Things have changed since your great, great grandfather held an ear trumpet up to his ear. Even ten years ago, hearing aids weren’t capable of doing the things they can do today. The advancement of hearing aid technology permits users to do activities that seemed unlikely in the past. Just think about these seven things hearing aids are currently able to do.
1. Stay Put Even When You are Moving
At one time, it would have been unheard of to ride a bike or jog with your hearing aids in place. Even the highest quality hearing aids are subject to damage if they fall out while you are on the move. Now you can to wear your hearing aids when you’re working out whether you are a novice or an athlete.
The evolution here is not in the technology, though. You can still break or lose your hearing aids if they fall out. Innovation wins out with a straightforward concept: hearing aid retention cords. It’s kind of like having your hearing aids on a lanyard. They attach to the hearing aid and then clip to your clothes for safety. Hearing aid retention cords area great choice for kids, too.
2. Resist Water
Most hearing aids don’t do well when fully underwater even though they are water resistant. Instead, if you want to go swimming you’ll need to get waterproof hearing aids and think about a few add-ons.
Start with a protective covering for your hearing aids. Waterproof Sleeves fit tightly over the devices to protect them from water damage while still allowing you to hear. A cord is also included with most sleeves so you won’t lose your hearing aid while enjoying summer activities.
The second thing you might want to invest in is a dehumidifier for your hearing aids. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, some amount of water is going to get into the case. The unit gets dried out by the dehumidifier without causing damage to the fragile components.
3. Pair With Your Smartphone
No more having to remove your hearing aid every time your phone rings. However, some brands don’t have this feature. Wireless streaming capability and Bluetooth enabling are capabilities you will want to think about when buying new hearing aids. This technology allows them to pair with your phone just like Bluetooth earbuds or headphones do.
Interested in streaming a movie? This is another case where wireless functionality are useful. Sound from your MP3 player or TV can be received by a hearing aid that is equipped with Bluetooth technology.
Most hearing aids have a telephone adaptation, as well, that works for cell phones or landlines. Signals from your phone can be heard in your hearing aid thanks to a telecoil.
4. Learn
That’s right, hearing aids have machine learning capabilities. Some devices will remember what volume you prefer in different settings and will make the adjustment without you doing a thing, for instance.
You can also just push a button and load a specific setup stored in one of the multiple programs.
5. Getting Rid of The Ringing
For many people tinnitus and hearing loss are closely linked. Hearing aids that include tinnitus maskers or sound generators will play a low-level sound in the background that masks the ringing, so you hear sounds clearer. The ringing will go away after the masking sound cancels the tinnitus. Not all brands come with this tinnitus masking technology. If you are shopping for hearing aids, and need this function, you will need to ask for it.
6. Store Data
A compelling new function in hearing aids is data logging. Volume adjustments, when you use the hearing aid, and background noises you come across are examples of things that are logged by these devices.
The advantage is your audiologist or hearing aid retailer can pull up this data to make critical adjustments to the devices to improve their sound or give you insight to go on when buying new hearing aids.
7. Go Remote
Hearing aids with remotes allow you to quickly change programs, lower the volume or even act as a Bluetooth streaming device.
Not all of these features are new, but they all let you do things with your hearing aids that were impossible years ago. Hearing aid technology is constantly advancing, too. If you’re buying new hearing aids, be sure to check out the latest and greatest features. To see them all, schedule an appointment with a hearing professional right away.