CROS Hearing Solution                   BiCROS Hearing Solution
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Single-sided deafness means you have one ear that is deaf and one ear with ‘normal’ hearing. This also applies to those who have one deaf ear and one that has hearing loss which can be improved by wearing a digital hearing aid. This is also called unilateral hearing loss.
Some cannot hear very little in one ear to such an extent that a standard hearing aid won't support them.  Unfortunately, some people with single-sided deafness live with it by asking people to communicate with them on their good side or their 'good' ear. This isn't an ideal solution and means that they will still find it a challenge to hear in noisy environments as well as locate the direction of the sound they hear.
Now there are various successful hearing aid solutions that cater to single-sided deafness such as CROS and BiCROS hearing aids. We go into more details about these latest models introduced into the industry further down the page.
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"Generic hearing aids direct sound into the ear they are placed on. With a CROS hearing solution, the device on the poor ear side looks like a generic hearing aid, but actually it is a transmitter and microphone that picks up sound to direct it to the device on the good side or ear that can hear"Â
 Paul Harrison - Founder of Hearing Aid UK
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So, what are CROS and BiCROS hearing aids - how do they work? There are two separate hearing aid solutions for single-sided deafness and these are called CROS hearing aids and BICROS hearing aids. Here is the breakdown:
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BiCROS Hearing Aid:Â A BiCROS hearing aid is for people who have one deaf ear and one ear with hearing loss.
BiCROS Meaning:Â This abbreviation stands for Bilateral with Contra-lateral Routing of Signal.
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CROS Hearing Aid:Â A CROS hearing aid is for people with one deaf ear and one good ear.
CROS Meaning: This abbreviation stands for Contra-lateral Routing of Signal.
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For those who are deaf in one ear, there are a few challenges. Here are some examples:
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Therefore, it makes it extremely difficult for those with a deaf ear to follow the conversation – without having to turn their head.
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So, how do CROS hearing aids work? In brief, in a CROS system, you wear hearing aids in both ears – even though you can’t hear in one ear. This means the sound detected by the hearing aid in the bad ear is transmitted straight to the aid in the good ear. This eliminates the ‘head shadow’ effect.
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So, how do BiCROS hearing aids work? In short, these work in a similar way to the CROS system apart from they are designed for those who have a hearing loss in their good ear too. The hearing aid in your good ear will also be programmed for any amplification you may need by your audiologist.
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So, what hearing aid manufacturers offer these types of hearing loss solutions? The short answer here is that most of the main hearing aid brands do have these hearing solutions in their product portfolio. Usually, both these types of hearing aids start from around £795.
Here are the ones we have available and what we believe to be the best CROS/BiCROS hearing aids on the current market. Click on the products below to find out more and to view our CROS/BiCROS hearing aid prices.
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Phonak CROS P Hearing Aids
What is so different about Phonak CROS P from the CROS B? This new model uses AutoSense OS 4.0, it understands, recognises and adapts automatically to give wearers the right mix of settings, features and programs. In addition, along with StereoZoom, it can improve your speech understanding in even the trickiest of surroundings.
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Oticon CROS miniRITE T / Oticon CROS PX miniRITE R Hearing Aids Main Features:
Starkey Livio CROS Hearing Aids Main Features:
Signia CROS Pure Charge&Go AX, Signia CROS Pure 312 and Signia CROS Styletto AX Hearing Aids Main Features:
Widex CROS Hearing Aids Main Features:
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CROS and BiCROS hearing aids, like other hearing aids, take time to adjust and get used to. As simple as it sounds, you need to wear your CROS hearing aid everyday or as much as possible and not give up when it feels challenging.
Your local audiologist is there for any program adjustments and support when needed, so you benefit from the best hearing experience possible.
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CROS Hearing Aids / BiCROS Hearing Aids NHS
Can you get CROS / BICROS hearing aids from the NHS? Yes, however like other hearing aids the choice and technology will be limited. You can make an appointment with your local NHS service and be assessed to determine whether a CROS or BICROS hearing aid solution is right for you.
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What are the benefits of CROS or BICROS hearing aids?
Do not spend hundreds of pounds without getting a second opinion from us.
When we refer to a product as 'New', we mean that the product is new to the market.
When we refer to a product as 'Superseded', we mean that there is a newer range available which replaces and improves on this product.
When we refer to a product as an 'Older Model', we mean that it is has been superseded by at least two more recent hearing aid ranges.