Binaural Hearing Aid: Definition and Benefits
If words like pinna, cochlea, and sensorineural aren’t part of your daily language - you aren’t alone. The amount of medical vocabulary surrounding hearing can make your head spin. Add in a hearing loss, and you aren’t sure if your audiologist said bilateral, binaural, or bimodal.
Perhaps one of the most important, but often overlooked words in the hearing loss vocabulary is binaural, which means hearing with both ears. This is one of the most fascinating and powerful abilities of the human brain.
Understanding Hearing Loss
Hearing loss can affect one or both ears. When it is only in one ear, it is referred to as unilateral hearing loss. Bilateral means two sides, so bilateral hearing loss describes loss in both ears.
There are two main types of hearing loss: sensorineural and conductive.
- Sensorineural hearing loss is a permanent form of loss due to damage of the sensory cells of the inner ear, called the cochlea, or the auditory nerve. This type of hearing loss can be caused by noise exposure, genetics, aging, or many other factors.
- Conductive hearing loss occurs when sound is obstructed along the pathway from the outer ear, known as the pinna, to the inner ear. Common causes of conductive hearing loss include wax blockage, ear infections, and middle ear conditions such as otosclerosis.
Treatment Options for Hearing Loss
If you are diagnosed with hearing loss, the audiologist will give you a treatment recommendation. Treatment for conductive hearing loss can include medication, surgery, or assistive devices, including hearing aids and cochlear implants. Hearing aids are most commonly prescribed for mild to moderate losses.
Hearing aids work by amplifying sound and sending it into the ear. A cochlear implant bypasses the damaged portion of the ear to stimulate the hearing nerve directly. Like a hearing aid, the cochlear implant system captures sound through one or more microphones. Once the sound is collected, it is processed and transmitted through the headpiece to the implant.
The Importance of Binaural Hearing
Numerous studies have shown that when the brain receives input from both ears, it is able to form a clearer and more complete soundscape. Binaural hearing helps us better localize where sounds come from. It improves the sound quality of music, makes speech clearer in noisy situations, and generally improves the listening experience. That’s why we have two ears!
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Sound Localization | Helps in determining the direction of sound sources. |
| Improved Speech Clarity | Enhances speech understanding, especially in noisy environments. |
| Better Sound Quality | Provides a richer and more complete auditory experience. |
When people with bilateral hearing loss are only treated in one ear, either with a hearing aid or a cochlear implant, they miss out on binaural hearing. That’s why they often report hearing speech well in quiet situations, but have difficulties in noisy or other challenging listening situations.
I had a wonderful speech pathologist who explained to me that I had entered into a hearing marathon. I had to do my exercises and train my brain for this marathon. There would be ups and downs, leaps forward and some setbacks. And she was certainly right. At first, the microwave beep sounded like a clicker.