New Hearing Aid Technological Breakthroughs
When we can’t read the fine print anymore, we get glasses. If your tooth is hurting, you visit a dentist. If we break our leg, we see our the doctor to set and put it in a cast.
However, if our hearing decreases as we age, all we do is turn the volume up on the television so much that nothing else can be heard and then go on with our life as though nothing is the matter. Most people do everything they can to not have to wear hearing aids. The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders state that 28 million people have some level of hearing loss that affect their daily life.
Each hearing loss is unique, but there is a vast array of amazing technology available to meet the needs of every hearing impaired individual. These new hearing aids are not the clunky, transistor radio size with wires dangling that your grandparents wore; the digital technology that has made computers available to everyone has now been applied to the improvement of hearing aids.
These new digital aids use a microphone, battery, receiver, as well as a computer chip, and give an audiologist the flexibility of adjusting it as needed. Even with the smaller, more discreet aid, you get advanced, programmable technology that is programmed to your unique hearing impairment.
Every hearing impairment is as unique as the individual afflicted by it. Some people struggle hearing various frequencies, from high pitched to low pitched. This type of loss affects communication because vowel sounds are low frequencies and consonants are high pitches, causing the person with the hearing loss to struggle to fill in the blanks.
Still others simply struggle with volume. Due to the fact that most sounds register softly, televisions and radios are constantly being turned up and others are continuously asked to repeat what they said.
An audiologist can administer hearing tests and determine just how the hearing aid needs to be programmed. It’s advisable to get tested annually, starting with the first sign that you might be losing your hearing. There are 3 kinds of hearing specialists. Doctors who are able to diagnose and then treat whatever medical reasons there are for loss of hearing are otolaryngologists, or ear, nose, and throat doctors.
You have to get a master’s degree and a state license to operate as an audiologist. While people who dispense hearing aids are not required to have the level of education that an audiologist has, they still must have state certification. The role of a hearing aid dispenser is typically a standard sales role, and you work for a particular brand. These professionals need to be certified, but they do not need to be audiologists.
This leads us to the discussion of the different types of hearing aids. The smallest are referred to as “completely in the canal” hearing instruments. These devices are so discreet that they can hardly be seen. This particular device is the most costly, and not used for hearing loss that is severe.
The next group are the “in the canal” devices. These hearing instruments are slightly larger then the ones just discussed, but they still fit a ways into the ear canal. They need a bigger battery and will help people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
Next you have the “in the ear” hearing aids which can be seen by others and are used for a variety of hearing impairments. A “behind the ear” hearing aid are contained in a case that sits snugly behind the ear. They require an even bigger battery and are designed in a way the gives the user more amplification than the smaller apparatuses. Even though they do not have the advanced technology associated with the new hearing aids, analog hearing aids are still available with a smaller price tag.
There are approximately 28 million Americans from all age groups that deal with hearing loss on a daily basis. You may be interested in these other hearing facts. First, a hearing impairment can happen any time an obstruction, injury, or disease affects any of the structures in the ear. Approximately 95% of people suffering with hearing loss are able to have their hearing corrected with hearing aids.
With every generation, people experience hearing loss younger and younger. Also, between 1971 and 1990, there’s been a 17 percent loss in hearing discovered in 18-44 year old adults. Otitis media is one of the most common reason for most temporary loss of hearing. It is an ear infection that 70% of infants and younger children will suffer from.
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