The Types Of Modern Hearing Aids And Their Applications

Did you know that the National Institutes of Health estimates that only one in five people who require hearing aids wear them? This isn’t so surprising considering that old-fashioned hearing aids have a clunky design – big in size, small in features with audible buzzes and whistles that worsen hearing loss instead of improving hearing capacity.

Fortunately, digital technology has ushered in a new age in hearing aids! These products are now significantly smaller in size while offering better features, thanks partly to microcomputers. These are virtually invisible, if you want to be discreet about your hearing loss, too.

Styles to Choose From

Check your hearing aids prescription since it may contain one of these modern types of the device.

• In-the-ear (ITE) devices completely fit in the outer ear typically used in the management of mild to severe hearing loss. Made of hard plastic, the case holds the circuitry but the device itself can be damaged by ear drainage and wax buildup.

• Behind-the-ear (BTE) devices are obviously worn behind the ear with a plastic earmold fitting inside the outer ear. These are typically prescribed for people with mild to profound hearing loss, as well as can be linked to your cellphone using Bluetooth technology. Basically, you can hear directly from your phone so there’s little to no background noise – and it’s definitely a cool feature.

• In-the-canal (ITC) devices are customized according to the unique size and shape of your ear canal. These are used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss, as well as the most popular type of hearing aids since these are small in size and fits well into the ear canal without being placed deep in it that there’s reduced reception.

Your audiologist and/or ear specialist will suggest the best type of hearing aids in your case depending on your type and severity of hearing loss, among other factors. In general, the more severe the hearing loss, the larger the size of the hearing aids, ostensibly to accommodate more wires and circuitry.

Workings of the Devices

Regardless of your chosen type, these hearing aids work like a topnotch stereo sound system. These filter out the background noise, adjust the volume, and improve the sound quality automatically. These are also programmed through their microcomputers to match the subtle aspects of your unique hearing loss – think of it as your very own equalizer and you get the idea.

Modern hearing aids also have a directional microphone, among the biggest improvements in these devices, which act as a filter against background noise. If you want to hear better even in a relatively noisy environment, then ask your audiologist for hearing aids with a directional microphone.

If you want even better performance, you may want to shell out a few hundred dollars more for hearing aids with digital circuitry. Basically, these devices have a microphone, a receiver and a computer chip as well as a battery that precisely matches your response time, among other aspects of your hearing loss.

If you think you need to buy a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription. Also note that the programs on these devices may be modified, but ask your audiologist first before making any changes. We are specialist of hearing test & assessment and provide hearing aid prescription.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription

https://www.hkhearingspeech.com