Why Hearing With Both Ears Matters

Understanding the Benefits of Binaural Hearing

The condition where hearing deteriorates differently in one ear compared to the other affects numerous individuals. Patients often inquire as to whether they can limit their hearing aid treatment to their more severely damaged ear. The application of hearing aids to one ear alone proves insufficient for treating bilateral hearing damage.

Patients with unilateral hearing loss come to Denver Audiology for evaluation of their hearing difficulties in one ear. The majority of cases involve hearing loss that affects both ears, although one ear shows greater deterioration. Using one hearing aid in these cases results in patients feeling as though they continue to miss essential auditory information.

When you use both ears for hearing, the term is binaural hearing, you give your brain additional auditory information to process. Better speech recognition occurs in noisy situations, and you can detect sound sources (directionality) through this mechanism. These essential capabilities support daily life by enhancing convenience, safety, comfort, and focus.

Your Brain Needs Both Ears

How Hearing Works Across Both Sides of the Brain

Your right ear transmits sounds to your left brain region before your left ear sends signals to your right brain region. Your brain processes sounds from both sides before the entire brain creates a unified interpretation of the heard information. Your ability to recognize words and understand speech, along with your capacity to focus on specific sounds or voices, improves through this process.

The brain's cooperative function enables selective listening. Your brain uses this method to block out unnecessary noises when you need to listen to a distant voice during meals, at restaurants, or when speaking with family members. When you use both ears, your brain becomes more alert, which simplifies the listening process and reduces mental fatigue.

Stronger Hearing, Smarter Brain

We emphasize the importance of binaural hearing because your brain relies on input from both ears to process sound clearly and reduce listening fatigue.

Better Sound, Less Effort

Use of Both Ears Enhances Hearing in Noisy Situations

The majority of individuals with hearing loss face difficulties hearing in noisy environments. Binaural hearing enables individuals to hear more clearly by helping to pull what you want to hear out of background noise more successfully. When hearing aids are correctly fitted to both ears, your brain achieves better sound processing accuracy. Your ability to understand speech becomes more natural because you need to make fewer mental guesses.

Using two hearing aids requires adjusting the volume down for each device. Sound quality and speech clarity improve when distortion and feedback decrease due to the use of lower volume settings.

Options for Single-Sided Deafness

Solutions for Profound Unilateral Hearing Loss

Specialized treatments are available for rare instances of complete hearing loss in one ear, known as profound unilateral hearing loss or single-sided deafness, to provide hearing benefits comparable to those of two ears.

BAHA (Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid)

The BAHA (Bone-Anchored Hearing Aid) serves as a bone-conduction device that patients can use. The system detects sounds from the deaf side and then transfers them through skull vibrations to the functioning ear.

CROS system (Contralateral Routing of Signal)

A CROS system (Contralateral Routing of Signal) functions by using a microphone on the deaf side to transmit sound wirelessly to a hearing aid placed in the better ear. The two methods work to restore your sense of hearing direction and equilibrium even when direct treatment of the non-functioning ear is impossible.

Let’s Talk About What’s Right for You

Every person has different hearing loss needs, which require individualized solutions. Denver Audiology exists to assess your hearing requirements and establish the optimal treatment solution that might require one or two hearing aids or specialized single-sided hearing loss devices.

We encourage you to schedule a hearing evaluation to determine your hearing needs. Our team will evaluate your hearing profile and lifestyle, along with your communication targets, to establish a personalized care plan.

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"Exceptional audiologists/Staff and their availability and ongoing care is the best. The entire team makes dealing with them easy and their follow up is also excellent."

- Grant A.

“Bunny is the most attentive audiologist I’ve seen. She custom-tuned every frequency of my hearing aid—and the results were amazing.”

— T. Rand Collins, MD

“Denver Audiology helped me find the right solution for my hearing needs. Their follow-up care is fast and reliable. Highly recommended.”

— Adam P.

“As a musician, I’ve trusted Denver Audiology for years. Their custom in-ear solutions are top-notch, and they genuinely care.”

— Wil S.

Frequently Asked Questions About Hearing Loss

Let's Find the Right Solution As a Team

Are you ready to achieve optimal hearing with both ears? The team at Denver Audiology is prepared to begin your hearing consultation process to determine which hearing solution will match your lifestyle.

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