It’s uncommon that people get the exact same levels of hearing loss in both ears simultaneously. Because one ear usually has worse loss of hearing than the other, it sparks the question: Can I just use one hearing aid in the ear that’s worse.
In most instances, two hearing aids are will be preferable to just one. But there are certain instances, dramatically less common instances, however, that a single hearing aid might be the way to go.
There’s a Reason Why You Have A Pair of Ears
Your ears efficiently work as a pair whether you’re aware of it or not. That means wearing two hearing aids has some advantages over using one.
- 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. This is much easier when your brain is able to triangulate, and to do that, it requires solid inputs from both ears. When you’re only able to hear well from one ear, it’s much harder to determine where a sound is coming from (which might be indispensable if you happen to live near a busy street, for example).
- Make The Health of Your Ears Better: In the same way as unused muscles can atrophy, so too can an unused sense. If your ears go long periods without an input, your hearing can begin to go downhill. Wearing hearing aids in both ears ensures that the organs associated with hearing get the input they need to preserve your hearing. Using two hearing aids will also help decrease tinnitus (if you have it) and increase your ability to identify sounds.
- Tuning in When People Are Talking: The whole point of wearing a hearing aid is to help your hearing. Other people conversing is something you will certainly need to hear. Because your brain has more sound input when wearing hearing aids, it is better capable of filtering out background noise letting it determine what sounds to concentrate on because they are closer.
- Modern Hearing Aids Work Together: Modern hearing aid technology is made to work as a pair just like your ears are. The artificial intelligence and state-of-the-art features work well because the two pieces communicate with one another and, similar to your brain, determine which sounds to focus on and amplify.
Are There Situations Where One Hearing Aid Is Practical?
In the majority of instances, wearing two hearing aids is a smarter choice. But the question is raised: why would someone use a hearing aid in just one ear?
Well, normally there are two reasons:
- You still Hear Perfectly in one ear: 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 definitely something you should have a conversation about your hearing professional about (having one better ear is not the same thing as having one perfect ear).
- Financial concerns: Some people feel that they can save money if they can use only one hearing aid. If you really can’t afford to buy two, one is better than not getting one at all. It’s important 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 neglecting any hearing loss in one ear can increase your chances of things like falling. So talk to your hearing professional to make sure only getting a single hearing aid is a good idea for you. Finding ways to help make hearing aids more affordable is another service we offer.
One Hearing Aid is Not as Beneficial as Two
In most circumstances, however, two hearing aids will be healthier for your ears and your hearing than only one. The benefits of hearing as well as possible out of both of your ears are simply too plentiful to disregard. So, yes, in most cases, two hearing aids are better than one (just like two ears are better than one). Make an appointment with a hearing care professional to get your hearing examined.
