Hearing Aids and Their Features

Hearing aids are amazing pieces of tiny technology. It is amazing to think about everything they can do and all that technology is packed into something no bigger than a nickel. Of course, just like hearing aids come in a variety of styles, there are just as many different features to consider as well. Each manufacturer offers a number of different features in their hearing aids. When considering a hearing aid, it’s important to understand what the different features are and if they’re right for you. Let’s take a closer look at some of your options:

• Directional microphone: This helps wearers to hear sound all around them, thus giving them the feeling of regular hearing. However, it also helps to focus on the sound in front of the wearer while dimming the background noise giving the wearer the ability to understand speech more clearly and with ease.
• Noise reduction: There are a couple of noise reduction features such as digital noise reduction and impulse noise reduction. Both help to reduce the sound of unwanted noise present around the user making them more tolerable; such as dishes clinking or the turning “click” signal in the car.
• Feedback reduction: This feature helps to reduce and eliminate any whistle that may occur when feedback is present. Feedback can occur when wearing a hat, from improper hearing aid placement in the ear or even from the hair, so this feature is great at reducing this annoyance.
• Bluetooth: Many hearing aids today have this feature. This is perfect for people on the go because it connects wirelessly to most of your devices like your phone, your car and even your home theater system. This allows you to control your volume personally while not adjusting it for others.
• Wind noise reduction: This feature helps to dim and reduce the noise that can be present when the wind is blowing over the microphones of the hearing aid. This feature is great for those that are outside a lot or in windy places.
• Data logging: This feature can be nice for many people because it helps you and your audiologist understand which programs you use the most, as well as the volume levels you use most in each setting. This allows you and the audiologist to adjust your programs as needed to make the use and sound more comfortable for you.
• Programs: There are multiple programs that one can choose from when it comes to your hearing aids. You will most likely always have a regular listening program and a noisy program, or a quiet and a loud program. You can also have programs for music, the telephone and for any other specific activity you do.

When selecting a hearing aid, it’s crucial to communicate with your audiologist to find out the best device for your needs and preferences. Having a knowledge of the different features available on hearing aids will help you and your audiologist decide which model is best for you.