Why does one ear hear better than the other?

Dec. 11, 2012 - PRLog -- Unilateral (hearing loss in one ear) hearing loss occurs for many reasons.

“Approximately 1 out of every 1000 children is born with unilateral hearing loss.” As an adult, the cause of unilateral hearing loss is typically noise exposure on one side of your body, such as shooting a gun, working in a factory, or driving (an open window can exceed 90db on a busy highway). Also, a unilateral loss could caused be from an obstruction in the ear canal such as a foreign object (I’ve actually seen a cricket in someone’s ear canal), a cyst, earwax or a growth. Bone damage, otosclerosis disease and infections of the inner ear are a few more serious causes of unilateral hearing loss.

Usually Both Ears
You should have your hearing evaluated by a professional (http://www.hearingaidbid.com/hearing-aid-blog/2012/11/07/evaluation/) if you think your hearing ability has declined, in one or both ears. You will be surprised to find out that more times than not, an individual that thinks they have a loss in one ear, in fact has a loss in both ears. One ear might have a more severe loss, but hearing loss is still prevalent in the other as well.

Unilateral Loss Treatment
Treatment of a unilateral loss can be as simple as having a professional recommend the correct hearing aid for your loss or having wax removed if that is the cause. Other treatments will vary depending on the cause of the loss.

There are many options out there to help with a unilateral hearing loss. If you think that you have a loss in one ear, have your hearing evaluated by a professional. It doesn’t take much time and you will find out, leaving the presence of the unknown in the past.

References
"American Speech Language Hearing Association"