Contralateral routing of signal (CROS) is a type of hearing aid designed for individuals with unilateral hearing loss.
What is Contralateral Routing of Signal (CROS)?
Unilateral hearing loss is when there is hearing loss in one ear but not the other. A CROS hearing aid picks up sound on the impaired side of the head and delivers it to the normal or near normal hearing ear.
CROS hearing aids can help people with unilateral hearing loss hear better in noisy environments and in one-on-one conversations.
How Does a CROS Hearing Aid Work?
A CROS hearing aid has a microphone on the impaired side of the head and a receiver on the normal or near normal hearing ear. The microphone picks up sound on the impaired side of the head and transmits it to the receiver on the normal or near normal hearing ear. The receiver then amplifies the sound and delivers it to the ear canal.
What Hearing Aid Transfers Sound from One Side to the Other?
A CROS hearing aid transfers sound from one side of the head to the other. There are other types of hearing aids that can also transfer sound from one side to the other, such as BiCROS hearing aids. BiCROS hearing aids are designed for people with bilateral hearing loss, which is when there is hearing loss in both ears. A BiCROS hearing aid has a microphone on each side of the head and two receivers, one on each ear. The microphones pick up sound on both sides of the head and transmit it to the receivers on each ear. The receivers then amplify the sound and deliver it to the ear canals.
What are the Criteria for CROS Hearing Aid?
To be a candidate for a CROS hearing aid, you must have unilateral hearing loss. You must also have normal or near normal hearing in the other ear. Additionally, you must be able to understand speech in the normal or near normal hearing ear.
If you are considering a CROS hearing aid, it is important to talk to an audiologist. An audiologist can help you determine if a CROS hearing aid is right for you and can fit you with the appropriate hearing aid.