Are Two Hearing Aids Better Than One?

Used to treat impaired hearing, hearing aids are perhaps one of the most commonly used forms of treatments to improve hearing deficiency. With the advancement in technology, hearing aids these days have a great deal of variety. They come in different shape, strength and style. Usually, people opt to use only one hearing aid and stick it with for a significant period of time. However, in recent times, a lot of patients have started to make use of not one but two hearing aids simultaneously. While this practice has its fair share of advantages and disadvantages, here’s a look at whether there is any marked improvement in results or not when choosing between a single hearing aid and multiple hearing aids.  

Better hearing

Let’s face it; perhaps the biggest reason people opt for two hearing aids instead of one is the fact that there is a marked improvement in terms of hearing ability. When two hearing aids are used, those with hearing deficiency tend to hear better and there are two reasons for it. Firstly, using two hearing aids entails that there is a greater overall strength which in turns make it easier to hear sounds from a distance. Secondly, there is also an improvement in terms of direction. When a single hearing aid is used, it can often be quite difficult to decipher the direction from where the noise or sound is coming. However, since two hearing aids connect to both the ears, sense of direction is way better.  

Less effort  

With the use of two hearing aids, patients often have to put in less effort than they would if there was only one hearing aid used. With the use of more strength, two hearing aids enable patients to hear sound coming from a distance or sounds coming from loud environments. In addition to this, when a single hearing aid is used, the ear without the hearing aid is prone to experience difficulty in hearing since the sound is broken down and becomes weak.   

More natural

Another major benefit of using two hearing aids is that hearing becomes more natural with a hearing aid in each ear. Since our brain is programmed to receive and decipher sounds from two ears, the use of two hearing aids means that it is able to process the sounds better. Even if a single hearing aid is as powerful as two hearing aids, the sound reception will not be as clear and as good as it would have been if there were two hearing aids in use. Moreover, when sound is received by both the ears, unwanted background noise is also reduced.  

It is clear from the factors mentioned above that two hearing aids are certainly better than one hearing aid. Even though the cost would be doubled, the end result is significantly better. Moreover, in the long term, the benefits of wearing two hearing aids are likely to outweigh the initial cost of two hearing aids.    

When having your hearing evaluated by your hearing care provider, speak with them regarding any concerns about having one or two hearing aids. Once your hearing loss has been diagnosed, your hearing care professional will be able to advise you on the best hearing solutions for your treatment.