Hearing Aids

All hearing aids use the same basic parts to carry sounds from the environment into your ear and make them louder. Modern hearing aids are digital, and all are powered with a traditional hearing aid battery or a rechargeable battery.

Small microphones collect sounds from the environment. A computer chip with an amplifier converts the incoming sound into digital code. It analyzes and adjusts the sound based on your hearing loss, listening needs and the level of the sounds around you. The amplified signals are then converted back into sound waves and delivered to your ears through speakers, sometimes called receivers.

Following are some major futures that modern Hearing Aids carry

• Noise reduction.

All hearing aids have some amount of noise reduction available. The amount of noise reduction varies. Some also offer wind noise reduction.

• Directional microphones.

These are aligned on the hearing aid to provide for improved pickup of sounds coming from in front of you with some reduction of sounds coming from behind or beside you. Some hearing aids are capable of focusing in one direction. Directional microphones can improve your ability to hear when you're in an environment with a lot of background noise.

• Rechargeable batteries.

Some hearing aids have rechargeable batteries. This can make maintenance easier for you by eliminating the need to regularly change the battery.

• Telecoils.

Telecoils make it easier to hear when talking on a telecoil-compatible telephone. The telecoil reduces the sounds from your environment and picks up the sounds from the hearing-aid-compatible telephone. Telecoils also pick up signals from public induction loop systems that can be found in some churches and theaters, allowing you to hear a speaker, play or movie better.

• Wireless connectivity.

Increasingly, hearing aids can wirelessly interface with certain Bluetooth-compatible devices, such as cellphones, music players, computers and televisions. You may need to use an intermediary device to pick up the phone or other signal and send it to the hearing aid.

• Remote controls.

Some hearing aids come with a remote control, so you can adjust features without touching the hearing aid. Some hearing aids connect wirelessly to a cellphone and have a cellphone application that allows use of the cellphone as a remote control.

• Variable programming.

Some hearing aids can store several preprogrammed settings for various listening needs and environments.

• Synchronization.

For an individual with two hearing aids, the aids can be programmed to function together so that adjustments made to a hearing aid on one ear (volume control or program changes) will also be made on the other aid, allowing for simpler control.