The hearing aids that your grandparents previously used can’t hold a candle, so to speak, to modern hearing aids! The former was large, chunky and clunky with more breakdowns than necessary while the latter has a streamlined design and sophisticated features. Here’s a look at the advanced features that modern hearing aids offer their users.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids

Old-fashioned hearing aids rely on small batteries for power, a feature that can become unwieldy and inconvenient. Think about the batteries conking out when you’re travelling or changing the batteries with arthritic hands.

These battery-reliant models are mostly a thing of the past! Nowadays, there are rechargeable options with portable charging stations instead of batteries. For as long as you are in a place with electricity, you can recharge your hearing aids quickly.

Near-invisible Hearing Aids

Remember how large the hearing aids used by your grandparents seemed to look on their ears? You can practically see them from a few feet away! You were probably hesitant about wearing hearing aids yourself because of it.

Fortunately, many modern hearing aids are so small that these can’t be seen by others unless with a close inspection. These devices fit comfortably yet snugly inside your ear canal – yes, you read it right – instead of being fitted outside of your ear. You can then go about your daily business, even wear headphones, without attracting attention to your hearing aids.

Water-resistant Hearing Aids

Emphasis must be made that water-resistant isn’t the same as waterproof. Water-resistant hearing aids shouldn’t be worn while you’re going swimming in the pool, lake or sea, not even to the shower or bathtub. But these devices can be worn in humid environments since these are designed to withstand low moisture levels.

Take note that there are no waterproof hearing aids in the market yet.

Telecoil Hearing Aids

Have you ever been bothered by phantom noises, such as ringing, buzzing and hissing? These are known as phantom noises because there isn’t an external source for them. If so, then you may have tinnitus, a condition that isn’t an illness in itself but a symptom of an underlying health issue.

Ask your audiologist about telecoil hearing aids, which can minimize the phantom noises and other distracting background noises in the environment.  These hearing aids have a telecoil, a small part that allows connection of audio sources to the hearing aids. These are usually used alongside phones, FM systems and induction loop systems.

Smartphone-compatible Hearing Aids

Many people with hearing loss issues use smartphones in communicating with others. It then makes sense to use smartphones in conjunction with hearing aids.

These smartphone-compatible hearing aids have features that allow for volume control, among others, from your smartphone, known as synching the two devices. You can even stream music and videos as well as take calls and video calls from your smartphone and hear the sounds on your hearing aids.

Are you intrigued? Ask your audiologist today and see how your life can improve with these features!

If you think you need a hearing aid, make sure that you get a hearing aid prescription. For more details of our hearing test & assessment, and hearing aid services, please contact HK Hearing & Speech Centre.

Source:

HK Hearing & Speech Centre

Specialist of Hearing test & assessment,

and Hearing Aid Prescription