Custom Hearing Solutions - A Case for Two Hearing Aids

A Case for 2 Hearing Aids

Have you ever wondered why we have two ears on either side of our head?

Over the course of human evolution, our auditory system has evolved to help us survive. In fact, our auditory system does more than hear; part of it is also responsible for our sense of balance! (Check out this interesting story from the CBC). Ancient humans relied on hearing to stay connected to the world around them, especially when night fell. They didn’t have electricity to illuminate their surroundings, which mean their sense of hearing alerted them to any other humans or predators that may be nearby.

These days, our sense of hearing provides us with a full spectrum of sound in our environment. Binaural hearing – hearing with both ears – helps us identify our distance from a sound and clarify speakers’ voices in conversation. When people experience hearing loss, it is common to be diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss, or hearing loss that affects both ears.

If you’ve been diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss, it is important to invest in two hearing aids, not just one. The use of hearing aids in both ears brings significant benefits.

Better Speech Recognition

One of the biggest challenges for people with hearing loss is speech recognition. When you’re in conversation with people, it may seem like they are mumbling or muttering. You may find yourself asking people to repeat themselves. Conversation becomes even more difficult when you’re out with a group of friends in a busy space. It may become difficult to differentiate the conversation from background noise.

Hearing aids are designed to excellent speech recognition features. If you have a bilateral hearing loss, it is crucial to use two hearing aids to experience the full power of speech recognition. Most hearing aids are now digital, and they have the ability to mix audio data from both hearing aids. With two hearing aids, you’ll experience a much more natural experience with speech sounds, and you will also find it easier to separate speech sounds from background noise.

Better Localization of Sound

Our sense of hearing helps us situate ourselves within our environment. With hearing loss, it becomes difficult for people to identify distances between sounds, or to hear sounds coming from certain directions (this differs depending on the configuration of your hearing loss). For example, you may not realize that there is a car honking behind you or that someone to your right side is speaking to you.

With bilateral hearing loss, the use of two hearing aids drastically improves your spatial reasoning and the directionality of sound within your environment. The use of two hearing aids means you’ll pick up sound from 360-degrees of your environment, rather than just a 180-degree picture of your soundscape. Better localization of sound is an important part of staying safe. With hearing loss, people are at higher risk for accidents and falls; the use of two hearing aids improves your personal safety and awareness of your surroundings.

Keeping Your Brain Engaged

Most people tend to wait an average of seven years from the time they first experience hearing loss until they decide to seek treatment. Hearing specialists have found that the longer you wait, the more likely it is your brain has gotten used to muddled sound signals. Addressing hearing loss early on guarantees that the neural pathways that delivers sound to your brain do not become obsolete. Over the long term, this neglect could lead to difficulties with your cognitive abilities. Untreated hearing loss has also been linked to a potential increase in risk for developing dementia.
With this in mind, we understand how the use of two hearing aids works to keep your brain engaged. If you have a bilateral hearing loss and only use one hearing aid to treat it, then one of your ears is still struggling to make sense of sound, causing a strain on your cognitive abilities. The use of two hearing aids will keep your neural pathways active and assist your brain in a fully engaged listening process.

The Right Hearing Aid for You

Here at Custom Hearing Solutions, we provide comprehensive hearing tests and hearing aid fittings. We work with our clients to find the best solution to meet their hearing needs.

If you have been diagnosed with a bilateral hearing loss, we will recommend the best hearing aids available for your unique hearing experience.

Experiencing signs of hearing loss?

We invite you to contact our practice to schedule a complimentary consultation. Our experienced team will guide you on your path to better hearing.

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