For most people both ears rarely have the same exact amount of hearing loss. One ear is normally a little worse than the other, sparking many to ask the question: Do I truly need a set of hearing aids, or can I simply manage the ear with more considerable loss of hearing?
One hearing aid, in many situations, will not be preferable to two. But there are some instances, considerably less common instances, however, that one hearing aid may be the right choice.
There’s a Reason Why You Have Two Ears
Whether you’re aware of it or not, your ears efficiently work as a pair. Which means that there are certain benefits to wearing two hearing aids.
- Being Able to Localize Correctly: Your brain is always working, not just to interpret sounds but also to place them so that you can figure out where they’re coming from. This is a lot easier when your brain can triangulate, and in order to do that, it requires solid signals from both ears. It is a lot more difficult to determine where sounds are coming from when you’re only able to hear well out of one ear (which might be essential if you happen to live near a busy street, for example).
- Modern Hearing Aids Work as a Set: Newer hearing aid technology is made to work as a pair just like your ears are. The artificial intelligence and advanced features work well because the two hearing aids communicate with one another and, much like your brain, determine which sounds to focus on and amplify.
- Make The Health of Your Ears Better: In the same way as unused muscles can atrophy, so too can an unused sense. Your hearing can start to go downhill if your ears don’t receive regular sound input. Get the organs of your ears the input they need to maintain your hearing by wearing two hearing aids. Using two hearing aids will also help minimize tinnitus (if you have it) and improve your ability to discern sounds.
- Tuning in When People Are Talking: The whole point of wearing a hearing aid is to help your hearing. One of the things you want to hear is other people and the conversation going on around you. Because your brain has more sound stimulation when wearing hearing aids, it is better able to filter out background noise allowing it to decide what sounds to concentrate on because they are closer.
Does One Hearing Aid Make Sense in Certain Situations?
Wearing two hearing aids is the better choice in most cases. But the question is raised: why would anybody wear a hearing aid in just one ear?
Well, normally there are two reasons:
- You still have perfect hearing out of one ear: If just one of your ears needs a hearing aid, then you may be best served by having a hearing aid in just one ear but it’s certainly something you should have a conversation about your hearing professional about (having one better ear is not the same as having one perfect ear).
- Monetary concerns: Some people feel if they can manage with only one they will spend less. If you truly can’t afford to buy two, one is better than not getting one at all. Still, you should know that eventually untreated hearing loss has been confirmed to raise your overall healthcare expenses. Your healthcare costs have been demonstrated to rise by 26 percent after just two years of untreated hearing loss. So so that you can learn if wearing one hearing aid is the right choice for you, speak with a hearing care specialist. Discovering ways to help make hearing aids more affordable is another service we offer.
One Hearing Aid is Not as Effective as Two
Two hearing aids, however, are going to be better than one for your ears and hearing in the vast majority of instances. The benefits of hearing as well as possible out of both of your ears are simply too many to dismiss. So, yes, in the majority of cases, two hearing aids are a better choice than one (just as two ears are better than one). Make an appointment with a hearing care professional to get your hearing tested.