Do I need hearing aids for both ears?

Our patients often ask us: "Do I have to have hearing aids for both ears?"  Most of the time the answer is YES for several important reasons: 

1) You have to use both ears equally in order to tell where sounds are coming from.
Did you know that you don't just hear with your ears?  The ears are responsible for picking up sounds around you and sending them to the brain where they are processed.  Having the ears balanced by wearing 2 hearing aids allows your brain to sort out where sounds are happening in the environment. 

2) Things will sound clearer when listening with 2 hearing aids.
 Here's an easy experiment you can conduct to demonstrate the importance of balance between the two ears: Tune your car radio to your favorite station.  First adjust the speaker balance to one side alone, then try both sides balanced equally - notice the improvement in sound quality?  

3) You will hear better in background noise with 2 hearing aids.
Listening in background noise is challenging for everyone - even individuals with normal hearing - but it is especially tough for those with hearing loss to hear in a noisy place like a restaurant or party.  Wearing 2 hearing aids can help your brain sort out the speech you want to hear from the background noise much more effectively than only 1 hearing aid.  

However, it is important to know that 2 hearing aids may not be necessary if:

• There is only hearing loss in 1 ear
• The hearing loss is too severe to benefit from conventional amplification
• The word understanding is too poor
• There are certain ear conditions / medical issues that prevent use of a hearing aid 

That's why it is so crucial to have a full hearing evaluation conducted by a licensed audiologist if you are considering hearing aids.  Call J Waligora Audiology at 315-463-1724 to further discuss the process of obtaining hearing aids or to schedule an appointment today!