Types
of Hearing Aids
Digital, Analogue, Programmable
These pages explain a bit more about how different
types of hearing aid work. Hearing aids are either analogue or digital.
The difference is in how they process sounds. The information here
is brief and our audiology staff can explain these aids to you in
more detail, giving information and advice about what would be the
best aid for you, following your hearing assessment.
Analogue
Until 1996, all hearing aids contained analogue circuits. These
aids process sound in a linear way. This means that the hearing
aid takes soft and loud sounds and amplifies them in the same way,
until the maximum amplification has been reached. Analogue aids
are difficult to fine tune. These two factors meant that background
sounds in noisy situations could be over amplified.
Developments in analogue aids mean that many now
use compression techniques. This means that quiet sounds are amplified
until they are loud enough to be heard, and loud sounds are given
less amplification so that you do not experience uncomfortably loud
sound levels.
Digitally Programmable
Digitally programmable hearing aids are ones that are analogue aids
with additional digital technology that offers a more flexible hearing
solution. Programming means that the aids can be adjusted to fit
the environment you are using them in. Technology allows you to
make adjustments manually or automatically.
Digital Hearing Aids
Fully digital aids process sounds in a much more sophisticated manner,
pro-actively adapting to the environment. This means that the sounds
you hear are clearer, with less distortion and less background noise.
Digital aids convert sounds into data. This data
is then processed by a tiny computer within the aid. This means
that sounds can be processed more precisely. For the wearer, this
means a reduction in feedback (whistling) and less background noise.
The introduction of directional microphones, which
pick up sounds coming from specific directions, has also improved
the level of background noise experienced for the hearing aid wearer.
Together with digital technology, this means a marked improvement
for you.
Digital hearing aids
can also be quite expensive, so how can you be sure that your investment
is worthwhile and the decision you make is the right one? At House
of Hearing, we offer a dedicated service which focuses on helping
our customers find the best digital hearing aids, based on
their precise requirements.
From the very beginning, we will answer any questions
you may have regarding our available wide range of digital hearing
aids and offer you the best advice in a clear and uncluttered manner.
Our consultations are completely free of charge
and we are also able to offer free trials on the majority of digital
hearing aids that we have in stock. It is our aim to provide
you with the best digital hearing aid solution available and we
can even help you further by offering free finance if the cost of
your chosen hearing aid products is beyond your immediate means. |
