When deciding to treat your hearing loss, it’s normal to have many questions. One thing you might be wondering is whether you can just wear one hearing aid instead of two, and still get good results. The answer, unequivocally, is no. Unless directly prescribed by your audiologist, there is no reason why you should only wear one hearing aid instead of two. In fact, doing so will rob you of many of the benefits hearing aids have to offer.
Distinguishing Sounds and Voices 
With two hearing aids, you are better able to tell different noises apart. This can be especially helpful when it comes to understanding speech. One of the first ways you might have noticed that you were experiencing hearing loss is when in conversation with other people. You might have struggled to understand voices that were higher in pitch like women and children. Or perhaps you noticed it was especially hard to distinguish between different voices when out to dinner with friends. Two hearing aids help you with this problem in a way that only wearing one cannot.
If hearing loss becomes too asymmetric, as would be the case if you only wore one hearing aid instead of two, it’s harder for you to know where sounds are coming from and who is saying what in conversations with multiple people.
Improved Quality and Range of Sound
Wearing two hearing aids improves both sound quality as well as your listening range. Noises sound crisper and clearer than they would with only one hearing aid. The reason you got hearing aids in the first place was likely because you didn’t want to keep missing out on the sounds around you. Whether that’s conversations at the breakfast table or a concert at the Lake Charles Civic Center, wearing two hearing aids lets you enjoy the experience more fully.
Brain and Mental Health Benefits
Using only one hearing aid forces your brain to work harder to hear and comprehend sounds. This can lead to anger, frustration and fatigue. It also means that your aided ear is doing all the work, and your unaided ear is less stimulated. Less stimulation puts the unaided ear at risk of auditory deprivation and can lead to difficulty processing sound.
Give your mind and ears a break and wear two hearing aids for the most satisfying hearing experience.
For more information on hearing aids or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call The Hearing Center of Lake Charles today.