When hearing loss affects both ears to different degrees, this is called asymmetric hearing loss. Asymmetric hearing loss is diagnosed when one ear is significantly worse than the other in response to multiple frequencies.

Most of the symptoms experienced by asymmetric hearing loss are similar to bilateral hearing loss and may include:

1. Difficulty hearing in noisy environment 
2.  Some sounds seeming overly loud or intolerable
3.  Inability to distinguish beginning and ending of sentences.
4.  Ringing sensation in the ears.
5.  Watching television at louder than normal volume.
6.  Asking people to repeat often.
7.  Inability to understand conversations over the telephone from the poorer ear. 
8. Unilateral tinnitus
9. Sense of imbalance and ear fullness.

Asymmetry in hearing is often flagged as needing further medical investigation. This is because in a fairly small number of cases, presence of a sensorineural asymmetry may be linked to a benign growth on the auditory nerve. At Vital Hearing, our team sends a detailed report to the medical practitioner with recommendations on any further investigations or specialist referral if the hearing assessment presents significant sensorineural asymmetry.

Whilst the asymmetry in hearing is often flagged as needing further medical investigation, the sensorineural hearing loss itself is still considered appropriate to be treated with appropriate hearing solutions especially if it is deemed to be significant.