With advances in modern technology, hearing aids are better than they’ve ever been and the stigma relating to them is slowly receding.
So what’s making hearing aids more appealing?
It is perhaps all of the new features now available, which improve accessibility beyond that of people with normal hearing.
For example, hearing aid users can fine tune their hearing through the use of smartphones. Users can alter volume at any time, as well as turn down background noise, and even focusing directionality to only listen to the person or thing in front of them.
New Ways to Connect!
The hearing aids themselves also communicate using Bluetooth, meaning that with a binaural fitting; four separate microphones are all used in synergy. This gives the wearer increased directionality, and 360 degrees of sound.
The Bluetooth also enables the aids to stream to each other. This is useful, as many people with hearing loss struggle with understanding voice over the phone; the hearing aids will automatically detect when you put a phone to your ear and will immediately stream the person’s voice over to the other ear. This means that hearing aid users can enjoy stereo phone calls.
Hearing aid users don’t need cumbersome headphones or earphones with lots of wiring, they simply pair the media player to their aids and off they go!
Imagine comfortably wearing high-quality headphones at all times. When a hearing aid user watches television, listens to the radio, or music from their smartphone; it is streamed to both ears. The sound stays the same volume regardless of the distance from its source and is played with the utmost clarity.
As Many Ears as Needed!
Hearing aid users can also have as many ears as they’d like! That’s right- separate microphones can be purchased in order to provide more clarity and cover a larger range than the hearing aids default microphones.
For example, in a busy restaurant where even a person with normal hearing may struggle to follow what somebody is saying; a hearing aid user can simply place an auxiliary microphone on the table in order to hear everyone around the table, or clip it to the clothing of the person they’re with. Either way, the sound will be focused on the immediate proximity rather than hearing the entire restaurant as people of normal hearing do.
Hearing Loops!
As mentioned, wireless television units are also available to hearing aid users, meaning users no longer have to turn the volume up too loud for others in the room.
With a wireless television unit, which is placed near the TV, the sound from your TV goes to your hearing aids, so you no longer have to turn up the volume, making it too loud for others in the room.
So you may be wondering what happens when there is no television unit, or when you go to the cinema or theatre? How will you hear?
This is where another key perk of hearing aids loops come in.
Loops are copper-wired amplifiers which create a magnetic field in a given area. Microphones or audio output are then connected to this amplifier; effectively broadcasting the sound across the entire area.
This means that when in situations such as the cinema or theatre, the user’s hearing aids can pick up the loop, and receive the sound. If a local cinema uses a loop, then as soon as you walk into the room you’ll have the sound streamed to your hearing aids at an adjustable volume in complete clarity.
The symbol for premises with a hearing loop.
Better than normal hearing!
So you see, although hearing loss is considered a disability, hearing aids are more an augmentation, allowing users to do things they could never do before!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading! If you know anybody hesitant about hearing aids, feel free to show them this article!
Find out some of the health benefits of using hearing aids by clicking here!
