Digital Hearing Aids: An Introduction
Posted on: 11 June 2021
There is a variety of digital hearing aids available. Some have visible components, while others are completely discreet and invisible. This article will attempt to list the best assistive technologies available on the market, and help you find what might work best for your needs.
The purpose of a hearing aid
A hearing aid is an instrument or device designed to improve or restore hearing-impaired people's ability to hear sounds. They may be impaired because their eardrum was damaged or became old or stiff over time and reduced their sound transmission capacity.
The reasons people use hearing aids
Hearing aids can be used in both adults and children. Adults who use them often have reduced hearing compared to their generational peers and often have considerable difficulty comprehending speech unless they use them. Adults with normal hearing sometimes use them when they have trouble understanding conversations due to background noises.
The technology used in hearing aids
Modern hearing aids use digital signal processing techniques to gather, enhance and modify sound waves. Because the human ear is sensitive to a much smaller range of sound than a microphone, the amplified signal requires sound processing. Digital technology means that these processes can be performed with greater precision and speed.
Automatic gain adjustment
Advanced digital programs allow the automatic gain adjustment for the signal in each ear independently. This way, sounds across a range of different volume levels can be relayed to the wearer without disturbing anyone else nearby. Special programs can compensate for background noises such as birdsong or fans whirring so that speech and other sounds can still be heard.
Notch filters
If your hearing loss is not very great, and you just need assistance in certain situations, a program called notch filter can be programmed to reduce the sounds of a distracting background without reducing the overall volume of the stuff you want to hear.
Acoustic feedback canceller
In order to give the best amplification of sound, feedback is adjusted automatically by an acoustic feedback canceller for each ear to make sure that the hearing aid bypasses or cancels any sounds from within itself. This way, internal buzzing or whistling sounds can be eliminated.
If you would like to find out more about hearing aids, contact a health and medical centre today. A member of staff will be happy to help you book a hearing assessment or an appointment so you can be fitted with a set of hearing aids.
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