How Digital Hearing Aids Work

Humans can hear sounds across a wide range of frequencies and hearing loss commonly affects these different frequencies to varying degrees. The latest digital technology allows hearing aids to selectively amplify each of these to levels that accurately compensate for your own, individual pattern of hearing loss.

These are some of the features found on modern digital hearing aids:

Multiple Programs

These programs allow your hearing aids to be set up for your own specific lifestyle situations and individual needs. For example, programs could be set for quiet rooms, noisy environments, listening to music, watching television, telephone, meetings and more.

Noise Reduction

Your hearing aids will recognize the difference between speech and background noise such as machinery, traffic, crowds, and even air conditioners. They then selectively reduce amplification of the background noise, helping you to follow conversations in noisy environments — and provide listening comfort in environments of all types.

Directional Microphones

This feature allows your hearing aids to emphasize sounds coming from the front, while de-emphasizing noise coming from the rear. This enables you to focus your hearing on conversations with the people who you are facing.

This is really beneficial in noisy environments. To appreciate the full benefit of directional microphones, you may require two hearing aids. The latest D3 Directional microphones on some hearing aids can further narrow the field of focus to directly in front of you (50°– 70°). This makes an incredible difference, substantially enhancing understanding of ‘speech in noise.’

Feedback cancellation

This cancels the whistling that many wearers can experience with cheaper models. It also allows for modifications to reduce the “talking inside your head” that hearing aid wearers may have experienced in the past with older models.

Hearing Aid Models

Open-Ear Fitting For mild to moderately severe, high frequency hearing loss Very small aid that sits behind the ear Thin tube inserted into the ear canal Barely visible in and behind the ear
Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC) For mild to moderately severe hearing loss Very small one piece hearing aid Fits inside the ear canal Barely visible in the ear canal
In-the-Canal (ITC) For mild to moderately severe hearing loss Small one piece hearing aid Fits outside the ear canal Slightly visible in the ear
In-the-Ear (ITE) For mild to severe hearing loss Larger one piece hearing aid Fills the entire bowl of the ear Visible in the ear
Behind-the-Ear (BTE) For mild to profound hearing loss Larger two - piece hearing aid All components contained in a case that is worn behind the ear May be barely visible depending on case color and earmold color

Assistive Listening Devices

Assistive listening devices (ALDs) are designed to improve the lives of hearing impaired people by helping them hear in various situations. ALDs can be used with or without hearing aids. There are a wide assortment of ALDs designed for various settings such as at home, classrooms, lecture rooms and theaters.

We offer a large assortment of ALDs from companies such as Hal Hen, Oak Tree and Westone. Please contact our Audiology Department to determine which ALDs are appropriate for your particular needs.

 

Alarm Clock Awakening Devices	FM Systems
Alerting Systems	Personal Amplifiers
Amplified Stethoscopes	Smoke Detectors
Amplified Telephone Receiver Handsets	T.T.Y.s (Telephone Typewriters)
Amplified Telephones	T.V. Amplifiers and Induction Systems
Fire and Doorbell Signaling Devices	Tinnitus Maskers