Hearing aids cannot stop the mechanical damage occuring in hair cells through ageing, genetic factors etc. So aiding an ear WILL NOT slow down the progression of hearing loss! That is absolute non-sense. Hearing aids for mild-to-severe losseses are set with an MPO and output limiting to reduce the chances of noise induced hearing loss through hearing aid use. In profound losses the issue is more problematic as Rose has pointed out.
Originally Posted by mikejfl
Hearing aids can however stimulate the central auditory pathways, reducing sensory deprivation, keeping the processing of sound in your brain going for a longer time than if you were unaided. That is a big reason for always trying to fit both ears when indicated, is so that the unaided ear is NOT deprived. Even choosing a cheaper option so the client can afford to be fitted in both ears is more beneficial than choosing to fit one very good, but expensive hearing aid in one ear. If you fit one ear only the other unaided ear will likely deteriorate centrally, through the brain's connections to the ear, start weakening, due to deprivation.
Remember, the ear is basically just the brain's microphone. You actually hear and understand with the brain not the ear.
Audiologist in Private practice on the Gold Coast, Australia with a clinics in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Chatswood as well.