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What are hearing aids?

Hearing aids are electro-acoustic devices that amplify sound to make it audible to the wearer by overcoming the extent of hearing loss. A hearing aid is the most common management strategy for hearing loss that cannot be treated medically for all age groups. Only if a user is unable to either wear a hearing aid or do not benefit with it are further management or treatment options such as implants suggested. After a hearing assessment, the audiologist will suggest hearing aids that are best suitable for an individual based on their audiogram, type of hearing loss, and certain lifestyle requirements.

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How do hearing aids work?

A hearing has 3 main parts – (i) microphone – to pick up sounds that are converted into electrical signals; (ii) amplifier – to magnify the electrical signals; (iii) speaker – to convert the electric signal back into an acoustic signal to deliver to the ear via the normal hearing pathway. A digital signal processor is employed for the conversion into acoustic sound. It also allows volume changes, noise reduction, and other features to help improve communication. The amount of amplification across various frequency channels, amount of noise reduction, and various other aspects to improve speech intelligibility can be adjusted or manipulated by connecting a hearing to a software program.

 

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Who can benefit with hearing aids?

Due to the improvement in hearing aid technology, individuals of all age groups can benefit with an appropriate hearing aid. It can help in management of a wide range of hearing problems of conductive, sensorineural and mixed types.

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Styles of hearing aids

Hearing aids come in different styles beginning from Behind the Ear (BTE) that is worn behind the ear and is connected to the ear canal via ear tube or an earmold. A Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) type of hearing also has an externally worn component that sits behind the ear, but unlike a BTE the receiver is placed in the ear canal and not in the external component. This allows higher amplification of higher frequencies. Smaller hearing aid styles include Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) and Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) types, where the hearing aid is placed inside the ear canal are not noticeably visible from the outside. These styles are custom fit hearing aids and need to made according to individual ear canal measurements. 

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