Determination of the “Better” Ear in Bilateral Impairment of Hearing Free

In clinical practice it is important to know which is the “better” ear in bilateral impairment of hearing. This information is highly significant where surgical procedures and the use of hearing aids are contemplated. Orthodoxly, the threshold of acuity is the prime criterion in selecting the better ear. It is shown that we also need to know the capacity of the ear to discriminate speech at supra‐threshold intensities since an ear which has relatively better acuity may have worse discrimination than the opposite ear. It is also pointed out that surgical procedures and hearing aids may improve acuity but they cannot be expected to improve discrimination.