HOW HEARING AIDS CHANGE LIVES
 
HOW ADVANCED HEARING AID TECHNOLOGY IMPACTS ON OUTCOMES IN DAILY LIFE
Abstract
Hearing loss is the most common condition of chronic health for older people. Hearing aids have been used for years as a treatment and improvement of quality of life in older and younger people both. Even so, people of different ages have seen using hearing aids such as few older adults with not so complicated, mild to moderate, conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss use hearing aids. There is a belief that hearing aid does not provide sufficient value to justify their expenses. Although advance hearing aid is available at several price ranges. There is minimal evidence about the relative advantages of higher-level vs average-level hearing aid technologies.
 
Experimentation: A research was designed to demonstrate the relative effectiveness of higher-level hearing aids compared with an average-level hearing aid to improve understanding of speech and quality of life.
 
Method: 25 people participate in this experiment including experienced hearing aid users and new ones who uses a hearing aid for the first time. All of them uses four pairs of hearing aids, including two higher-level hearing aids and two average-level hearing aids and completed blinded month-long field trial.
 
Result: After a month of usage all participant was tested in the laboratory in speech understanding tests, and standardized questionnaires. Participants reacted positively to four of the hearing aids. They said both their speech understanding and quality of life were substantially improved by using hearing aids in everyday tests. Results for the experienced hearing users and new hearing users were consistent. At the end of the event, there were no clinically or statically any important differences between higher-level and average-level hearing aids.
 
Conclusion: It cannot be assumed that more costly hearing aid will always give better outcomes. The participant obtained similar improvement in speech understanding and quality of life from both average-level, low-cost instruments as from higher-level, premium instruments. Despite technology levels, aspects of best practice official procedures should be followed to maximize results for every patient.
 
Science Shows How Hearing Aids Is Improving Quality Of Life
Loss of hearing can lead someone to anxiety, loneliness, and even social isolation.
 
Survey shows that more than 80% percent of average people using hearing aid shared their experiences that wearing hearing aids improves their overall quality of life. Now they feel less physical and mental exhaustion, they can sleep better, they feel less depressed and after wearing hearing aids their memory is better than before, and they have improved their relations with their friends and family. The reason is simple: Even if someone is close to us struggling to hear them makes us feel isolated and cut off of the world in our daily life.
 
HEARING AID TECH
 
IS THERE ANY OPTION TO CORRECT HEARING LOSS WITHOUT ANY SURGICAL METHOD?
YES! Hearing Aids are a very common treatment for hearing loss. Using a hearing aid presents several benefits to a hearing-impaired person. First and foremost, you will hear a lot better
 
 
How Does Hearing Aid Works?
Hearing aid indeed is an amazing piece of technology that is making a huge difference in the lives of the people with loss of hearing, still many people don't know this tiny machine works. Many people call it "magic".
 
You must know the tech behind hearing aid, which is very interesting that they are better than magic.
 
There is a power-battery in every hearing aid. This device is small enough to wear on your wear. Simply a hearing aid makes the sound louder. A microphone adjusted in a hearing aid picks-up every sound, or acoustic signals from the environment and sends them to the processor. Where the processor amplifies every sound and signal and it converts them into electric signals. The loudspeaker or receiver transmits every signal to the wearer's ear. All the signals and sounds carried by the receiver are then released there and now can be perceived by the wearer.
 
HOW HEARING AIDS ARE MADE?
A hearing aid is a device that helps a hearing-impaired person by making sound audible. A hearing aid is more than just a sound amplifier. Modern hearing aids are now like a very powerful computer, thanks to modern technology. A hearing aid basically consists of 5 components:

  1. A microphone

  2. An amplifier

  3. A loudspeaker

  4. A battery

  5. And a computer chip


 
MODERN HEARING AIDS

  1. Analog Hearing Aid

  2. Digital Hearing Aid


 
HOW DO ANALOG HEARING AID WORKS
 
People have been using analog hearing aids for many years. It was the only kind of hearing aid that a person could get. But now a person can get more options than before while Analog hearing aids are still available and they can provide many advantages to a person.
 
An analog hearing aid is an electronic component that changes noise into amplified electrical signals. And this analog type of hearing aid can be custom built to cater to a variety of needs. These types of hearing aids are programmable and these aids, the setting can be changed. Analog hearing aids are programmed with a computer, with the help of an audiologist. This allows the user to choose any program depending upon their surroundings. Such as small rooms and large rooms, closed spaces and open spaces, areas with a high concentration of people and low concentration of people. So the user has to configure the setting depending on situations on Analog Hearing Aid.
 
Some other benefits of analog hearing aids are:
 

  • A person can get analog hearing aid easily and on average they are lower prices

  • Analog hearing aids give long battery backup at constant output volume.

  • They can be set up easily.


 
HOW DO DIGITAL HEARING AID WORKS
 
Hearing aids in this modern world are digital hearing aids. A digital hearing aid is a bit different from Analog hearing aid. Working with a digital hearing aid is done by passing sound through a Digital Signal Processor or DSP, which is a small computer chip and reads sound waves and then it processes them in many ways. There are not many benefits possible with analog hearing aids but a person can avail of many advanced capabilities and benefits with a digital one.
 
Digital hearing aids are more like a computer, than analog hearing aids which are based on microphones and speakers. Although the working process in both digital and analog hearing aids seems different like both take sound waves in and put them out to wearer's ear. But a person can avail of more amazing benefits with the digital one. A digital hearing aid can eliminate or amplify noise patterns and frequencies and it travels sound to more comfortable ranges. A digital hearing aid can also be integrated with electronic devices like phones and computers.
 
A person can have more advantages with too with a digital hearing aid, like:
 

  • A person can set different listening modes for different environments and their surroundings.

  • Digital hearing aids are more flexible to a person’s listening needs.

  • A great thing about digital hearing aid is they are lighter and smaller in size than an analog hearing aid.

  • Digital hearing aids have an ability to monitor your surrounding automatically and determine the best sound quality for you constantly


 
HOW HEARING AIDS WORKED BEFORE?
 
Hearing devices were first recorded in a book in 1588 called Natural Magick. Hearing aid trumpets dominated the 18th century. At that time hearing aid was bigger than now one end of the hearing apparatus was very big and wide to collect every signal and sound, while the other end was small and narrow to send captured sounds to the wearer's ear. This structure was made up of glass, seashells, and animal horns to build up complete trumpets, but later on, they were made out of copper and other metals.
 
They were later made unique and integrated as fashion accessories in the 19th century and added into the list of styling in hair and clothes.
 
 
IS THERE ANY INVISIBLE HEARING AIDS AVAILABLE?
If you are wondering to ask "Is there any invisible hearing aid?" the answer to your question is not yet, but technology is getting close!
 
In-Ear Hearing Aid VS Behind the Ear Hearing Aid
In the race of advance hearing aid, two main styles are available right now which are in-the-ear ITE or behind the ear/on top of the ear BTE. An in-the-ear hearing aid can be placed inside the ear and they are made by taking an impression/size of your ear, so they can be fit accurately in the ear. ITE hearing aids can only be seen if you get close to a person wearing this aid. Since ITE aid is a tiny device, so it cannot be controlled manually, there is not enough space on the surface of aid for a button or control system.
 
Behind-the-ear hearing aids are a little bigger in size than ITE aids and can be clearly seen along with the wire on the back of an ear. BTE comes with an earmold or with a receiver. But in both styles of BTE and the electrical structure is maintained outside the ear. Which allows a wearer for simpler fixes and less frequent repairs. A behind-the-ear hearing aid is very easy to use.
 
 
 
Why is hearing the most important sense?
 
Our hearing is perhaps the most precious sense, as one of our most important senses. Hearing empowers us and helps us to lead our everyday routines with no limitations. It gives us the power to work and communicate.
 
The world is full of amazing sounds and so much important ones as well
That we often hear. Indeed hearing itself is a grace of God for us.
 
ADVANTAGES OF HEARING
 
With the pair of ears, it makes us able to receive sound to the brain where the sound is interpreted and meaning is applied that gives us many benefits, including:
 

  • Understanding of speech

  • Clarity of speech

  • Helps in localization of sound

  • Identification of sound

  • Ability to hear in a noisy environment

  • Balanced hearing


However, hearing is the major sense of any person to communicate with the outer world, hearing a gift that connects us to stay connected to those we love.
 
 
Types of Hearing Loss
 
CONDUCTIVE HEARING LOSS
Conductive hearing loss is due to disorder with the eardrum, ear canal, or middle ear and little bones of the ear. Some causes of conductive hearing loss are,

  • Any abnormality in shape or form of outer ear, ear canal, or structure of the middle ear.

  • Any foreign object in the ear.

  • Any infection in the ear like otitis media.

  • Any fluid in the middle ear from colds.


 
SENSORINEURAL HEARING LOSS
Sensorineural hearing loss is due to disorder with the inner ear, it is also known as nerve-related hearing loss. Some causes of sensorineural hearing loss are,

  • Natural aging (presbycusis)

  • Head trauma

  • Disease or virus

  • Heredity

  • Head trauma


 
MIXED HEARING LOSS
Mixed hearing loss is a combination caused by both conductive damage in any middle or outer ear and sensorineural damage in the inner ear and auditory nerves sometimes.
 
 
5 Ways That A Person Can Do To Protect Hearing Health

  1. Stop using cotton swabs in your ears


 

  1. Turn down the volume when listening through earphone


 

  1. Keep your ears dry all the time


 

  1. Manage your stress levels


 

  1. Take your regular medications as directed by your chemist


 
THE SOONER YOU REALIZE HEARING LOSS, THE BETTER TO GET ONE
 
Loss of hearing is a natural part of the aging process. As mention above, there are many ways we can delay it and minimize its severity. But it's true             that hearing loss is inevitable as we age. And also mild hearing can be recovered with the help of hearing aid, so as soon you notice hearing loss address it to your doctor and ask them to prescribe you a hearing aid.
 
Think of all those important meetings you would miss if you can't hear well, you know you can't afford it. That would impact your performance. It's worthy to get one before you can't able to attend those meeting. You won't like to sit in those meetings when you can't hear anything from your colleagues, family and loved ones. Better hearing will boost your performance.
 
3 MOST COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS AND THE ACTUAL TRUTH ABOUT HEARING AIDS.
 

  1. Hearing aids are only older people, My social life will suffer by wearing hearing aids because they are not socially acceptable


A big number of people who wear hearing aids are adults. But young, children and even babies also wear a hearing aid. As there is a new law established that says all the babies will have their hearing tested at the time of birth so the babies with loss of hearing will be fit with hearing aid to help them hear. And yes, these babies and children then also grow up into young and adults with hearing aid to help. Also young and adults usually are in much exposure to loud frequencies and loud noises or may have an accident that can cause hearing loss, so young adults also get help from hearing aid.
 
Advanced hearing aids are very so small and so many people use hearing aids which help them to communicate and learn better. And hearing aids are now coming in so many sizes and colors that match skin and hair color. You might meet many hearing aid users every day and never know if they are wearing one.
 
Social life can be impacted if a person cannot communicate or hear, he may get frustrated. But if a person can use a hearing aid and communicate with others because everyone loves their selves to have listened and seeks attention. So hearing aid can improve social life.
 

  1. Using hearing aid will 100% make my hearing “normal” again


Loss of hearing is a neurological problem and hearing aid for this problem is a mechanical solution. The common hearing loss issues arise from a biological and neurological disorder such as damage in the inner or damage of any nerve that sends the signal to the brain. The severity of the hearing problem can be corrected by the help of hearing aid but it cannot be 100% corrected to normal. Generally, hearing aids are considered the best solution for hearing loss available.
 

  1. All hearing aids are the same, if I didn’t like one, I will not like any other.


Just like there are many different clothing manufacturers or many different shoe manufacturers, there are many hearing aid manufacturers. Every manufacturer follows a little different process to make a hearing aid. So this small difference in each manufacturer can make a huge change in how perfect a hearing aid works for you.
 
If a person had tried a hearing aid and it was not quite right for him, one should not give up. Better try a different manufacturer’s hearing aid. It might be perfect for you.
 
THE ONES WHO WEAR HEARING AIDS ARE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER
It is more likely that hearing aid user’s lives happier, healthier and wealthier, they say that they live a better quality of life than before when they do not use hearing aids and lived difficult lives.