Hearing Solutions
What is a hearing aid?
A hearing aid is a small, battery-powered electronic device that you wear in your ear that is designed to improve your hearing, if you suffer from hearing loss. They work to make sounds louder so an individual with a hearing loss can hear, communicate effectively, and participate more easily, in everyday listening situations.
All hearings aids consist of 3 parts:
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The microphone
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The amplifier
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The receiver (speaker)
Small microphones on the hearing aid pick up sounds from the environment, which then converts the sound waves into electrical signals. It then sends the signals to the amplifier, which makes the sounds louder. These signals then go to the receiver, which amplifies the sound further into the ear canal.
How can hearing aids help?
Hearing aids can improve your hearing significantly, as they contain a tiny computer chip that is accurately programmed according to your specific individual hearing loss, lifestyle, and listening needs. The combination of high and low pitches, at soft and loud levels, is continuously analyzed and adjusted.
Studies have shown hearing aids improve quality of life and can help you:
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Improve relationships with family
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Listen, communicate, and participate more easily in social gatherings
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Decrease listening effort
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Localize sounds
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Slow down cognitive decline and dementia
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Improve mental health
Features of Hearing Aids
All modern hearing aids are digital and range from basic to premium technology levels. The higher technology level in the hearing aid, the more advanced features and the better the hearing aid will be able to perform in a variety of challenging listening environments. There are many advanced features in newer hearing aid technology today. To name a few:
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Rechargeable Hearing Aids: NO more batteries! The batteries are built inside the hearing aids using lithium-ion technology, available in Behind-The-Ear (BTE) and Receiver-In-Ear (RIC) hearing aids!
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Bluetooth Connectivity: Hearing aids are now able to directly stream audio to several electronic devices using Bluetooth, such as: cell phones, tablets, televisions, microphones, and more! They also come with smartphone apps, allowing the end user to make adjustments, contact their hearing care provider, and monitor battery life!
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Artificial Intelligence: Advanced hearing aids can automatically adjust the volume in various listening environments!
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Directional Microphones: Allows the end user to localize sound and improve speech recognition in background noise!
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Noise Reduction Systems: This feature makes the background noise less irritating and increases your listening comfort. This feature has been shown to be effective and preferred by hearing aid wearers!
Hearing Aid Styles
Hearing aids differ in style and in technical features. At Clarity Hearing, our Hearing Instrument Specialist will recommend the appropriate hearing instrument based on:
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Your individual hearing loss/prescription
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Ear shape
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Lifestyle
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Budget
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Cosmetic preferences/concerns
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Manual dexterity
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Listening environments
Behind - the - Ear (BTE)
The BTE hearing aid sits comfortably behind the ear and is connected by a clear, plastic tube to a custom earmold worn in the ear that directs the amplified sound to the eardrum. They are available in different colours to match hair or skin tone. Read More
Receiver - In - Canal (RIC)
In these hearing aids, the main components sit behind the ear, and the amplified sound travels through a thin wire into the receiver (or "loudspeaker") that sits inside your ear. It is virtually unnoticeable when worn, which is why it is one of the most popular hearing aids available today!
Custom Hearing Aids
The components of the custom hearing aid are housed in a shell that are custom moulded to your ear canal. These individualized hearing aids are worn directly in the ear and are available in different skin tones to make them more discrete. Styles include in-the- ear (ITE), in-the- canal (ITC), completely-in- the-canal (CIC), and lastly, invisible-in-the-canal (IIC). Read More
Book your FREE hearing test and consultation to start your journey towards better hearing today!