Hearing aids have went through a number of iterations in their 200-plus year history. The technology that is implemented in hearing aids has historically been developed by way of a committed scientist who is either affected by hearing loss or has a friend or family member affected by hearing loss. For example, Alexander Graham Bell’s mother had profound hearing loss and his wife was deaf.
Here are 10 other little-known facts about hearing aids:
1.) Through state of the art technology like Bluetooth, hearing aids can be synced wirelessly with MP3 players, TVs, smart-phones, and other gadgets, allowing the user to enjoy direct signals from each of these devices.
2.) Hearing aids are not one size fits all – as a matter of fact, they can and should be programmable. This indicates that they have the ability to recall the most comfortable configurations for the user, often conforming in real time to the surrounding environment.
3.) Digital hearing aids – a recent development — have greatly lowered the occurrence of frustrating feedback, echoes, and background sounds. These were par for the course as part of older technologies, and they made listening much more challenging.
4.) In conjunction with the amplification of sound, modern hearing aids can also enhance and clarify sound.
5.) When used in combination with special induction or hearing loops, hearing aid users can more clearly hear notifications in public locations, conferences, airports, stadiums, and other populated environments. This technology enhances sounds and minimizes all the background noise.
6.) It used to be that hearing aids were only manufactured in beige and related colors to match the color of people’s skin, so that they were not easily discernible. Today, users are embracing their hearing aid technology, exhibiting a number of colors and patterns to showcase their devices and stand out in a crowd.
7.) In the same vein, hearing aids are smaller than at any other time. They used to be massive, cumbersome devices that weighed several pounds and didn’t really do much to amplify sound. Today, they only weigh a few ounces and provide far superior sound quality.
8.) Today, you can purchase water resistant and waterproof hearing aids to more readily fit in with your lifestyle. Water resistant hearing aids can withstand low levels of humidity and moisture, while waterproof hearing aids can withstand higher levels of moisture during showering and even swimming.
9.) Instead of having to frequently replace the batteries in hearing aids, many are now made with rechargeable technology to cut down on upkeep costs.
10.) Hearing aids do much more than amplify sound – they can also contain special tinnitus therapy components that provide the user with relief when it comes to constant ringing in the ear.
Now that you learned some interesting tidbits about hearing aids and their associated technology, you can better understand what they have to offer the young and the old alike.