Hearing aids are tiny electronic gadgets worn over or in the ear to address different hearing loss issues. All aids come with a microphone that picks sound, an amplifier to make the sounds louder and clearer, a receiver to send the sounds into the ear, and a battery to keep it powered.
While aids help many people with hearing loss, not everybody can benefit. They help resolve issues that result from diseases, loud noises, aging, and medications. Before getting your hearing aid, you will require an exam from an ENT to help determine the cause of your hearing issues and the best hearing aid for you.
Other factors determining the type and style of aid you get include age, lifestyle, budget, and how well you can maintain small devices. The two main types are analog and digital.
Analog aids make electric signals from sound waves and amplify them. Since they don't have many technological advancements, they are inexpensive and come with simple volume controls.
On the other hand, digital aids make numerical codes from sound waves and amplify them. The codes include the direction, volume, and pitch of the sound, making it simpler to adjust the sound. They are usually smaller, more powerful, and more expensive than analog ones.
One of the most common styles is behind-the-ear aids which come in a plastic case and sits behind the ear. They also have a transparent tube that connects to your earmold. They are the best for kids and appropriate if you have mild to profound hearing loss.
The in-the-canal aids are a good choice if you want a less visible aid. They are lightweight, easy to use, and comfortable. Some variations of these aids are the receiver-in-canal and completely-in-the-canal. You can also use the in-the-ear aid that sits on the outer part of the ear.
With recent technologies, you can also get an implantable hearing aid known as a middle ear implant. Attached to the middle ear's bones, it helps improve the sound vibration transmissions getting to the ear and moves the ear bones directly instead of amplifying the sounds. You can also get a bone-anchored hearing aid attached to the bones behind your ear.
In the past, most aids had wireless technology that enabled both your aids to operate as a complete system. This mimics your brain's ability to process information from both ears uniformly and reduces the need for manual adjustments.
The technology has recently improved, and most come with Bluetooth compatibility. This enables you to connect your aids to mobile phones, televisions, and other Bluetooth-enabled gadgets. Other latest technologies include artificial intelligence, waterproof designs, impulse, and digital noise reduction, rechargeable batteries, and a telecoil.
Some of the best hearing aid brands include Lively, Auicus, Eargo, MDHearing, Widex Moment, Signia Silk X, ReSound One, Audien Atom, and Oticon More.