Right Hearing Aids for You That Suits Your Style

Today we have the latest in digital technology that gives us small instruments that are highly efficient as well as comfortable to wear and virtually unnoticeable to an observer without a close examination. In the present day, a sophisticated range of hearing aids is being made by companies like Siemens, Phonak, Widex. Specialized hearing aids for children are also being made.

Hearing aids gather sounds from the environment through a microphone, amplify the sound and then direct this amplified signal into your ear by way of a loudspeaker. The amplified signal stimulates your inner ear, which activates nerve fibers that carry the sound impulses to your brain.

Hearing Aids today are broken down into several main types which can be worn externally.

The most common is the behind the ear (BTE) hearing aids. These aids come with the wires encased in a semi-circular hard plastic cover that can be worn behind the ear. The sound is delivered to the ear with the help of an ear mold made of soft plastic which can fit inside an individual's ear. They are available in a variety of colors to match the skin and/or hair color to make them less noticeable. In recent years they have been technically improved with the use of thinner and invisible sound tubes. The most popular of these is the small "open fit" aid.

In-the-canal (ITC), In-the-ear (ITE) and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids all fit in the ear canal itself. The receiver, microphone, and amplifier are contained within a shell worn in the ear. Completely-in-the-Canal aids are the smallest model available and fit deep inside your ear canal so that they're practically invisible. In-the-Canal aids are small enough to fit almost entirely in your ear canal, making them hardly noticeable. In-the-Ear aids fit within your outer ear.

Hearing aids are either digital or analog. Digital technology offers many refinements so the hearing aids can be adjusted to better compensate for the amplitude and frequency of hearing loss. They are also smaller but cost more than analog hearing aids.

Before purchasing any hearing aid it is well to be examined by an audiologist who will determine the extent of your hearing loss. You will then be able to obtain the best aid for your particular loss. You can also buy hearing aids online without a prescription and many people have found this to be satisfactory, especially if they are trying to save money.

Many people who don't wear hearing aids don't even know how they work. Hearing aids have a microphone that picks up sound, an amplifier that magnifies it, and a receiver that delivers the amplified sound into the ear canal. The characteristics of these vary to suit different hearing losses. An audiologist can then adjust the hearing aids either manually or using a computer to get the optimum result for each individual. As hearing losses are generally very different from person to person, a hearing aids must be individually selected for each case.

The hearing aids must also fit snugly in the ear canal so an impression of the ear is taken to have the hearing aid or ear mold custom made.

Some hearing aids have multiple memories and are called programmable aids. They can be adjusted by the wearer to suit different environments; for example, to respond better in noisy situations, some have a volume control, others automatically adjust their volume according to the incoming sound.

All hearing aids operate with a battery, the size and life span of which varies according to the size of the hearing aid. Usually, each battery cell lasts for about a week of usage. The used battery is then easily replaced by the hearing aids user.