Can I get just one hearing aid?

2020-08-05 When most people receive the news that they will need hearing aids, the biggest shock comes from learning how high the cost will be. It can be tempting to try and reduce the cost by buying only one aid for a “dominant” hearing ear and cut the cost in half. Unless you only have hearing loss in one ear, we strongly advice against this practice for a number of important reasons.

Your ears and your brain work in tandem to produce and interpret sounds. The brain relies on input from both ears to determine the location of sounds, filter out background noise, and to provide the inputs that will allow maximum reception of the clear speech. If the brain only receives signals from only one ear (or one hearing aid), it will not only be less clear but also the extra concentration required to hear and interpret speech can lead to stress and fatigue.

Not only do users who choose to use a single hearing aid suffer from sub-optimal hearing in the short term, they can cause more damage to their ability to hear in the longer term. If the brain receives clear signals from one ear and muffled signals from the other, it will shut off the inputs it receives from the muffled ear and the auditory nerve in the unused ear can deteriorate further.

In addition, many of the most powerful features of today’s best hearing aids are only active when two hearing aids are present. Today's high end hearing aids communicate wireless with each other to clarify sounds and optimize the localization of speech. To learn more about the benefits of two hearing aids, click here to read this excellent article from The Better Hearing Institute

Embrace Hearing is committed to providing the highest quality European hearing aids to our customers at about a third of the cost of Store Front retail operations. A pair of our custom programmed digital hearing aids sell for $900 to $2,498, depending on performance level and processing technology. You can build you hearing aids at embracehearing.com.

Whether you choose to purchase your hearing aids from a local retailer or online, the right hearing choice is to purchase two hearing aids if this is indicated by your hearing test. Be sure to purchase good quality hearing aids with reliable professional customer support. Make sure you check independent hearing aid reviews for both the retailer and the hearing aid brand you are considering before you buy.