Two Ears

Two Ears are Better than One

Nature has equipped all mammals with two equally functioning ears. Two-eared hearing is necessary to survive in traffic, in crowds, and to understand speech in our noisy civilization. For many, hearing properly with both ears may mean the difference between just hearing and hearing and understanding.

Hearing with both ears will help you function with maximum ability in the following ways:

1. Localize sound: the ability to localize sound is dependent upon two equally functioning ears. A sound reaches the closest ear a few microseconds earlier and at a somewhat different intensity than it does the opposite ear. These minute differences in the signals transmitted to the brain by each ear enable it to make the important, and potentially life saving decision regarding the exact location of the sound source. When only one ear is functioning, the proper information does not reach the brain.
2. Better speech understanding in noisy places: hearing with two ears provides improved capacity to suppress background noise and helps you understand better. Unequal hearing between ears is a very big disadvantage in noise. One hearing aid may not help when it gets noisy. Only with two hearing aids is it possible to maximize understanding in noise.
3. Hear better with less power: a sound presented to both ears is louder than the same sound, at the same intensity, presented to one ear only. This means that a user of two hearing aids can have their volume of each lower, resulting in more pleasant hearing and less amplification of distracting background noises.
4. Hear equally from both sides: wearing two hearing aids also means that you will be capable of responding accurately and confidently whether conversation comes from your right or left side. This is a key benefit of binaural amplification.
5. Enjoy better sound quality: users of two hearing aids report many additional benefits including more natural sound quality; a relaxation of listening effort; and improved ability to hear correctly and respond appropriately.

With a few exceptions, all scientific and subjective evidence points convincingly to the fact that most persons with hearing loss in both ears can benefit greatly from wearing two hearing aids. The rewards from wearing two hearing aids are not limited to those with severe hearing losses. Even if your hearing loss is mild or moderate, two hearing aids will provide valuable and significant improvement to you hearing and understanding.