Audiological Consultants of Atlanta/America

The Binaural Advantage
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There are many reasons why people with hearing loss in
both ears should wear hearing aids in both ears.
Here is our Top 10 list!

Safety. When a person hears with only one ear, the difficulty in locating sound can be dangerous, especially in traffic.

Improved Understanding . Binaural hearing helps you sort out and understand individual voices, especially in noisy situations. For people who wear only one hearing aid, separating individual voices from background noise can become very difficult. The brain needs equal sound information from both ears in order to separate sounds effectively. Wearing two hearing aids helps restore some of the brain's natural filtering ability.

Wider Hearing Range . A voice barely heard at 10 feet with one ear can be heard up to 40 feet away with two ears.

Restful Listening . Listening with only one ear is physically more tiring and stressful than listening with two ears.

Both Ears Stay Active . When a person with hearing loss in both ears wears a hearing aid in only one ear, the unused or unaided ear tends to lose its ability to hear and understand. This occurs because the brain gradually loses some of its ability to process information from the unaided ear because of a continued lack of sound stimulation. This type of auditory deprivation most often occurs when the ear remains unaided over a long period of time, so the earlier you consider wearing two hearing aids, the better your chances of minimizing this risk.

Cushions Loud Sounds . Sudden loud sounds lose much of their jarring effect when divided between two ears.

Better Sound Identification . Many noises that sound almost exactly alike when heard with one ear may be identified more easily when heard with two ears.

Smoother Tone Quality . Binaural hearing generally requires less volume, giving a more natural sound to voices and music. If you hear well with both ears, sounds are more comfortable to listen to. You don't have to strain to hear, and sounds have the kind of clarity and depth to give you a sense of space and volume. Imagine listening to your favorite recording on the stereo. It has two speakers to give music and speech a natural depth. However, if only one speaker is working, the sounds become shallow and flat.

Hearing From Both Sides . As nature intended, hearing with two ears allows you to enjoy a more normal social life. The brain needs sound from both ears to tell which direction sounds are coming from. This sound localization is critical to safety and comfort in everyday situations. Imagine crossing the street and hearing a car horn. Good sound localization allows us to instantly tell where the sound is coming from and to react swiftly to avoid danger. With only one hearing aid, all sounds will appear to be coming from the aided side only, which can be hazardous to one's safety.

Hear With Less Power . Wearing two hearing aids means that you need less amplification, allowing you to hear better but more quietly with less interference from background noise. Less amplification also means less chance of whistling (feedback).

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