What do hearing aids do?
Hearing aids are small devices that help people with impaired hearing. You can wear them in or behind the ear. With this gadget, people with hearing loss can better listen, communicate, and take part in everyday activities.
If you want to know more about hearing aids and how they can help, read on. We will expand your knowledge of this gadget. It allows you to determine whether it’s the right treatment for you:
What Do Hearing Aids Do, Exactly?
You might ask how hearing aids work on a technical level. To understand, discover their components. It allows you to know their purpose.
Hearing aids have three basic parts:
- Microphone
- Amplifier
- Speaker
The microphone receives these external signals. After that, the device converts them into digital signals.
As the name suggests, the amplifier increases the digital signal’s strength. Finally, the speaker reproduces the amplified sound into the wearer’s ear.
How Hearing Aids Improve Hearing
Hearing aids help those with hearing loss resulting from damage to the inner ear’s hair cells. It’s also known as sensorineural hearing loss. It happens because of aging, disease, or injury from loud noises or some medicines.
A hearing aid amplifies the sound waves entering the ear. It allows surviving hair cells to pick up the larger waves. They then convert the waves into neural signals and send them to the brain.
The more severe the hearing loss, the greater the amplification requirements. However, amplification hearing aids come with limits. If the inner ear sustained too much damage, it’s unlikely to pick up the amplified sound.
How Do I Know if I Need Hearing Aids?
If you’re considering hearing aids, visit your physician. They may connect you to an otolaryngologist or an audiologist. The former specializes in ear, nose, and throat disorders.
Meanwhile, the latter promotes hearing health. They can identify and measure hearing loss through a hearing test. They’ll help choose a suitable hearing aid and adjust to your needs.
If you plan to get a hearing aid, ask for a trial period. It gives you time to decide if it’s right for you. If you’re looking for hearing clinics, check out this branch.
Different Hearing Aid Styles
Now you know how hearing aids work. Did you know that they also come in different styles?
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids allow you to wear the primary component behind your ear. It connects to a plastic earmold that fits within your outer ear.
With the BTE style, the main component behind the ear amplifies sound. They send it to the earmold and into the ear.
Then there’s the in-the-ear (ITE) style. The whole hearing aid fits within the outer ear.
There’s also the in-the-canal hearing aid. It fits partly or completely inside the ear canal.
Get Your Hearing Checked
What do hearing aids do? They help people with hearing loss to function better in everyday tasks.
Hearing aids amplify sound entering the ear to help damaged hearing cells detect them. If you think you or someone you know has hearing loss, visit a professional.
If you found this article helpful, check out our other guides for more.
