Bone Conduction Hearing Aids are similar to conventional hearing aids in that they assist you with hearing, however they differ from standard hearing aids in exactly how they do it: They are specially designed for people who cannot wear conventional aids due to some of the following reasons:
- The person previously has a middle ear conditions
- The person has continual ear infections or eczema
- The person is fully or partially missing their ear canal
- The person’s ear canal is unusually small
Some people experience what is known as Conductive Hearing Loss, which occurs when sound is prevented from reaching the inner ear; usually because of a blockage or abnormality in the middle or outer ear. Bone Conduction hearing aids are a great option when providing amplification.
Bone Conduction Hearing Aids amplify sound, but they do it not by passing sound into your ear canal, but actually by sending vibrations through the bones of your skull. These vibrations given off by Bone Conduction are transmitted directly from the aid through your skull and into the Cochlea. For this reason Bone Conduction bypasses the outer and middle ear, making it ideal for anybody with the aforementioned conditions.
There are three main forms of Bone Conduction Hearing Aids:
- Traditional Bone Conduction Hearing Aids
- Spectacle Hearing Aids
- Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids
People usually find that after Bone Conduction Hearing Aids are fitted, they experience fewer ear infections, less electronic feedback, and their ear canals are less sore than with standard hearing aids.
Bone Conduction Headbands
Bone Conduction Headbands are exactly what you might think, a bone conductor mounted on a headband. The type of headband used will depend on the client and their requirements. Typically, the two types of headband used are soft headbands (like sweat bands) or a hard headband (like a tight metal hairband).
Soft headbands are more commonly used on children, or by adults for recreation and sports. This is because they are more comfortable and have less hard edges.
The hard headbands are more used by adults, or those looking for a more discreet option than the soft headband.
The benefit of headband bone conductors is that they can be removed and altered for comfort. Bone conductor headbands are commonly used to help people decide whether they feel they would receive significant benefit from bone conduction technology. Successful adopters of bone conductor headbands will often then go on to have Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHAs) fitted.
Spectacle Hearing Aids
It is entirely possible to have Hearing Aids and Glasses built into one single unit, and they do have some distinct advantages.
Spectacle Hearing Aids provide an effective solution for anybody suffering from conductive hearing loss, as Spectacle Hearing Aids come in the form of a bone conduction unit. The bone conductor within is mounted on the arm of the spectacles, placing them comfortably on the mastoid bone behind the ear. This pressured bone conductor then sends vibrations directly to the cochlear, which then travels to the brain via auditory stimulation.
Additionally, Spectacle Hearing Aids can be prescribed as air conduction devices, and possess all the advantages for sensory neural loss sufferers.
There are some significant factors to consider however before purchasing Spectacle Hearing Aids; if a part of the Spectacle Hearing Aid malfunctions, breaks, needs maintenance, or a new prescription is needed, you would be left without both your spectacles and hearing aids whilst they are at the repairers.
Also, as many spectacle wearers can testify, your eyes occasionally need a rest, and you cannot do this without also removing your hearing instruments.
If you have any questions regarding Spectacle Hearing Aids, please Contact Us!
Bone Anchored Hearing Aids
Bone Anchored Hearing Aids (BAHAs) include a permanent titanium fixture or implant, as opposed to a removable headband. This fixture is subcutaneously inserted into the skull bone behind your ear. This contains the vibrating component. Afterwards, a small detachable sound processor clips onto this fixture. This again bypasses the external auditory canal and middle ear. BAHAs are also available with digital technology.
The good news is, transferring sounds to the inner ear directly doesn’t use as much amplification as conventional hearing aids as it is simply not needed. This means the sound quality from bone-anchored aids feels more natural.
Also due to its external nature, just as with the bone conduction aids; bone-anchored aids don’t contribute to ear infections, ear sores or irritation.
Over 150,000 people worldwide have undergone the safe and simple procedure, which has absolutely no risk of damage to your ear or hearing.
If you have any questions at all regarding Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids; please do not hesitate to give us a call!
