How Hearing Aids Work: the Basics

            There are a variety of hearing aids on the market today that help hearing-impaired people hear the world around them better.  Many are digital and provide superior sound quality for the wearer.  The various types of hearing aids include behind-the-ear, mini-behind-the ear/on-the-ear, in-the-ear or in-the-canal aids.

The two main types of technology hearing aids use include analog or digital technology.  Analog technology amplifies or makes louder all sounds; some of these hearing aids are programmable.  The more popular hearing aid versions contain digital technology, which converts sound waves into digital signals and allows for a more exact replication of sound.  This more involved processing of the sound allows the individual to discriminate sounds in the presence of background noise better.  These types of aids also are able to meet specific hearing loss needs better.  Most digital aids allow for many program memories.   Many hearing aid features include the T-coil (telephone switch), directional microphones to help in noisy environments (making certain sounds louder to be processed by the hearing aid), direct audio input to connect to various devices, and feedback suppression.

Hearing aids come with earmolds, which vary by type as well.  Earmolds fit into the outer ear and send the sound waves picked up by the hearing aid microphone into the outer ear, which are then received by the eardrum so it moves.  These earmolds include canal earmolds, full-shell earmolds, half-shell earmolds, and skeletal earmolds (with material removed from the center). 

A small battery powers the hearing aid so it works effectively.  As long as the batteries have power, the hearing aid should function very well.

Hearing aids remain a wonderful choice for hearing-impaired individuals who are candidates for them and wish to improve their ability to hear the sounds around them.