Changes in the latest hearing aids.
Hearing aid changes have led to more satisfied users having better communication experiences in a wider range of listening environments. Over the years, there are lots of changes in hearing aid design and abilities. A century ago, a person with a hearing loss might have wished to avoid using a hearing device. Ear trumpets might look good in our clinic’s hearing aid collection but they provided minimal acoustic benefit. Passive hearing devices like ear trumpets did not provide hearing benefits for all frequencies.
Vacuum tube and then transistor technology emerged but we go to the development of the first electronic hearing aids. In the past 20 years digital hearing aids have appeared. Even so today, advertisements of “digital hearing aids” still occur.. They are no longer special.
Electronics.
What’s happened since then? Probably the most obvious change to hearing aids is the impact of miniaturization, allowing the aids to be smaller. Appearance of hearing aids has benefited by improvements in the shape of the aids and the availability of clever colours.
Water and dust resistance using nanotechnology provides a barrier between the outside world and the delicate components inside.
Feedback cancellation, which reduces the likelihood of feedback in most situations, has led to open fit hearing aids. These aids are very helpful for people who have a mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Our clients enjoy a reduction in occlusion, which is hearing your own voice in when your ear canals sound blocked.
People with hearing loss will usually report having difficulty hearing in noisy environments compared with quiet situations. Two developments easing this problem are directional microphones and, specialized microphones like Roger, or FM accessory.
Batteries.
Battery life has gradually improved with changes to battery components and more efficient circuitry in the hearing aids. The tiny batteries generally need to be replaced either weekly or fortnightly, depending on your hearing aid model.
Rechargeable batteries for hearing aids have been around for a few years. Only recently it is possible to get a full day’s wear, even up to 24 hours of continuous listening from your hearing aids. Very handy if you have dexterity problems as well!
Our clients are often surprised that the hearing aids can provide helpful information about how long they have been worn. Changes to volume and the time spent in each of many different listening environments. This datalogging is particularly helpful in guiding your audiologist to make changes which may help you to hear better.
The majority of these developments are available in all models of aids, from the least to the most expensive. Learn more about how modern hearing aids can help you enjoy communication again, please call Diana on 03 5722 4433.