Added: 02/02/2006 |
Digital hearing aids, ready to wearThere are now many people suffering from hearing problems. Digital hearing aids were designed to help them hear better. In the past passive amplifying systems were used in hearing aids. The basic principle was to amplify sounds coming to a trumpet-like cone acoustically. These were passive hearing aids as there were no amplifying devices. With the development of electronics, this made it possible to develop electronic hearing aids. They had small built-in amplifiers with a microphone and earphones attached. These hearing aids were much more effective than passive trumpet-like devices - but they were not portable.
With the development of digital technologies and ergonomics most things started to come in smaller packages. It allowed improvements in hearing aids, decreased their size and makes them portable. A small digital hearing device fits into an ear easily and supplies energy from a battery. The first variation of such digital hearing aids connected the dynamic with the battery with a thin wire. These digital hearing aids had significant disadvantages because the microphone was not located near the user's head so clothing and unwanted noise influenced a conversation very much.
At the end of the twentieth century hearing aids have become even smaller. For some time it has been possible to build batteries in the device and the entire unit fits in the ear very well. Presently there are many kinds of hearing aids varying in size, power and circuitry. The first type is body worn aids. It was the first type of hearing aids and nowadays it is quite rarely used. The aids like these consist of a case with amplifying components inside and a hearing device connected to the case by a wire. The case is small enough and can be worn in the pocket. Body worn aids are now largely replaced with behind the ear aids (BTE).
BTE's have a small case located behind the ear. The earmold is custom made to ensure that it fits behind the ear firm. Behind the ear hearing aids can be used with children with severe hearing losses because they are durable enough and can be easily connected to assisted listening devices in a classroom. Behind the ear hearing aids come in a high variety of colors. They can be of skin color but on your demand they can be purchased in cheerful and bright colors, too. The next type of device is in the ear aids (ITE). These devices are worn in the outer ear and you can sometimes see them during a conversation. In the ear hearing aids are all custom-made to fit an individual's ear.
Usually ITE's are prescribed under mild or profound hearing losses. ITE's are not recommended for growing children as ears grow and the hearing devices will need to be replaced often. In the canal hearing aids (ITC) are smaller, they fit just the bottom half of the outer ear. It is very difficult to see such hearing devices - even if you are close to this person. Mostly in canal (MIC) and completely in the canal aids (CIC) are even smaller and often not visible when you are face to face with the person. They can be discovered only when you look into the person's ear. All these digital hearing aids belong to ready to wear devices and are very convenient.
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