Hearing, one of the vital senses of the human beings is a divine gift of God. Unlucky few are among us with their hearing impaired denied of the most melodious sounds of nature like the chirping of birds and that of the feeble flowing stream. Technology finally came to the rescue of this lot, in the form of hearing aids. Hearing aids are not new to the medical world. They have been in use for several years ever since the device was commercially introduced in the market.
These are devices that amplify the sound made to help the hearing impaired. Various improved varieties of different hearing aids are available in the market. The most common and the oldest are the one that is worn on the body. This is the first generation hearing aids now seldom used. The technology consists of an amplification system that is connected to a mold placed around the ear. The unit is large in size and can be used in severe cases of hearing losses where other units are futile. A newer version of the hearing aid is the one that fits behind the ear.
In this new model the mold is connected to a small case that is placed behind the ear. Such hearing aids are commonly used by children with hearing impairment because of its durability and capability of connecting to the assistive listening devices. One of the modern varieties of the hearing aids is the ITE Aids. These are placed inside the ear and are custom made. This can be used for children once their growing pattern slows down. Other wise if used in growing children though the device may work smoothly the same would have to be changed once it becomes a miss fit inside the ear.
It would be in the interest of the patient to consult a doctor before he chooses a device. The latest trend in the hearing aids is the digital hearing aid. They provide high quality sound with a better listening experience. Conventional analogue hearing aids converts the sound waves into electrical waves and reconvert to produce the accurate sound.
The quality of the sound produced by the analogue varieties is not as accurate as that of the digital hearing aids. The latter make use of exact mathematical formula that helps produce an exact form of the original sound.
One may wonder why some individuals still use analogue hearing aids in spite of the fact that they produce lesser quality sounds ? The answer is quite simple. The analogue hearing Aids are comparatively cheaper than the digital hearing aids. The cost of the former is almost double of the latter.
Though it is a bit more expensive it is advisable to go for a digital hearing aid because of the superior sound quality and a plethora of additional features. They can be custom made to the specific need of the individual and the degree of hearing loss. Further, they are miniature in size and invisible to the eyes.
These hearing aids are technologically superior and produce near real sounds. They are a major help for the millions of hearing impaired.
The author is a regular contributor to Rediscover Hearing where more hearing aid information is available. For a great selection of hearing aid products go here.
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