Do you really need two hearing aids?
Two of the most common questions I get asked is “why do I need two hearing aids?” or “can’t I get by on just one hearing aid?”
I understand. Once you’ve finally made the decision to do something about your hearing loss, it all seems like ‘too much’ to have to fiddle with two new hearing devices.
But there are very good reasons why, in most cases, two hearing aids are better than one.
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Two ears, two hearing aids makes sense
Your ‘hearing system’ is set-up to take in sounds from both ears. It’s called binaural hearing. Your two ears, hearing nerves and your brain all work together the process the sounds you hear. They help you zone in on speech and block-out background noise. The majority of people I see have hearing loss in both ears, so it makes sense to support your hearing in both ears.
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Use it or lose it
Like any part of the body, to remain healthy and in good condition, you need to exercise.
It’s the same with your hearing. A US study showed that if you have a hearing loss in both ears, but choose to only wear one hearing aid, the hearing in the unaided will get worse over time.
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It helps you hear sounds more clearly
The whole idea of wearing hearing aids is to make the sounds you hear clearer – particularly when people talking. Research has shown that wearing two hearing aids can make a real difference to sound quality and clarity. This is especially true for people who have high frequency hearing loss (often found in people who have been affected by noise).
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Helps you zone-in on where the sound comes from
Whether you’re crossing a street or someone is calling you from another room, your hearing system zones in on the direction of the sound. This is called ‘sound localisation’. It’s something we all take for granted. But if you have hearing loss, not having good sound localisation can really affect your ability to communicate – it can even be unsafe (think about crossing a busy road).
According to an article in The Hearing Review, being able to better localise sounds leads to “a more natural and comfortable listening experience”.
You’re welcome to talk to us about your hearing
If you have any questions about, please give us a call on 1300 017 732 to make an appointment.
As an independent, family-owned hearing care clinic, you’ll also find we like to look after our clients and offer good discounts and competitive prices on all of our hearing solutions.
Photo by kyle smith on Unsplash