Hearing Aids: How They Help to Hearing Impaired Peoples?

For those who suffer from hearing loss, life is a series of missed opportunities. Even very close loved ones tend to switch off when they know they are not going to be heard. Hearing aids are primarily used in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss. This type of hearing loss results from damage to the small sensory cells of the inner ear, called hair cells. This type of hearing loss is called censorial hearing loss. The damage can occur due to aging, disease, injury from noise or certain medicines.

A hearing aid amplifies sound vibrations entering the ear. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are then transmitted to the brain. The greater the damage to the hair cells, the grater the hearing loss and the greater the amplification needed for comfortable hearing. The ability to provide amplification by the hearing aids is limited. In addition, if the inner ear is too damaged, even large vibrations cannot be converted to neural signals rendering the hearing aid ineffective.

There are different types of hearing aids to address different types of hearing loss. They differ in style and function.

Behind The Ear hearing aids consist of a hard plastic case worn behind the ear, and connected to a plastic ear mould that fits inside the outer ear. Sound travels from the hearing aid through the ear mould and into the ear. BTE hearing aids are used by people of all ages for mild to profound hearing loss.

In The Ear hearing aids fit completely inside the outer ear and are suitable for mild to severe hearing loss. Some ITE aids may have certain special features installed such as the telecoil. A telecoil is a small magnetic coil that allows sound to be received through the circuitry of the hearing aid rather than the microphone. This facilitates the hearing of telephonic conversations and public facilities installed with public loop systems. Induction loop systems can be found in cinemas, auditoriums, airports, schools and churches.

Canal aids fit the ear and are available in two styles. The In the Canal – ITC aid is designed to fit the ear canal of the patient. A completely in canal hearing aid CIC, is nearly hidden in the ear canal. Both types are used in mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

Hearing aids work differently depending on the technology used. The two main types are analogue and digital.

Analogue Aids convert sound waves to electrical signals, which are amplified. The aid is programmed by the manufacturer according to the directions of the Audiologist.

Digital aids convert sound waves into numerical codes, similar to the binary code of a computer before amplifying them. Digital circuitry allows the Audiologist more flexibility in adjusting the aid to a user’s need and to certain listening environments. These aids can also be programmed to focus on sounds coming from a certain direction.

Hearing aids help reintegrate the patient into society.