Single-sided sensorineural deafness

Single-sided sensorineural hearing loss means profound inner ear hearing loss, or total hearing loss, in one side only. It's caused by problems in both the cochlea ('sensori') and the hearing nerve ('neural') - hence the name sensorineural.

This condition makes everyday hearing a real challenge. With only one working ear, it's hard to locate sounds - and even harder to hear and understand speech that comes from the non-working side.

What’s wrong Causes Amount of hearing loss
Profound sensorineural hearing loss in one ear only. Normal hearing from the other ear
  • Too much loud noise
  • Heredity/genetics
  • Head injury
  • Your child will have difficulty hearing in noisy places and may have trouble determining where sound is coming from

The Baha advantage

Recent studies have shown that Baha is the most effective solution for single-sided deafness.1,2,3,4 Baha transfers sound directly to your healthy cochlea, so it's possible to hear sounds from both sides. It is also a more disceet option than CROS aids which use wires to transfer sound from your deaf side to your working ear.

Read or watch personal stories from people using Baha
Learn more about Baha hearing solutions
Discover the five steps to getting a Baha

"After testing Baha, I immediately decided to go for it. Once the Baha was fitted, I noticed an instant improvement in my hearing. I also noticed a real difference when shopping - despite the music and lots of other sounds, I can hear everything effortlessly."
Ans van de Wetering

"Listening used to take a lot of energy. With Baha, group conversations are so much easier. I can hear where the sound is coming from and don't look at the wrong person anymore. I can also hear all the little things in life that others often take for granted."
Vreni Cornelissen

"I can hear more sounds with Baha which has helped a lot with my piano playing. I can now hear soft sounds and lower frequency sounds much better and the quality is far superior to the bone conduction hearing aid I was wearing."
Daniel Tan

"Music and singing are very important to me. I started when I was 6 years old and jazz is my favourite!"
Arnold Badertscher

"Baha has made a significant impact on my life because it has opened up the half of the world from which I couldn't hear. Now with Baha, I can hear as well from my right side as I can from my left."
Dr Kiran Kinger


1 Hol MK, Sink AF, Mylanus EA, Cremers CW. Long-term results of bone-anchored hearing aid recipients who had previously used air conduction hearing aids. Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery 2005;131 (4):321-5.
2 Kunst SJW, Hol MKS, Snik AFM, Bosman AJ, Mylanus EAM, Cremers CWRJ. Baha in patients with acquired and congenital unilateral inner ear deafness, 2007. Otol Neurotol. 2007
3 Hol MKS, Snik AFM, Mylanus EAM, Cremers CWRJ . Does the bone anchored hearing aid have a complimentary effect on audiological and subjective outcomes in candidates with unilateral conductive hearing loss?, Audiology & Neurotology 2005 May-Jun; 10(3):159-68.
4 Papsin BC, Sirimanna TKS, Albert DM, Bailey M. Surgical experience with bone anchored hearing aids in children. The Laryngoscope, 1997 Jun;107(6):801-6.w