Many people believe they have a “good ear” and a “bad ear,” and that purchasing just one hearing aid can solve their hearing loss for half the cost. While it may be true you have a “better ear” with less hearing loss, there is usually some degree of hearing loss present in both ears.

Think about your vision. Even if one eye is better than the other, you wouldn't consider wearing a monocle to address your eyesight. You wear glasses that correct each eye accordingly, and with only a single eye corrected, your depth perception and eyesight would be worse overall. Similar to wearing glasses, your hearing benefits greatly by wearing a pair of hearing aids and in most cases, we recommend a patient gets two. Here are a few reasons why:

1. Clearer, Balanced Hearing

Our brains are designed to process signals from both ears simultaneously, which helps create clear, balanced sound. When you have hearing loss in both ears, using two hearing aids allows your brain to receive and interpret sound more naturally and effectively. This leads to greater comfort, improved clarity, and higher overall satisfaction. In contrast, wearing only one hearing aid forces the brain to process uneven sound and clarity levels, making it harder to understand and interpret sound and reducing the overall benefit.

2. Better Understanding of Speech

Utilizing both of your ears equally helps you decipher speech from background noise. Your brain takes in sound from all directions in order to detect where it’s coming from, also known as sound localization. When trying to have a conversation, it’s important to be able to identify what direction speech is coming from so you can focus on and understand the speaker, while filtering out distant conversations and other background noise.

3. Higher Awareness and Safety

Not only is sound localization helpful in deciphering speech, it's an important factor in your safety. Wearing two hearing aids helps you fully understand your surroundings and distinguish where important sounds are coming from—like sirens, cries, or alarms. For example, it can help you quickly locate a beeping smoke alarm in your home, allowing you to replace the batteries before the issue becomes a bigger safety concern. Or knowing where an ambulance siren is coming from helps you know where and when to pull over.

4. Reduced Listening Fatigue

When only one ear is aided, your brain has to work harder to fill in the gaps and make sense of incomplete sound information, especially in noisy environments. This extra mental effort can leave you feeling drained, frustrated, or even disengaged in conversations. Wearing two hearing aids reduces cognitive strain and listening fatigue, as the brain no longer needs to compensate for imbalanced input. As a result, listening becomes more effortless and you can enjoy social interactions for longer periods without feeling exhausted.

5. Use it or Lose it

You may have heard the phrase "use it or lose it" in regard to muscles or other aspects of health. The same concept applies to hearing—when the brain stops receiving clear sound signals from an ear, the auditory nerves can begin to atrophy from lack of stimulation. Over time, this can make it harder to understand speech, even if amplification is introduced later. By using two hearing aids, both ears—and the brain—stay engaged, slowing down hearing deterioration and helping to preserve overall auditory processing for the long term.

The Exception to the Rule

In rare occasions, one hearing aid may suffice if your hearing test results show that you only have hearing loss on one side. In this case, it’s up to you. There are still some circumstances where an individual feels off balance with just one hearing aid and will use two aids to gain a sense of equilibrium between both ears. 

Conclusion

If you have any hearing loss in both ears, using two hearing aids is almost always the best way to restore balanced, clear, and natural hearing. From improving speech understanding and safety to reducing fatigue and preserving your brain, the benefits of wearing a pair of hearing aids far outweigh the perceived savings of wearing just one.

Thankfully, better hearing doesn't have to break the bank. MDHearing offers affordable over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid pairs starting at just $297/pair. To get started, take MDHearing’s free online hearing test—it only takes a few minutes and can help determine the right solution for your hearing needs.

Don’t settle for half the help. Take advantage of MDHearing's 45-day risk-free trial and experience the full picture of better hearing.

Unsure whether you need one or two hearing aids? Take a free online hearing test today.
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