Two is better than one. Try looking around with only one eye instead of two. Or tying your shoelaces with one hand instead of two. Hearing with only one ear is the same – difficult, limiting and a physical strain. When it comes to hearing, two is simply better than one. Using both ears to hear is called binaural hearing. Our brain is wired to hear the world with two ears; it uses them to localise sounds and distinguish the relevant sound from noise.

With two hearing aids it’s easier to:

• Locate the person talking
• Participate in conversation
• Shift focus rapidly between speakers

Distinct advantages

For hearing aid users, wearing two instead of one has distinct advantages.

For instance, directional hearing is improved. That means it is easier and quicker to pin-point the direction sounds are coming from. If you are talking to a group of people, the conversation often shifts rapidly between speakers. Two hearing aids help you quickly locate the person talking.

Similarly, in noisy situations, speech is easier to understand with two hearing aids. People with normal hearing have the ability to separate one conversation from another. With two hearing aids, you can listen selectively to the person you’re interested in hearing.

Balance your hearing

There is considerable evidence to show that people who wear two hearing aids are more satisfied than those wearing one and an overwhelming majority of people with hearing loss in both ears choose two when given the choice.

From: Open Your Ears to the Sounds of Life – Balance your Hearing, Widex.