Hearing Aid Technology

Information from the Experts

Today's hearing aids come with a wide selection of features and in many price ranges. Shohet Ear Associates offers one of the most extensive selection of hearing aids in Orange County, so you are sure to find the right instrument for you.

What is the “Latest and Greatest” in Hearing Aid Technology?

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Several new developments in hearing aid technology are making it easier than ever to find the right hearing aid for you.

A. Open Acoustic Fittings

What? You don’t have to block the ear canal with a hearing aid or earmold to benefit from hearing aids? Technological advances are making leaps and bounds in the direction of open ear acoustics. This type of technology feeds the sound into the ear via inconspicuous tubing or a receiver. It is virtually invisible and is very comfortable to wear. The theory behind this technology is that the ear naturally provides amplification by its mere shape and size, and plugging it with an earmold or hearing aid is counterproductive. Open Ear Acoustics keep the ear canals free, preserving their own natural ability to amplify sound.

B. Directional Microphone Systems

Revolutionary new methods can now reduce the amount of unwanted noise hearing aid patients experience when they enter a noisy environment. They provide noticeable improvements in the ability to understand conversation by reducing background noise and allowing the wearer to focus on the incoming speech. This wonderful option can adapt and change patterns to maximize noise reduction automatically.

C. Wireless Technology

Patients will no longer have to fiddle with both of their hearing aids to try to get them balanced. This latest wireless technology allows both hearing aids to communicate and function as one hearing system. This intelligent circuit analyzes, interprets the environment, and shares information automatically and continuously. When one hearing aid is adjusted, the other simultaneously self adjusts so balance and synchronization can be achieved. What a concept!

D. Automatic Telecoil

Talking on the telephone is important for most people. Now, hearing aid wearers do not have to compromise hearing for telephone usage, they can use both! A telecoil is a special feature that will amplify only telephone signals and no other surrounding noise. New technology allows the hearing aid to automatically switch to telephone mode when the telephone is placed near the hearing instrument. The patient will no longer have to panic when the phone rings. They will simply pick up the phone and be ready to listen.

E. Virtual Hearing Aid Shell Technology

Having a shell made with virtual technology means there is no need to see your audiologist for a new impression if the instrument is lost or damaged. Because the hearing aid image is stored in memory, you only need to pick up the phone and call. Sound futuristic? Wait until you no longer have to get an earmold impression made at all when you order hearing aids. Ask us for more information.

F. Automatic Feedback Cancellation

Have you ever been sitting next to someone who’s hearing aid is creating a high pitched whistling sound? This sound is called feedback and is not only annoying to the person wearing the hearing aids, but to everyone around them. Feedback occurs when sound leaking out of the hearing aid goes back into the microphone of the hearing aid. New feedback systems that continuously analyze the incoming signal will discreetly and instantly minimize it without compromising any gain a person may need…..automatically!

G. Automatic Volume Control

In a fast moving world, many people don’t have time to stop and make adjustments to incoming signals. Hearing aids now offer the option to do this for the wearer automatically. Softer sounds are given more amplification, and loud incoming sounds are given little-to-no amplification. Changes to the hearing aid will be automatically and continuously updated, depending on the environment.

H. Multi Programs

Most hearing aids have the option of having different programs for specific environments. The advantage of this is you can manually optimize what you hear by selecting a particular program on your hearing aid to best fit your desired environment.

I. Noise Reduction Feature

There are certain sounds that are just not pleasant to hear. Hearing aids can be personalized to offer sound processing that does away with many unwanted background sounds, such as road noise, fans and refrigerators.

 

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Millions of people who wear hearing aids have a difficult time with the use of digital cell phones. The problem is the way that sound is emitted over a wireless network. The conversation is transmitted using radio waves creating an electromagnetic field around the cell phone.These radio waves or radio frequency emissions (RF) interfere with the desired signal. To complicate matters, each cell phone carrier has their own technology in transmitting calls over a wireless network. Some people may be able to use one service provider more easily than another.

The FCC has established rules for service providers and cell phone manufacturers that require them to offer at least two phones with reduced interference, or ensure that one-fourth of the phones that service providers sell, produce less interference. Manufacturers and carriers will also have to provide some phones with telecoil coupling capability so that they will work with certain types of hearing aids. By February 2008, the FCC is stressing that fifty percent of all digital cell phones produced must have less interference.