Hearing aids and it Features
Exactly, what are Hearing aids?
Hearing aids are electronic devices that consist of three parts that work together to provide clear, audible sound to the ear. These parts include a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker. Fun fact: There are many styles to choose from; they can be worn in the ear or behind the ear.
• The microphone: picks up sounds and transmit it to the amplifier. Fun fact: The sound picked up by the microphone is converted to electrical or digital signals before being transmitted to the amplifier. The type of signal depends on if it is an analog hearing aid or digital hearing aid.
• The amplifier: receives the signal from the microphone and transmits it to the speaker. Fun fact: the power of the signal is increased in the amplifier before being sent to the speaker.
• The speaker: sends the amplified sound to the ear.
Like any other electronic device, hearing aids also require a power supply.
Types of hearing aids
Analog hearing aids were the first hearing aids commercially available on the market. Analog hearing aids basically amplify sounds that are inaudible without making loud sounds unbearable to the ear. Digital hearing aids are the newer hearing aids on the market. Digital hearing aids not only amplify sounds, but they have features that analyze and process sounds before they are heard by the ear. Today, very few analog hearing aids are made or sold because of the different features that are available with digital hearing aids.
Digital hearing aid features
There are many features within digital hearing aids that help to provide audibility and speech understanding in different environments. These features include channels, gain processing, directional microphones, noise reduction (impulse and wind), feedback reduction, telecoil, data logging, frequency shifting, FM compatibility, tinnitus maskers, and multiple programs. Other features that digital hearing aids provide include wireless and Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeable batteries, and accessories.
In a technology-driven society, all the features listed above make digital hearing aid the more popular and widely sold hearing aid today. To learn more about the different features offered in digital hearing aids, and how you may benefit from them, contact our office today.
You may also read about the features of digital hearing aids from the references provided below.
References:
Features of Hearing Aid Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved April 21, 2020, from http://hearing.wustl.edu/Hearing-Aids/Features-of-Hearing-Aid-Technology
Hearing Aids. (2018, June 15). Retrieved April 21, 2020, from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/hearing-aids
