If you’re about to get hearing aids for the first time, you may be wondering if two hearing aids are better than one. The simple answer is yes. For most people with hearing loss, wearing two hearing aids is better than just one.
The reasons why two is better than one
For most people, hearing loss affects both ears. You may notice your hearing loss more in your “bad” ear, but your “good” ear probably has some hearing loss. Wearing two hearing aids is the best way to treat your hearing loss and get back to hearing all the sounds you’ve been missing. With two hearing aids, you’ll be able to calibrate each hearing aid to the hearing loss of that ear so you can hear clearly from both your ears.
Better sound quality
Wearing two hearing aids will improve your listening experience. With just one hearing aid, the sound quality will be lower, and you may still struggle to follow the conversation or understand what’s being said. Two hearing aids work together to reduce background noise and improve speech comprehension. Two hearing aids will provide better clarity in speech sounds, so you’ll quickly understand what’s being said without asking people to repeat themselves.
Less cranking up the volume
People who wear just one hearing aid often complain that they constantly have to turn up the volume on their hearing aid. When you only treat hearing loss in one ear, you won’t be able to hear all the sounds around you. As you strain to hear those sounds, you’ll turn up the volume on your hearing aid and risk damaging your hearing in that ear.
When you wear two hearing aids, you’ll quickly hear the sounds around you. When both your ears hear a sound simultaneously, it will seem louder, and you’ll hear it clearly without needing to turn up the volume. Wearing two hearing aids and keeping the volume low saves power, meaning you won’t need to change the batteries as often. You may even be able to wear smaller hearing aids with lower power output.
Better sound location awareness
Wearing two hearing aids helps you determine where a sound is coming from. Sounds reach your ears at slightly different times, and your brain uses this information to figure out which side a sound is coming from quickly. Localizing sounds is much more complex with only one hearing aid because you might only hear the sound with one ear.
Sound localization also plays a role in safety. When you know where a sound is coming from, you can do the right thing to stay safe. For example, when you wear two hearing aids, you’ll know where an ambulance siren is coming from and pull over to the side of the road to let them pass.
Better overall hearing
Wearing two hearing aids gives you better hearing. People who wear two hearing aids are happier with their hearing aid experience and report higher user satisfaction than people who only wear one hearing aid. When you wake up in the morning and put on two hearing aids, you’ll experience better hearing throughout the day. Whether playing with your grandchildren in the backyard or enjoying drinks with friends, two hearing aids give you better hearing.
The rare cases where one is better than two
A few people can benefit from wearing just one hearing aid. We’ll test your hearing ability in both ears during a hearing exam and show you exactly which sounds you hear with each ear.
If the hearing test shows that you have normal hearing in one ear and moderate hearing loss in the other ear, you may get all the benefits of clear hearing with just one hearing aid. You’ll need to monitor the hearing in your good ear, so you’ll be able to treat hearing loss the moment it appears in that ear.
Let’s get you fitted for some hearing aids
Ready to find the right hearing aids for you? Start by visiting us at Comprehensive Ear and Hearing. We have a great selection of top-performing hearing aids that hearing aid users love. Whether you need one or two hearing aids, we’ll help you find the perfect hearing aids.