It seems all the greatest scientists and inventors had their motivations when it came to hearing aid technology. All one has to do is take Alexander Graham Bell for example. Bet you didn’t know his mom suffered from hearing loss and his wife was deaf. It’s true. This encouraged him on to do more research in the field of telephones and amplification. The last 200 years has seen lots of growth. Here are even more facts in regards to hearing aids.
1. Digital hearing aids have been all the rage in the last 20 years or so. They can now reduce the feedback, echoes, and background noises that can prove to be a distraction to users. Older technologies unfortunately featured all of these factors, which made it hard to people to properly pick up clear sound.
2. The earliest versions of hearing aids were so heavy and cumbersome, people had to carry around equipment to use them. Plus, they left a lot to be desired in the sound amplification department. Today’s light weight versions are tiny and weight a couple of ounces at the most, which makes them the smallest and most compact they’re ever been.
3. Sound amplification of course is a vital component of any hearing aid but more needs to come into play here. Modern versions are capable of enhancing and clarifying sound for a much more positive listening experience.
4. You should never purchase a hearing aid at the big box store without getting it programmed by a professional audiologist. Through the proper programming, the device can adjust automatically to outside stimuli and use settings that the user has previously thought comfortable.
5. With water resistant and waterproof hearing aids available now, you can go swimming, take a shower and live in a very humid environment with these devices. This works well for people who have an active lifestyle, so they never have to worry about removing their device.
6. In addition to offering the amplification of sound, hearing aids now feature special components like tinnitus therapy that provides relief from constant ear ringing. This is a hallmark of tinnitus, and something that can be very annoying.
7. Many hearing aids now have rechargeable technology rather than one-time-use batteries that are costly and need replacement regularly. This provides an added convenience to the user.
8. Induction loops — invented to help people hear better in crowds – are able to more accurately detect clear announcements in crowded places or in corporate meeting conferences. They also get rid of all that background noise and frequency distortion, which is certainly helpful in airports, stadiums, and public transportation areas.
9. Hearing aids used to be available in drab beige, which blended into the ear better without detection. This was indeed practical and discrete, but today’s young hearing aid wearers want to stand out. The devices they are choosing come in bold hues in a proud proclamation of their hearing device.
10.Hearing aids and wireless devices are a big feature of modern technology, and this is no more so than in the use of hearing aids. These devices can connect to Bluetooth, which gives off direct signals from anything from a smart phone to an MP3 player.
So now that you know more about hearing aids, you can feel comfortable knowing the technology has come very far to the benefit of young and old.