One Hearing Aid or Two?

If both ears have hearing loss, two hearing aids should be used. By letting the brain process sound from both ears together, two devices make it easier to locate where sounds come from and to understand speech, especially in noisy places.

Related pages: Hearing aids with SGK (Turkey's Social Security Institution), Hearing aid prices.

Two hearing aids in daily life

Hearing with both ears lets the brain compare sounds. A sound coming from the right reaches the right ear a little earlier and a little louder. The brain uses this small difference to work out where the sound is coming from. In traffic, in a busy market or at a table where several people talk at once, this information matters. In noisy places, the brain uses information from both ears to separate speech from background sound more easily.

Listening at a lower volume

When you listen with both ears, sounds combine in the brain and are heard more fully. This is why people who wear two devices can often keep the volume lower. For some people this makes listening more comfortable. On some models the two devices work together, and settings change in both ears at the same time.

When might one device be enough?

If the hearing loss is in one ear only and the other ear hears normally, one device may be enough. In some cases the loss in one ear may be too severe to benefit from a device; then other solutions are discussed. A specialist decides how many devices are needed and for which ear after a hearing test and an ENT examination.

Can I start with one device first?

When both ears have hearing loss, using only one device may, over time, weaken the unaided ear's ability to tell speech apart. This is why two devices are usually recommended when both ears have hearing loss. You can make your decision after talking it through with the hearing specialist.

Does SGK contribute to two devices?

When hearing loss in both ears is documented in a report, the SGK (Turkey's Social Security Institution) contribution can apply to both devices. We can check the current conditions and the documents you need together at our centre.

Is it hard to get used to two devices?

The adjustment period varies from person to person and usually takes a few weeks. At Pendik Ses İşitme you can try both devices together and adjust the settings together with us at follow-up appointments. In the first days, wearing the devices for short periods and slowly increasing the time can also make it easier to get used to them.