The phrase "hearing aid" often conjures up images of childhood cartoons full of stereotypical elderly people, holding ear trumpets and shouting, "Ayyy?" or the Walkman-like silver box with a transistor radio-type earpiece that one of your relatives used to wear. With nano technology, flexible circuits, and the IoT (the Internet of Things) here today, it's understandable that today's hearing aids have become quite high tech.

 

A collapsible Victorian ear trumpet made of tin. This file comes from Wellcome Images, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Refer to Wellcome blog post

Over 28 Million U.S. Adults Could Benefit from Hearing Aids

The whole stigma of wearing hearing aids should be a thing of the past, but those images of the clunky old boxes and ear buds that look like they couldn't fit an ear still prevail. As many of us do with reading glasses, we resist giving into the fact that we need help and often view it as a sign of weakness. One can only hold a book so far away or say 'What!?' repeatedly so many times before action is required. If you suspect hearing loss, a hearing test can be conducted in about 30 minutes and can help provide you with a much better quality of life. Many websites offer preliminary online hearing tests to give you an indication of whether or not you might have a problem.

 

A Younger Perspective on New Hearing Aids

Sonova's Prentice Parton recently penned an article surrounding his unilateral hearing loss where he discusses his new, sleek, rechargeable hearing aid, and said it's, "not the hearing aid of my grandfather." He is so very right. Today's hearing aids are getting smaller. With more technology inside than ever before, they can connect and be adjusted through your smartphone, and even control different aspects of your smart home system when properly linked.

 

How Have Hearing Aids Changed?

Since 1970, with the advent of the microprocessor as well as the development of the first real-time digital hearing aid in the early 80's, hearing aids have been progressively getting better. In 1995, Oticon created the first all-digital hearing aid but it was not made commercially available. In 1996, Widex developed the Senso, the first fully digital and commercially successful hearing aid. Since then, hearing aids have made several advancements. They've moved from one or two channels that allowed a user to focus on one speaker, to hearing aids with 30-plus channels and filters that allow you to customize your experience and hear what you want to hear in different listening environments.

 

Bluetooth® Revolutionizes Connectivity

Bluetooth technology allows hearing aids to connect with a number of devices. It allows users to stream phone calls binaurally or listen to television shows from a laptop or streaming TV directly to the hearing aid. There are even apps and smart home features that can turn off your lights at bedtime when you switch your hearing aids off. Certainly, in just the past five years hearing aids have gotten exponentially better at delivering clearer more natural sound and, deliver far better experiences thanks to Bluetooth connectivity.

 

Hearing Aids Come in All Shapes and Sizes to Fit Your Lifestyle

Micro-circuitry has gotten so much smaller that a greater amount of technology can fit into smaller devices. Different hearing aid styles offer users a wider range of features than ever before. The CIC's of today (Completely in Canal) often have more technology than full-size counterparts from two generations ago (although there are still limits as to what can fit in a CIC). Wind noise reduction advancements along with dust, sweat, and even water resistant models make it possible to maintain an active lifestyle without Hearing aids getting in the way. There are models for those less physically active but, who still enjoy going out or having a good conversation that make the experience so much better.

 

Hearing aid technology will continue to advance to provide the closest thing to your natural hearing as is possible.

The phrase "hearing aid" often conjures up images of childhood cartoons full of stereotypical elderly people, holding ear trumpets and shouting, "Ayyy?" or the Walkman-like silver box with a transistor radio-type earpiece that one of your relatives used to wear. With nano technology, flexible circuits, and the IoT (the Internet of Things) here today, it's understandable that today's hearing aids have become quite high tech.

 

A collapsible Victorian ear trumpet made of tin. This file comes from Wellcome Images, a website operated by Wellcome Trust, a global charitable foundation based in the United Kingdom. Refer to Wellcome blog post

Over 28 Million U.S. Adults Could Benefit from Hearing Aids

The whole stigma of wearing hearing aids should be a thing of the past, but those images of the clunky old boxes and ear buds that look like they couldn't fit an ear still prevail. As many of us do with reading glasses, we resist giving into the fact that we need help and often view it as a sign of weakness. One can only hold a book so far away or say 'What!?' repeatedly so many times before action is required. If you suspect hearing loss, a hearing test can be conducted in about 30 minutes and can provide you with a much better quality of life. Many websites offer preliminary online hearing tests to give you an indication of whether or not you might have a problem.

 

A Younger Perspective on New Hearing Aids

Sonova's Prentice Parton recently penned an article surrounding his unilateral hearing loss where he discusses his new, sleek, rechargeable hearing aid, and said it's, "not the hearing aid of my grandfather." He is so very right. Today's hearing aids are getting smaller. With more technology inside than ever before, they can connect and be adjusted through your smartphone, and even control different aspects of your smart home system when properly linked.

 

How Have Hearing Aids Changed?

Since 1970, with the advent of the microprocessor as well as the development of the first real-time digital hearing aid in the early 80's, hearing aids have been progressively getting better. In 1995, Oticon created the first all-digital hearing aid but it was not made commercially available. In 1996, Widex developed the Senso, the first fully digital and commercially successful hearing aid. Since then, hearing aids have made several advancements. They've moved from one or two channels that allowed a user to focus on one speaker, to hearing aids with 30-plus channels and filters that allow you to customize your experience and hear what you want to hear in different listening environments.

 

Bluetooth® Revolutionizes Connectivity

Bluetooth technology allows hearing aids to connect with a number of devices. It allows users to stream phone calls binaurally or listen to television shows from a laptop or streaming TV directly to the hearing aid. There are even apps and smart home features that can turn off your lights at bedtime when you switch your hearing aids off. Certainly, in just the past five years hearing aids have gotten exponentially better at delivering clearer more natural sound and, deliver far better experiences thanks to Bluetooth connectivity.

 

Hearing Aids Come in All Shapes and Sizes to Fit Your Lifestyle

Micro-circuitry has gotten so much smaller that a greater amount of technology can fit into smaller devices. Different hearing aid styles offer users a wider range of features than ever before. The CIC's of today (Completely in Canal) often have more technology than full-size counterparts from two generations ago (although there are still limits as to what can fit in a CIC). Wind noise reduction advancements along with dust, sweat, and even water resistant models make it possible to maintain an active lifestyle without Hearing aids getting in the way. There are models for those less physically active but, who still enjoy going out or having a good conversation that make the experience so much better.

 

Hearing aid technology will continue to advance to provide the closest thing to your natural hearing as is possible.

  

  

  

If you suspect a hearing loss, HearingPlanet is here to help connect your with the top provider in your area. Call or chat with us today: