Do I really need to wear 2 hearing aids?

Some people do only suffer with hearing loss in one ear, while others have more of a hearing loss on one side than the other. There are, of course, the people who have a similar hearing loss in both ears. However, does a differing hearing loss in each ear mean that only 1 hearing aid should be worn?

It can be difficult to accept that you need 2 hearing aids when one ear doesn’t need as much help. Maybe we should put it a different way… would you be able to walk around normally or drive with one eye closed? It’s a similar concept for our ears. Just as we need both our eyes to see to the best of our ability, our ears work together to ensure we are hearing as well as we can.

What are the benefits of wearing 2 hearing aids?

An audiologist will usually recommend that 2 hearing aids are worn, even if the hearing loss is more prominent in one ear. There are, of course, individual cases where an audiologist will only recommend 1 hearing aid. There are many benefits to wearing hearing aids in both ears and we have listed a few below:

• They can help with speech understanding, making it easier to be selective in what you listen to. With your ears working together, you can ensure you focus on conversation more easily.

• Having 2 hearing aids can help with detecting the direction a sound is coming from. This is obviously helpful on a busy street or in a noisy social setting.

• When your brain receives equal inputs from each ear, it finds it easier to process the sound. We have spoken lots here before about the importance of your brain in being able to process sound. If you have a hearing loss and wear hearing aids, you are actively reducing your risk of dementia and cognitive decline.

• Hearing aids are programmed for the individual by a hearing healthcare professional and are completely unique to your hearing loss. Having specific and programmed settings on each hearing aid means that you will have to strain less to ensure you are hearing everything. It can be tiring on the other ear when only 1 ear is getting help from a hearing aid.

• Having 2 hearing aids helps with your sound distinction. When using just 1 aid, noises and words can end up all sounding alike, making it more difficult for the brain to tell things apart.

• Wearing hearing aids in both ears can also help with sound quality. They work together to enhance the sounds you hear and also improve your listening range.

Book in for a hearing consultation today!

Book a hearing consultation today!

So in conclusion to our title question, YES you do need to be wearing 2 hearing aids. It can be a scary process to start your journey with hearing aids which is why we include a full 2 year aftercare program with our hearing aids. Your dedicated hearing healthcare professional will ensure your aids are always working perfectly for you. If you would like further information on booking a hearing consultation or about our hearing aids, please get in touch.