Is it OK to Wear Just One Hearing Aid?

Experiencing hearing loss is not the same in each ear. One ear will have a more severe level of hearing loss than the other, and if you are experiencing a significant level of hearing loss in one, but not necessarily the other, do you need to wear two hearing aids? In the vast majority of situations, two hearing aids are better than one. Why is this, and can we wear one hearing aid if we need to?

Your ears function as a pair 

It is vital to remember that the process of hearing requires your brain to use input from both ears. If you only wear one hearing aid, this could make it more difficult for your brain to determine where sounds are coming from. We have to remember that a hearing aid is there to provide support for our brain to triangulate external noises. It is harder to determine where sounds are coming from if you can only hear well out of one ear. 

When you are using a hearing aid in both ears, you may see a significant impact on your quality of life when you are in conversations. Using two hearing aids as opposed to one helps your brain to filter out background noises. Your brain needs to decide what is closer, and what you need to focus on. If you are someone who has issues in noisy environments, wearing two hearing aids may help improve your ability to focus on the conversation you need to hear. 

In addition, the ability to wear two hearing aids can help strengthen your ear health. If you do not use one of your ears as much as the other, this can result in a gradual weakening of the ear. When you don't use a sense, much like when you don't use a muscle, it will atrophy. By wearing two hearing aids, it will ensure both ears are being used to their best ability. 

Modern hearing aids are created to work as a pair. Up-to-date hearing aid technology communicates with each other, using advanced features to identify which sounds require amplifying. 

As you can see, there are reasons why two hearing aids are beneficial. We have two ears, and our brain requires solid input from both.

Are there times when we can wear one hearing aid? 

For the majority of people, two hearing aids are more effective than one. But there are circumstances when people could wear one hearing aid. For example, if you have perfect hearing in one ear. If one of your ears is working fine, but one is not, it is worth speaking to your audiologist about seeing if you would benefit from only wearing one. 

It is important to point out that if you have one ear that can hear better than the other, this doesn't necessarily define you as having perfect hearing. Booking an appointment will help you truly ascertain the level of your hearing loss in both ears. Additionally, people feel that they need to manage with one due to financial concerns. But this is why you need to speak with your audiologist to see if one hearing aid is a sensible idea. 

Is one hearing aid better than two? 

In the majority of circumstances, two hearing aids are better for your ears. But there are times when people may want to only wear one hearing aid. It is important to wear two hearing aids if an audiologist suggests so as it will provide a more natural hearing experience, as you will have a wider variety of perceptions of sound. 

Experiencing the benefits of hearing equally well out of both ears will have a positive impact on your quality of life. Naturally, having two ears is better than one, so having two hearing aids is better than one. It is okay to wear one hearing aid, but it is recommended to wear two because it will profoundly impact your life. 

When you are in the process of getting your hearing tested, you have to remember that good quality hearing is not just something that would be nice to have, but it is essential to every aspect of what you do. 

Having fully functioning hearing in both ears will ensure that you get the most out of your life. If you want to find out more about hearing aids, or you want to book in for an appointment with an audiologist, you can get in contact with Hinderliter Hearing Services at (248) 430-7353 and we will be happy to answer any queries you have.