Around 466 million people around the world are suffering from mild to severe hearing problems. And the problem is increasing day by day. Modern technology has presented us with an amazing technology called a hearing aid. It gathers the soundwaves from around and converts them into an electric signal understandable to the brain. The researchers have already found several advantages of hearing aid associated with physical and mental health. The updated digital hearing aids are pretty small in size and have a wide range of functionality.
Hearing aids help people with various degrees of hearing loss. Although, the choice of hearing aid varies from person to person. The lifestyle, social engagement, severity of hearing loss plays very important roles in a person’s choice of hearing aid. Some people may be comfortable enough to discuss their hearing problem, while others may choose to be discreet about it. So a variety of sizes of hearing aid is available in the market presently.
Components of hearing Aids
Table of Contents
A hearing aid consists of 4 major parts. They are:
- A microphone to receive the sounds from the surrounding.
- Signal conditioning to clarify and transfer the sounds according to the user’s need.
- A receiver transmits the soundwave as an electric signal to the brain.
- A battery to power the device
In the design factor of a hearing aid, these components play an integral part. The size of these components determines what the style of the hearing aid is and what functions it can hold.
Style of Hearing Aids
According to the size and shape of the hearing aids, there are 4 types of hearing aid devices available in the marketplace. They are:
- Behind the ear (BTE): BTE devices are the biggest size among the other digital hearing aids. It has a bulky earmold that rests upon the ear. It is the most powerful among other digital hearing aid devices. Even people with profound hearing loss can be benefited from this device.
- Receiver in the ear or receiver in the canal(RIE/RIC): In these kinds of hearing aid, the microphone is set behind the ear while the receiver is in the ear of the patient. These types of hearing aids can consist of a thinner earmold than BTE devices. The microphone and receiver are connected with a tiny wire.
- In the ear (ITR): ITR devices come in two sizes, one fills the entire bowl of the ear, and the other only fills the lower part of the ear canal. They often come with wireless features which are easier to control.
- In the canal (ITC): These are the tiniest hearing aids available in the market. They are often custom-made according to the users. These devices fit partly in the ear canal of a person. People suffering from mild to moderate hearing loss can be benefited from these devices.
Battery Specification
All analog and digital hearing aids are powered by batteries. There can be two types of batteries available for hearing aids, rechargeable and disposable.
Rechargeable batteries: A number of the latest hearing aid devices feature rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. However, the BTE hearing aids are the majority of hearing aids that come with this type of battery. Blue Angels Hearing is one of the top companies that offer rechargeable BTE hearing aids.
Standard disposable batteries: These batteries are also known as button batteries. They are activated when exposed to the air and have a three years battery life. Storing them in cold places has no significant effect. Once activated, it can not be deactivated again.
Discreet Hearing Aids
Many people around the world don’t prefer to disclose their hearing problems to others. For them, in the canal (ITC), hearing aid devices can be perfect. These devices are built according to the specifications of the users. It rests deep in the second bend of the user’s ear canal.
People with dexterity issues may face problems with this device as it is minimal in size. If the device comes with a rechargeable battery, It’ll need frequent charging. Moreover, wireless functions can often misbehave for these devices. Manual volume, memory controls are often absent in these devices.
Hearing Aid as Fashion Statement
Some hearing aid users tend to turn their hearing aid into iconic devices by customizing them according to their taste. We are going to talk about three exceptional design trends that are often seen.
Colorful Earmolds: In recent years, jewel-colored earmolds for BTE devices have increased significantly. Some companies are also making leopard print earmolds. The appeal of these devices is skyrocketing in recent years.
Hearings: Hearings are certain ornaments that are used to decorate hearing aids. Many people are currently using such pieces of jewelry to coordinate their hearing aid with their outfits.
SoundsGood Hearing Aid: These hearing aids consist of futuristic design components. These hearing aids consist of a screen. This screen portrays the spectrograph of the sound that is entering the hearing aid in real-time. As these kinds of hearing aids can engage people with a regular hearing with a person with hearing difficulties, their popularity is increasing exponentially.
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