For most people both ears rarely have the same exact amount of hearing loss. One ear is commonly a small amount worse than the other, sparking many to ask the question: Can I simply use one hearing aid in the ear that’s worse.
In most situations, two hearing aids are will be better than just one. But there are certain instances, significantly less common instances, however, in which a single hearing aid may be the right choice.
You Have Two Ears For a Reason
Your ears effectively function as a pair whether you know it or not. Which means that there are some benefits to wearing two hearing aids.
- Being Able to Localize Properly: In order to figure out where sounds are coming from, your brain is not only working to interpret but also to place it. This is a lot easier when your brain is able to triangulate, and to do that, it requires solid signals from both ears. When you can only hear well out of one ear, it’s a lot more difficult to figure out where a sound is coming from (Which might be useful, for instance, if you live near a busy street).
- Modern Hearing Aids Work as a Set: More modern hearing aid technology is made to work as a pair in the same way as your ears are. The artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art features function well because the two pieces communicate with each other and, much like your brain, determine which sounds to focus on and amplify.
- Make The Health of Your Ears Better: An unused sense will atrophy in the same way as an unused muscle will. Your hearing can begin to go downhill if your ears don’t get regular sound input. Get the organs of your ears the input they need to maintain your hearing by using two hearing aids. Wearing two hearing aids will also help decrease tinnitus (if you have it) and increase your ability to identify sounds.
- Focusing on Conversations: If you’re using a hearing aid, the whole point is to aid you in hearing. Other people conversing is something you will definitely need to hear. Using two hearing aids enables 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 want to focus on.
Is One Hearing Practical in Some Scenarios?
In the majority of instances, using a pair of hearing aids is the more effective option. But that brings up the question: If a person is wearing a hearing aid in just one ear, why?
Well, usually there are two reasons:
- Monetary concerns: Some people think that they can save money if they can wear just one hearing aid. Purchasing one hearing aid is better then not getting any at all if you can’t really afford a pair. It’s significant to recognize, however, it has been proven that your general health costs will increase if you have untreated hearing loss. Even ignoring hearing loss for two years has been shown to increase your healthcare costs by 26 percent, and ignoring any hearing loss in one ear will elevate your risks for things like falling. So so that you can learn if using one hearing aid is right for you, talk to a hearing care specialist. Finding ways to help make hearing aids more affordable is another service we offer.
- You still have perfect hearing in 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 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
Two hearing aids, however, will be better than one for your ears and hearing in most circumstances. The benefits of having strong hearing in both of your ears are simply too plentiful to ignore. In the majority of circumstances, just like having two ears is better than having one, having two hearing aids is definitely preferable to having only one. Make an appointment with a hearing care pro to have your hearing tested.