BiCROS (bi-contralateral routing of sound) hearing aids. You can get Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and In-the-Ear (ITE) versions.<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"toc_container\" class=\"no_bullets\"><p class=\"toc_title\">Contents<\/p><ul class=\"toc_list\"><li><a href=\"#What_are_CROS_Hearing_Aids_Used_for\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">1<\/span> What are CROS Hearing Aids Used for?<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#What_are_the_Advantages_of_CROS_Hearing_Aids\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">2<\/span> What are the Advantages of CROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Do_You_Need_to_Wear_Something_in_Both_Ears\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">3<\/span> Do You Need to Wear Something in Both Ears?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Whats_the_Difference_Between_CROS_and_BiCROS_Hearing_Aids\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">4<\/span> What\u2019s the Difference Between CROS and BiCROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Is_It_Difficult_to_Get_Used_to_CROSBiCROS_Hearing_Aids\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">5<\/span> Is It Difficult to Get Used to CROS\/BiCROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"#Are_CROS_Hearing_Aids_More_Expensive_Than_Normal_Hearing_Aids\"><span class=\"toc_number toc_depth_1\">6<\/span> Are CROS Hearing Aids More Expensive Than Normal Hearing Aids?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n<h2><span id=\"What_are_CROS_Hearing_Aids_Used_for\"><b>What are CROS Hearing Aids Used for?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROS and BiCROS hearing aids are great for if you&#8217;ve lost hearing in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/healthy-body\/hearing-aids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">one ear<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROS hearing aids come in a pair and are made up of a conventional hearing aid that sits in the hearing ear and a device that sits in the ear <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/actiononhearingloss.org.uk\/information-and-support\/hearing-loss\/hearing-aids\/types-of-hearing-aids\/cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with no hearing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This hearing aid in the ear with hearing loss picks up sound before sending it to a hearing aid in your good ear. This can happen wirelessly or through a wire around the back of your neck depending on your device.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROS and BiCROS hearing aids are slightly different. CROS hearing aids are better if you have one ear with normal or extremely good hearing, whereas BiCROS hearing aids are more suitable if you have one ear that is better than the other, but both ears still have a certain level of hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"What_are_the_Advantages_of_CROS_Hearing_Aids\"><b>What are the Advantages of CROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The overriding advantage of CROS and BiCROS hearing aids is that people with single-sided deafness (SSD) can now access sound from their bad side. They harness the fact that you have two ears, but with the introduction of a wireless audio connection, no physical wire is needed for the two components to work together.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROS and BiCROS hearing aids mean that when you&#8217;re having a conversation you don\u2019t need to be as concerned with people speaking into your \u2018good\u2019 ear. This can make social interactions more natural and help you feel like your hearing impairment isn\u2019t a big deal in your life.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also enable you to be more aware of other noises around you in the same way that other hearing aids amplify sounds.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s worth keeping in mind that people with unilateral hearing loss often struggle with \u2018localization\u2019 or being able to pinpoint where a sound is coming from. This can sometimes remain a problem despite the use of these hearing aids, which can be frustrating (particularly in environments with lots of background noise).<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Do_You_Need_to_Wear_Something_in_Both_Ears\"><b>Do You Need to Wear Something in Both Ears?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, you\u2019ll need to wear a device in both ears if you opt for these hearing aids. If you\u2019d like to wear only one device (although this is not generally recommended if you have some degree of hearing loss in both ears), you should take a look at some other types of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/healthy-body\/hearing-aids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">hearing aids<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Whats_the_Difference_Between_CROS_and_BiCROS_Hearing_Aids\"><b>What\u2019s the Difference Between CROS and BiCROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve already mentioned the basic difference between CROS and BICROS hearing aids, but we\u2019ll go into more detail here.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">CROS hearing aids are good for people with hearing in one ear (unilateral hearing loss) as they detect sound from the microphone in the ear with no hearing and feed it into the hearing ear. They do this by utilizing two in-the-ear devices, a microphone in the hearing loss ear, and a receiver in the good ear. In this way, they can replicate the experience of normal binaural hearing (hearing with two functional ears).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can now find CROS hearing aids that are not very noticeable if this is a concern for you. It\u2019s also good to know that people generally find them to be quite comfortable.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re interested in CROS systems, you should know that you can also get a type of CROS that functions through bone conduction. A device is surgically implanted and the system works vibrations being sent through the bones of the ear canal to the ear with hearing loss.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BiCROS hearing aids are good if you have hearing loss in both ears to different degrees. They amplify sound from both sides and feed it into the ear with better hearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">BiCROS hearing aids work if you have a hearing loss in both ears (bilateral hearing loss) such as a total hearing loss in one ear and moderate hearing loss in the other. A microphone picks up sounds from the worse ear. There is a receiver in the ear with better hearing and this receiver ear processes sound sent there by the microphone.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Is_It_Difficult_to_Get_Used_to_CROSBiCROS_Hearing_Aids\"><b>Is It Difficult to Get Used to CROS\/BiCROS Hearing Aids?\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These hearing aids might feel strange at first and take some time to get used to. It\u2019s important to wear your hearing aids <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53113-What-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">all the time<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or as much as possible to give your adjustment the best chance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<h2><span id=\"Are_CROS_Hearing_Aids_More_Expensive_Than_Normal_Hearing_Aids\"><b>Are CROS Hearing Aids More Expensive Than Normal Hearing Aids?<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Just like with other hearing aid types, the price of CROS and BiCROS hearing aids will depend on the brand, model, and technology of the product. Generally, expect them to cost you around $3000 &#8211; $7000, which is in the same region as \u2018standard\u2019 hearing aids.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hearingaidknow.com\/cros-bicross-hearing-aids\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">HearingAidKnow<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> gives a good rundown of the pros and cons of different brands and models.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sometimes you can give hearing aids a trial run and if you don\u2019t like them you can send them back to receive a refund. If you\u2019re still unsure about CROS, ask your hearing health provider whether this might be possible.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To learn more about the different types of hearing aids out there, check out our <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/blogs\/the-olive-branch\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">other blog articles<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><b>The information in this guide has been written using the following reliable sources:\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.signia-hearing.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2016\/09\/CROS-Leaflet.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.signia-hearing.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/9\/2016\/09\/CROS-Leaflet.pdf<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hear.com\/hearing-aids\/cros-bicros\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.hear.com\/hearing-aids\/cros-bicros\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/actiononhearingloss.org.uk\/information-and-support\/hearing-loss\/hearing-aids\/types-of-hearing-aids\/cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/actiononhearingloss.org.uk\/information-and-support\/hearing-loss\/hearing-aids\/types-of-hearing-aids\/cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53113-What-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.healthyhearing.com\/report\/53113-What-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/healthy-body\/hearing-aids\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/live-well\/healthy-body\/hearing-aids\/<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BiCROS and CROS hearing aids are designed specifically for people whose hearing is worse in one ear than the other. Find out more about whether they&#8217;re right for you and the pros and cons of this type of hearing aid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":696,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1,3],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v15.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.oliveunion.com\/ustest\/hearing-device\/what-are-cros-and-bicros-hearing-aids\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Are CROS and BiCROS Hearing Aids? - Olive Union\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"BiCROS and CROS hearing aids are designed specifically for people whose hearing is worse in one ear than the other. 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