Understanding Hearing Aid Technology

You might already know of the three designs of hearing aids: in the canal, in the ear and behind the ear. You can choose the one you find aesthetically appealing or comfortable, but sometimes you can be limited by the size of your ear. An in-ear hearing aid may not be suitable for small ears, but you can try and check whether there is a smaller size available. Most times you might need to have it customised.

Hearing aid technology simply means those additional features installed in hearing aids to help them keep up with different modes of lifestyles and innovations; you can even call them small "powerful computers". Such features include: 

Connectivity and Bluetooth Compatibility

Since most electronic devices you use (mobile phone, music systems, laptops, etc.) are built with Bluetooth compatibility, hearing aids are made to connect to these Bluetooth devices to help you hear the sounds they produce. This helps you enjoy a movie or music with other individuals (whether your family or friends), who don't need hearing devices.

You can even have settings that notify you when your laundry is done and when there is someone at the door. Simply put, you can have the features of smart home connectivity in your hearing aid.

Applications/Apps

Just like your mobile phone, hearing aids have apps that help make your hearing aid experience great. You can come across apps like battery life monitoring, hearing aid sound adjustment, contacting hearing aid care provider, routing phone calls, language translation, etc. The list is endless, you just have to identify the needs you have and look for the app.

AI (Artificial Intelligence)

Some hearing aids usually have an AI installed. It learns the different settings you prefer at particular times/localities and automatically changes to the hearing aid settings you prefer when in that particular environment. What does this mean? You don't have to manually change the settings.

An example can be volume control. There are times when you adjust the volume, maybe when you get into a particularly noisy environment. The AI learns that and the next time you get in the noisy environment it changes the volume to your desired setting. It does this by storing GPS data; when you are within the GPS co-ordinates, it changes the settings as needed.

Wind Reduction

Extremely windy conditions can cause discomfort when wearing your hearing aid. You don't have to be walking outside to experience this; you might be in your car driving with a window open. Hearing aid technology helps reduce discomfort when it detects wind.