When you don’t have hearing problems, you don’t think about the different things that you[…]Read more
Hearing aids are like small miracles for people who are hearing impaired. It is a difficult thing when you had you perfect hearing and experience the loss gradually for whatever reason. The argument can be made that those who could never hear have it easier because they don’t know what they are missing. This may not be true, but for those who are losing their hearing, it can be a traumatic experience.
In general, hearing aids cannot repair damage or make a deaf person hear. Instead, the main purpose of hearing aids is to enhance the sounds and noises by using the functions of the ear that are still there. Lets’ find out more about hearing aids.
What is it?
A hearing aid is an electronic device that helps people with hearing problems hear and communicate better in everyday life. The hearing aid amplifies sounds and noises to make it easier to hear. The hearing aid is worn in the ear or behind the ear. It basically takes over some of the functions that the ear itself can no longer perform optimally.
How does a hearing aid work?
A hearing aid consists of three parts: a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker. The microphone picks up sounds which it converts into electrical signals. The electrical signals are sent to the amplifier which then increases the power of the signals so they can be louder or clearer. These signals are sent to the speaker which is what the person wearing the aid then hears.
What are the different types?
There are three main types of hearing aids. They are behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and in-the-canal.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) – This type of aid has a mold that fits in the ear and a plastic piece behind the ear. It almost looks like a hook. These aids can be used by adults with less severe to profound hearing problems.
In-the-ear (ITE) – This type of aid fits completely within the outer ear. It is smaller than the BTE devices and often has telecoils that help with hearing over the telephone. These are helpful for mild to severe problems.
In-the-canal (ITC) – This type of aid fits into the ear canal and is less visible than the other two types. It is made to fit an individual’s ear canal perfectly. ITC aids are not ideal for children because their ear canals are still growing and they will need to replace it often.
How do you get one?
The best route to follow is to consult an audiologist and hearing aid specialist. The audiologist will be able to diagnose the severity of the impairment and make suggestions as to the best option for a hearing aid. The specialist will be able to give further guidance and advice and help you get the right type for your specific needs.
When you don’t have hearing problems, you don’t think about the different things that you are hearing. We take for granted that we hear voices, the wind blowing, the far-off sound of a siren, or music. People who suffer from hearing loss or impairment cannot hear all those things anymore. To get a better understanding of what people with hearing impairment loses, we want to explain the four main areas of function that is part of hearing.
1. Noises and Sounds
The first area of function involves the ability to hear noises and sounds. These include all everyday noises from the telephone ringing to a dog barking to the wind blowing. When your hearing is fine, you hear these things without needing to pay attention to it or tune in harder to do so.
2. Sound Direction
This function is very important for safety reasons. It involves the ability to hear and know which direction a warning sound is coming from. For example, can you hear where the ambulance is coming from? Can you determine which car alarm is going off? This function requires the same level of sensitivity and functionality from both ears.
3. Hearing Speech
Hearing speech is the fourth function. It has two parts. The first part is being able to hear isolated voices and recognize them as a child’s voice or a male voice, for example. The second part involves hearing and identifying voices even w