Are two ears better than one?
November 2005The University hosted an international symposium in late October on the reasons we have two ears, and the benefits hearing-impaired people could gain from wearing two hearing aids rather than the one often prescribed under the NHS.
The International Binaural Symposium, sponsored by Siemens Hearing Instruments and supported by the International Society of Audiology, was attended by those carrying out the latest research and clinical work in the field. It was organised by the Medical Research Council's Hearing and Communication Group, led by Professor Adrian Davis of the Audiology and Deafness Group in the School of Psychological Sciences.
Adrian said: "Communication is increasingly important in the global economy, making hearing a valuable resource for all. About 8% of the world's population would benefit significantly from amplified sound - 11% in the developed world - however, in the UK only 3 - 4% of these seek advice or assessment of their need and proceed to get and use hearing aids.
"Although children in developed countries are commonly fitted with two hearing aids, the practice has only really been extended to adults since 2000 and it is not yet clear what benefits can be attributed to it. There is a huge need to investigate the scientific, clinical and commercial implications of using dual hearing aids, and this symposium is an important step in facilitating the debate."
About 560 million people have bilateral hearing impairment worldwide, a figure which is set to grow to around 703 million by 2015 as the ageing of the population continues.
