Hearing aids have come a long way since they were first developed in 1913. As technology advances, so do the technology and electronics available for use within hearing aids. Gone are the days of the big and bulky hearing aids of the 70’s and 80’s. These days hearing aids are sleeker and more discreet and offer a range of benefits to the wearer regardless of the design and style they choose.
Hearing aids, much like everything else, are becoming high-tech and these developments are some of the features you can benefit from.
Smartphone Apps
There is seemingly an app for everything these days, and as the world becomes more connected to smartphones, so are hearing aids. As more and more people use smartphones across the globe, connecting your hearing aid to your phone to an app allows you to perform a range of functions to get the most from your device.
The exact capabilities can vary from device to device; however, some of the most common uses for hearing aid apps are personalized hearing volume control, manual adjustment of the volume, treble, bass and even connecting you to your audiologist if needed.
All hearing aids are programmed to a sound level unique to each user and automatically adjust to the noise levels within a space. Still, smartphone apps take this one step further and allow you to manually change the levels in different environments without anyone knowing.
Another benefit of using a hearing aid app is that you can connect to audio equipment such as your tv or a phone call sending all the sound directly to the hearing aid.
Lastly, if your smartphone app allows direct communication with your audiologist, this will enable your audiologist to make adjustments and check upon the heart of your hearing aid without having to travel to their offices. This can be handy if you are out of the area and need assistance with your hearing aid.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids
Changing your battery every few weeks or more frequently can be fiddly and time-consuming, not to mention expensive over time too. Plus, excessive batteries can damage the environment if not disposed of correctly.
These days rechargeable hearing aids are becoming more commonplace thanks to the development of technology that supports recharging. The device has a built-in battery that doesn’t need to be removed, much like a smartphone.
The hearing aid is then docked into the base, from which it charges typically overnight. This means that hearing aids are becoming easier to use and cheaper to run and are more accessible for people who would otherwise struggle with changing the battery or being able to replace it frequently, resulting in them not using the hearing aid as much as they otherwise would.
Automatics Directional Microphone Systems
Automatic directional microphone systems work to automatically detect where the sound is coming from in noisy environments. If you are in a crowded or busy space with lots of background noise, pinpointing exactly what you need to hear can be tricky; however, directional microphone systems work to improve hearing in noise to allow you to focus on what you need to listen to, for example, someone talking next to you while others are chatting in the background.
Directional microphone systems use two microphones to pick up sound; when activated, the microphone focuses on picking up sound in the direction you are facing. This means that if someone opposite you is talking to you and you are facing them, their voice will be prioritized over other noises in the background, such as a TV or music. The systems are more successful when they operate automatically and don’t rely on the user to press a button to make the switch.
Automatic directional microphone systems have a 90% and more chance of picking up the correct sounds simply by facing the sound you want to hear over manually changing the direction of the microphone.
The Future of Hearing Aid Technology
There is much more technology to be developed to improve the user experience when wearing hearing aids. There are already so many great high-tech features on these excellent devices for users. Still, as we see a shift in how technology adapts over time, there is an increased chance of newer and improved features for hearing aid users.
The best way to keep abreast of any changes to hearing aids or upgrade to newer, more high-tech models is to visit your audiologist regularly for hearing checks and hearing aids assessments. To learn more about the different styles of hearing aids available, contact Natural Hearing Centers today at (888) 221-9156 to discuss your options.
