For most people both ears rarely have the same exact degree of hearing loss. One ear is usually a small amount worse than the other, triggering many to raise the question: Can I just use one hearing aid in the ear that’s worse.
In many cases, two hearing aids are will be preferable to only one. But a single hearing aid may be an acceptable choice in certain less common circumstances.
It’s Not accidental That Ears Are a Pair
Whether you’re aware of it or not, your ears efficiently work as a pair. That means using two hearing aids has some advantages over wearing one.
- The Ability to Properly Localize: 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. In order to properly triangulate where sound is coming from, your brain requires signals from both ears. When you’re only able to hear well out of one ear, it’s much more difficult to determine where a sound is coming from (which could be crucial if you happen to live near a busy street, for example).
- Concentrating When People Are Talking: If you’re using a hearing aid, the whole point is to help your hearing. One of the things you want to hear is other people and the conversation happening near you. Using two hearing aids lets your brain to better filter out background noises. Because your mind has more available data your brain can decide what is closer and consequently more likely to be something you would want to focus on.
- Make The Health of Your Ears Better: In the same way as seldom used muscles can atrophy, so too can an unused sense. Your hearing can begin to go downhill if your ears don’t get regular sound input. Wearing hearing aids in both ears guarantees that the organs linked to hearing receive the input necessary to preserve your hearing. If you have tinnitus, using two hearing aids can decrease it and also improve your ability to discern sounds.
- Modern Hearing Aids Work Together: More recent hearing aid technology is created to work as a pair just like your ears are. The artificial intelligence and sophisticated features work well because the two hearing aids communicate with one another and, much like your brain, recognize which sounds to focus on and amplify.
Are There Circumstances Where One Hearing Aid Makes Sense?
In the majority of instances, using a pair of hearing aids is a smarter option. But the question is raised: why would someone wear a hearing aid in just one ear?
Well, normally there are two reasons:
- One Ear Still Has Perfect Hearing: If just one of your ears requires a hearing aid, then you may be best served by using 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).
- Financial concerns: Some people think if they can make do with only one they will save money. Buying one hearing aid is better then not getting any at all if you can’t really afford a pair. It’s significant to understand, however, it has been proven that your overall health costs will increase if you have untreated hearing loss. Your healthcare costs have been shown to rise by 26 percent after only two years of neglected hearing loss. So in order to discover if using one hearing aid is the right choice for you, consult with a hearing care specialist. We can also help you brainstorm ways to make hearing aids more affordable.
Two Aids Are Preferable to One
Two hearing aids, however, will be better than one for your ears and hearing in most instances. The benefits of having strong hearing in both of your ears are simply too plentiful to ignore. In most situations, just as having two ears is better than having only one, having two hearing aids is definitely preferable to having only one. Schedule an appointment with a hearing care professional to get your hearing examined.