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10 Reasons why two hearing aids are better than one?

1. Better understanding of speech. Research shows that people wearing two hearing instruments routinely understand speech and conversation significantly better than people wearing only one hearing instrument.

2. Better understanding in group and even noisy situations. By wearing two hearing instruments rather than one, selective listening is more easily achieved. This means your brain can focus on the conversation you want to hear.

3. Better ability to tell the direction sounds are coming from. With two hearing instruments, you are more able to tell which direction sounds are coming from and how far away they are. This is important to allow you to know which way to turn when someone is talking to you or to help you locate danger signals such as oncoming traffic.

4. Better sound quality. When you listen to your stereo system you use both speakers to get the smoothest, sharpest, most natural sound quality. The same is true for hearing instruments. With two instruments you achieve a better sensation of balanced sound reception and sound quality.

5. Greater listening comfort. Wearing two hearing instruments generally requires less volume than wearing only one. This results in greater listening comfort because the amplification level is lower. A lower volume control setting also reduces the chance of feedback and whistling.

6. Hearing is less tiring and more pleasant. More binaural instrument wearers report that listening and participating in conversations is more enjoyable with two instruments, instead of just one. This is because they do not have to strain to hear with the better ear. Thus, binaural hearing can help make life more relaxing.

7. Keeping both ears active preserves speech understanding in both ears. Research has shown that when only one hearing instrument is worn, the unaided ear tends to lose its ability to hear and understand. This is called the auditory deprivation effect. Wearing two hearing instruments keeps both ears active and can prevent deterioration of the speech understanding ability in the unaided ear.

8. Tinnitus masking. About 50% of people with ringing in their ears report improvement when wearing hearing instruments. If a person has an instrument in only one ear, there may still be ringing in the ear without an instrument.

9. User preference. When given the choice between listening with one instrument or two, the overwhelming majority of users choose two instruments when they have a hearing loss in both ears.

10. User satisfaction. Research with more than 5,000 hearing instrument users with bilateral hearing loss has demonstrated that those using two hearing instruments are more satisfied than those fit with only one instrument. Nature gave us two ears for a reason, just like it gave us two eyes and tow limbs. So logically, just as you use both eyes to see clearly, you need two healthy ears to hear clearly.

What can hearing aids do?

Hearing aids can compensate for hearing loss but they do not restore hearing to "normal". What they can do is make listening easier and more comfortable. Hearing aid users can expect to hear most sounds better and to understand speech better. A little hearing improvement goes a long way. Hearing instrument users report better family relationships, higher self-esteem, improved mental health and greater independence and feelings of security than hearing impaired non-users. The value of this improved quality of life is priceless.

Special features

There are many special features available to enhance your hearing system. These include things like directional microphones, multiple listening programs, audio input capability, automatic function, remote control, telecoils for phone use, etc.

So, which types are better? How do you know which special features would be the most useful? It all depends on your individual hearing loss pattern, the severity of your hearing loss, your lifestyle and personal preferences. This is why it is so important to find a knowledgeable hearing care professional like Hearwell-Now who can assess your personal situation and recommend the best system for you.

What are the different types of hearing aids?

The most popular types of hearing aids can be divided into the following categories:

CIC
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) The smallest hearing aid sits right in the ear canal making it almost invisible in the ear. These hearing aids are restricted to people with ear canals large enough to accommodate the whole hearing aid. The CIC hearing aid is best suited to mild to moderate hearing losses.

ITC
In-the-canal (ITC) The in-the-canal hearing aid sits deep in the ear opening, these instruments are also very discreet. In some models they can have various options installed like volume controls, program switches or telecoils. They can be used in cases of mild to moderate hearing loss.

ITE
In-the-Ear (ITE) The ITE hearing instrument is the largest of the three styles of hearing aids that are worn in the ear. Due to the larger size ITE may have more options fitted to them at once like volume controls, tele-coils and program switches and often have the larger 13 size battery that provides longer life. The ITE is suitable for all hearing losses up to the severe level.

BTE
Behind-the-Ear (BTE) The BTE hearing aid is worn behind the ear and has a tube that is connected to an ear-mould which is worn in the ear. Although they are not as cosmetic as the models mentioned above the BTE does have some advantages. Because BTE instruments are mass produced they tend to be more reliable than the other custom made styles. In general BTEs have longer battery life, have more features and are capable of correcting up to profound hearing losses.

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