Many Australians will require hearing aids in their lifetime. This could be due to hearing loss attributed to old age, or you might have a condition that impacts your hearing earlier in life. Regardless of your reasons, hearing aids are a common device, and with recent innovations in the industry some hearing aids are considered minicomputers for their incredible capabilities.
Though you might understand how hearing aids work in general, many of us are unaware about how these amazing devices actually function. With years of experience fitting patients with hearing aids, let Dr Ted Smith explain how hearing aids work.
What are the main components?
There’s are typically three main components of modern hearing aids:
- Microphone
- Processor
- Loudspeaker
Microphone
The microphone is responsible for picking up sounds or acoustic signals from the environment the person is in and then transmits them to the processor.
Processor
After receiving the sounds or signals, the processor amplifies the sounds and converts them into electrical signals.
Loudspeaker
The loudspeaker then communicates these sounds to the wearer’s ear, where the sounds are received clearly.
How will my hearing change after?
After being fitted with your hearing aid, you will likely experience sounds you might have previously forgotten were audible – paper rustling, the sound of traffic, clinking of cutlery. It might be overwhelming at first; you may feel as though things are too loud, including your own voice. It will take some time for you to adjust to this but wearing your aids as much as possible in many different environments will go a long way to getting you used to these everyday sounds again.
Get ahead of your hearing loss
If you’re experiencing reduced hearing, you should make an appointment with Dr Ted Smith to get a diagnosis and treatment plan. If you do require hearing aids, there are many different products on the market that factor in things like your hearing requirements, lifestyle, budget, and cosmetics (what the hearing aid looks like). We work closely with brands like Signia, Phonak, and Unitron, so we’re more than happy to find the right solution for you.
Please don’t hesitate to call us on (02) 9525 3500 or email entreception@iinet.net.au for more information.