A Thunder Bay Audiologist Discusses the Latest Hearing Aid Technology
What’s new in hearing aid technology, as related by a Thunder Bay audiologist? Plenty! Read on to get the latest news regarding assistive listening devices.
Nearly everything about hearing aids has changed in the past century, and even in the last five years. From the earliest trumpet horns, to the battery-operated devices of mid-century, to more modern digital technology, hearing aids have come a long way.
Anyone suffering from hearing loss will be pleased to know that they can now enjoy the benefit of devices that have gotten far smaller, much more effective, and more discreet than what was available in previous decades. And the future holds even more advanced developments.
Hearing Aids Currently on the Market
Today, some hearing aids employ the same fuzzy logic rules as your desktop computer; that is they have the capability of automatically adjusting to a particular set of ambiguities. The wearer is able to enjoy crisper, clearing hearing as the assistive listening device optimizes itself in response to sounds in the environment.
These new hearing aids have proved to provide superior speech processing even in the presence of background noise, improved comfort in response to loud noises, and better amplification of soft sounds. These brand new devices are overall better at improving hearing than any others before them.
Another new type of digital hearing aid utilizes adaptive dynamic range optimization (ADRO). Rather than traditional compression circuits, ADRO also relies on fuzzy logic algorithms to constantly readjust in response to sounds in the environment. Both extremely loud noises and echoes are eliminated. Ultra-low delay with 32 channels (as opposed to the maximum eight in previous models) and an adaptive directional microphone provide the clearest, most effective treatment for hearing loss.
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Another major advance involves a more personalized and specific hearing aid fitting. An ophthalmologist can test your eyes to prescribe the precise type of vision aid you need; now a Thunder Bay audiologist can do much the same for your ears and provide an assistive listening device that addresses the exact band of sound and loudness each patient requires.
The more advanced the technology becomes to provide superior sound amplification and reduction of background noise, the more it also provides smaller hearing aids to be manufactured. Many of today’s hearing devices are nearly invisible, fitting snugly into the ear canal without overt protrusion.
Hearing Aids of the Future
It seems that our current time period is one that can attribute nearly all medical device advances to computerization and the same holds true for the future of hearing aids. Both transducers and circuitry currently being used to develop assistive listening devices are shrinking. Soon, hearing aids may be so small as to be virtually unnoticeable, or even completely hidden. Yet, as the size decreases, the power will increase thanks to modern computer technology.
Thunder Bay audiologists of the future expect more participation from their patients. Treatment options are truly a joint decision based on collaboration between the professional and the consumer who becomes more involved in fitting and adjusting their own hearing aid. It certainly won’t mean that audiologists are no longer needed, but for those suffering from hearing loss, treatment will be more of a hands-on experience.
From the minute you walk in the office of a Thunder Bay audiologist for your hearing assessment, you will clearly see the differences between those bulky, ineffective devices of long ago and today’s modern diagnostic equipment and treatment options.