The Digital Hearing Aid: The Best Solution for Hearing Loss

It may surprise you to know that ten percent of Americans suffer from varying degrees of hearing loss. Hearing aids are, therefore, very important to the quality of life of many people.

Most hearing loss is a result of the ordinary wear and tear of life and is associated with ageing. Approximately thirteen in every ten thousand people are born deaf. Hearing aids are therefore very important to a large sector of our population which is also the most vulnerable. Easy access to quality hearing aid support is therefore very important for people suffering from hearing loss.

Hearing aids are small audio devices which are either inserted into the ear canals or attached behind the ears. Modern design and technology has improved the aesthetic aspects of hearing aids by making them largely invisible to the casual observer. They amplify sound and direct it to the ear drum, significantly lessening and even eliminating hearing loss. The quality of this sound amplification will depend a great deal on the type of hearing device you use.

A basic analog model amplifies sound but can do it indiscriminately causing users to experience too much or too little sound at different times. An improved programmable analog aid gives the hearing loss patient control over the sound input and allows adjustment for different environments with different levels of noise. However, if you can afford it, a digital hearing aid is hands down the best.

A digital hearing aid can be ordered to specifically suit your hearing loss needs and offers superior sound quality and filtering out of unpleasant background noise. There are around twenty two major manufacturers of digital hearing aids with most companies involved in continuous and innovative research and development programs to improve their products.

Digital hearing aids first appeared on the market in 1987. Initially only two manufacturers made digital hearing aids and because the new products were large and required a lot of energy to run, people preferred the well known analog models. Fortunately, advances in digital technology has led to high quality and very usable digital hearing aids which have become highly popular with people suffering from hearing loss. As with the analog hearing aids, modern digital hearing aids are available for inside the ear use as well as behind the ear use. The biggest obstacle to people using a digital hearing aid over an analog one is the price. Nevertheless, despite this barrier many people are still choosing the more expensive digital product over the analog model.

Digital hearing aids provide such a high quality enhancement of sound that they can considerably improve the quality of life of someone with hearing loss. Digital technology is better able to convert sound waves to audible sound and can be more precisely regulated to suit an individual’s requirements. They are also far less likely to give feedback (whistle) which can be very irritating.

Digital hearing aids contain a computer-controlled sound processor which allows for many of the hearing aid’s provisions to be adjusted by computer. By contrast, analog hearing aids have a smaller range of control options which are either preset or must be manually changed by the hearing loss patient.

Digital hearing aids have many benefits including:

• ADVANCED SIGNAL PROCESSING. Advanced signal processing automatically modifies the amount of sound it sends to the ear based on the loudness of the sound received by the microphones. Thus low sounds are given more amplification than loud sounds. Traditional analog hearing aids use linear amplification which means that quiet sounds can still be a bit too quiet and loud sounds can be uncomfortably loud. Digital hearing aids allow their signal processing systems to be modified according to the hearing loss patient's unique needs.

• MULTI-CHANNEL PROVISIONS. The multi-channel provisions offered by a digital hearing aid, provides flexibility in dealing with different sound pitches. The sound amplification provided by a hearing aid at each pitch or frequency is called a frequency response. Digital hearing aids work by dividing the frequency response into two or more channels to allow for more accurate modification.

• MULTI-MEMORY PROVISIONS. Many digital hearing aids have the capacity to store frequency response programs which can be changed using a remote control. This increases flexibility of use and is especially beneficial for hearing loss patients who operate in a range of noise environments and whose hearing loss fluctuates.

• MULTI-MICROPHONE OPTIONS. Some digital hearing aids have more than one microphone. For example, one microphone may pick up sound from a broad range and another is designed for narrower focus. This option allows the hearing loss sufferer to change microphone settings based on different situations.

• NOISE REDUCTION CAPACITY. Some digital hearing aids are designed to reduce certain types of noise that are detected in certain frequency bands. This increases listening comfort by reducing or unnecessary background noise.

While it isn’t possible to eliminate all background noise (nor is it desirable as someone could be trying to get your attention), digital hearing aids can improve clarity and ease of hearing and thus improve the quality of life of a person suffering from hearing loss.