The Newest Hearing Aids Can Do AMAZING things!

• Posted on: Aug 1 2016
• By: Sinus & Snoring Specialists
• View all 3 responses

Hearing aids technology has come a long way and is rapidly changing even today.
As a result of these changes the benefits for the hearing impaired have changed as well. Up until recently the philosophy has been to reduce background noise by using a “beam” of sorts, thereby reducing background noise to focus in on the conversation one wants to hear.

Advancement in Hearing Aids

There has been a shift recently in thinking, due to the advancements in hearing aid technology. The focus has now changed to giving the brain the auditory information it requires to sort out background noise and attend to speech. We have known for a long time that the ear is simply a first stage filter and the real use of the auditory information is in the brain.
We also know that the way the ears normally work is to pick up sound in the entire environment not just a portion of the environment. The idea is to keep you in touch with the entire environment but yet at the same time make things easier for your brain to use that information. This is what the new technology is now doing. It is trying to give the brain information that it is has been lacking to do its job.

So, how does this take place?

First a new computer chip was developed to have the speed to process large amounts of data. This computer chip can process 500 million instructions per second. The second part is the architecture or how the sound is processed. This is where the sound is managed by multiple sound processors. This includes a wind noise manager, speech booster system, spatial sound manager and many more.

How can an individual benefit from his new technology?

First research indicates, on average, there is a 30% improvement in understanding in challenging listening environments. Second, there is approximately a 20% decrease in listening effort. Subsequently this results in approximately a 20% improvement in memory during the conversation. All of this relates to better communication with less listening effort.

Finally, since these instruments operate on a 2.4 GHz signal, this allows connectivity directly to iPhones and iPad products. This also takes advantage of many wireless products on the market that operate off of wifi signals, such as doorbells. Because there are websites, like www.IFTTT.com,  these instruments are able to connect to many different home automation products. All of these benefits translate into better communication with less effort and more functionality.

If you think this new technology can help you, now is the time to reach out to a hearing aid specialist and try it out! Most hearing aid dispensers will allow you to trial hearing aids for about 1 week before purchasing.

William Boggess, MS

Tagged with: Hearing aid technology, hearing aids, hearing loss

Posted in: Hearing aids, Hearing Loss