For most people both ears rarely have exactly the same amount of hearing loss. One ear is usually a little bit worse than the other, sparking many to ask the question: Can I just use one hearing aid in the ear that’s worse.
In many situations, two hearing aids are will be better than only one. But there are certain instances, dramatically less common instances, however, that one hearing aid could be the right choice.
It’s Not accidental That Ears Are a Pair
Whether you know it or not, your ears efficiently work as a pair. Which means that there are some advantages to wearing two hearing aids.
- The Ability to Correctly Localize: Your brain is always working, not just to understand sounds but to place them in order to figure out where they’re coming from. This is much 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 figure out where sounds are coming from when you’re only able to hear well out of one ear (which may be indispensable if you happen to live near a busy street, for example).
- Modern Hearing Aids Work Together: Modern hearing aid technology is made to work as a pair in the same way as your ears are. The two hearing aids communicate with each other using sophisticated features and artificial intelligence to, similar to your brain, recognize which sounds to focus on and amplify.
- Focusing on Conversations: If you use a hearing aid, the whole point is to assist you in hearing. Other people talking is something you will certainly need to hear. Using two hearing aids permits your brain to better filter out background noises. Because your mind has more available data your brain is able to decide what is closer and consequently more likely to be something you would want to focus on.
- Make The Health of Your Ears Better: Just as seldom used muscles can atrophy, so too can an unused sense. Your hearing can start to go downhill if your ears don’t get regular sound input. Wearing hearing aids in both ears ensures that the organs linked to hearing receive the input necessary to preserve your hearing. If you have tinnitus, wearing two hearing aids can reduce it and also improve your ability to discern sounds.
Does One Hearing Aid Make Sense in Certain Circumstances?
Wearing a pair of hearing aids is the better choice in most cases. But the question is raised: why would anybody use a hearing aid in only one ear?
Usually we hear two specific reasons:
- Monetary concerns: Some individuals think if they can manage with just one they will spend less. Purchasing one hearing aid is better then getting none if you can’t really afford a pair. It’s significant to know, however, it has been proven that your total health costs will increase if you have untreated hearing loss. Even ignoring hearing loss for two years has been shown to raise your healthcare costs by 26 percent, and neglecting any hearing loss in one ear will increase your chances of things like falling. So talk to your hearing expert to make sure getting only a single hearing aid is a smart idea for you. Finding ways to help make hearing aids more affordable is an additional service we offer.
- One Ear Still Has Perfect Hearing: If only one of your ears needs a hearing aid, then you could be best served by having a hearing aid in just one ear but it’s certainly something you should talk to your hearing professional about (having one better ear is not the same as having one perfect ear).
One Hearing Aid is Not as Effective as Two
In most circumstances, however, two hearing aids are going to be healthier for your ears and your hearing than only one. There are just too many advantages to having strong hearing in both ears to ignore. So, yes, in the majority of situations, two hearing aids are a better choice than one (just as two ears are better than one). Make an appointment with a hearing care pro to get your hearing tested.