Restoring the ability to hear and capture all sounds is what a hearing aid can do. With advanced technology more than ever, manufacturers and brands are introducing more developed and interesting models. So people with hearing loss can now get adapted and efficient devices according to their budget, profile, and the severity of the deafness. But how do these small technological objects manage to be so effective? What are they made of that allows us to appreciate and distinguish different voices, tones, intonations, vibrations, and noises around us again? Here’s how a digital hearing aid works!
A Digital Hearing Aid, a Mini Computer with Complex Technology
Following a hearing assessment carried out by the audiologist or the ENT specialist, showing a significant drop in hearing capacity, the patient is prescribed hearing aids.
The hearing aid assistant offers the patient several models of hearing aids. Depending on the patient’s budget and needs, the health professional can guide them toward certain brands or models. Fitting is a time-consuming process. It is necessary to adjust the device correctly so that the person concerned can find the ideal comfort. The hearing aid is therefore adjusted in a tailor-made way. The setting is made according to the person’s level of hearing loss. One can hear the low frequencies well but not the high ones or vice versa. The device, thanks to its
technology, will be able to read and amplify certain frequencies. With old age, hearing decreases due to a common phenomenon known as presbycusis. High-pitched sounds are more difficult to pick up. Hearing aids make it possible to grasp these sounds again in a concrete way. Thus, the hearing aid is smart enough to fully adapt to the patient’s ear and compensate for its weaknesses.
What is a Hearing Aid made of?
To understand how a hearing aid works, you first need to know what it is made of. Hearing aids can retransmit sounds but also adapt to the patient’s hearing by compensating for their hearing loss.
A digital hearing aid breaks down as follows:
● a microphone;
● an amplifier;
● an earphone.
The role of the microphone is to pick up sounds (or wave vibrations). All sounds reaching the patient’s ear are captured in this microphone and transformed into digital signals. The amplifier carries out a thorough reading of the translated sounds and makes the sorting. This amplifier is parameterized according to the patient's hearing; that is, it is adapted to it. It also processes
the sound environment and ambient noise. Finally, the earpiece is the element that transmits the amplified sounds to the patient’s ear. All these elements together make it possible to capture, interpret and transcribe sounds in a more intense, clearer way.
The Little Extras that make the Difference
In addition to the microphone, amplifier, and earpiece, the digital hearing aid is equipped with several important functionalities ensuring better performance and comfort for the patient’s listening
experience. In particular, you can count on the following:
● Bluetooth connectivity allows the hearing aid to connect to other household devices such as the TV or the telephone and thus ensures better sound reception. This wireless connectivity is
practical and represents a real saving in time and comfort.
● Without batteries, rechargeable digital aids are a real revolution in the field of hearing aids. They are more autonomous, more efficient, less polluting, and just charge overnight.
● The analysis of the sound environment at 360° analyzes the sounds of the left and the right ear and facilitates the perception of sounds as a whole.
● The voice amplifier allows you to focus on the conversation, not the surrounding noise. This feature highlights the voices of people around the person.
● Just like the voice amplifier, the noise reducer is necessary to perceive only the essential and to remove harmful and unimportant noises and sounds that would disturb the overall understanding. The noise reducer is essential for effective hearing aids.
● Finally, anti-feedback is necessary to avoid all unpleasant whistling. Equipped with the best features, hearing aids can be real technological gems. Indeed, digital hearing aids are a true state-of-the-art technology allowing people with hearing loss to break isolation and follow every conversation without feeling left out.
If you’re looking for the best hearing aids and assistance in Bay Area, TX, contact Bay Area Audiology. The Bay Area Audiology team is comprised of the best hearing aid specialist and audiologists in the town and has been providing patients with the most effective treatment options and quality hearing aids from the top manufacturers- ReSound, Oticon, and Phonak. Call (281) 332-4575 or visit our website for more information!
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