For most people both ears rarely have the same exact degree of hearing loss. One ear is normally a little worse than the other, sparking many to ask the question: Can I just get one hearing aid in the ear that’s worse.
One hearing aid, in most situations, will not be preferable to two. But one hearing aid may be more appropriate in certain less common scenarios.
There’s a Reason Why You Have A Pair of Ears
Whether you know it or not, your ears effectively function 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 in order to figure out where they’re coming from. So that you can properly triangulate where sound is coming from, your brain requires input from both ears. When you can only hear well from one ear, it’s a lot harder to figure out where a sound is coming from (Which may come in handy, for instance, if you live near a busy street).
- Modern Hearing Aids Work Together: Just as your ears work together naturally, newer hearing aid technology is designed to function as a pair. The two hearing aids communicate with one another using state-of-the-art features and artificial intelligence to, similar to your brain, recognize which sounds to amplify and focus on.
- Focusing on Conversations: The whole point of wearing a hearing aid is to help your hearing. One of the things you want to hear is peoples conversations happening around you. Because your brain has more sound stimulation when wearing hearing aids, it is better capable of filtering out background noise allowing it to determine what sounds to concentrate on because they are closer.
- Improved Ear Health: In the same way 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. Get the organs of your ears the input they need to maintain your hearing by wearing two hearing aids. Wearing two hearing aids can also help reduce tinnitus (if you have it) and increase your ability to discern sounds.
Does One Hearing Aid Make Sense in Some Scenarios?
In the majority of circumstances, using two hearing aids is a better choice. But the question is raised: If a person is using a hearing aid in just one ear, why?
Well, normally there are two reasons:
- 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).
- Financial concerns: Some people feel that they can save money if they can use just one hearing aid. Getting one hearing aid is better then getting none if you can’t really afford a pair. However, you should recognize that with time untreated hearing loss has been confirmed to raise your overall healthcare expenses. Your healthcare expenses have been shown to increase by 26 percent after only 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.
Two Aids Are Preferable to One
In most cases, however, two hearing aids are going to be healthier for your ears and your hearing than just one. The benefits of having strong hearing in both of your ears are simply too many to dismiss. So, yes, in most circumstances, two hearing aids are better than one (just like two ears are better than one). Make an appointment with a hearing care professional to have your hearing examined.