Transforming tech of hearing aids

Technology is advancing at lighting speed. Everything is becoming smaller and smarter as devices take on multiple functions. The world of hearing aids is no different. In the last few years hearing aids have transformed radically in shape, size, weight and aesthetics.

Much like the original cell phones, cumbersome hearing aids are now smart, streamlined and multi-functional with blue tooth capabilities. While not everyone will want to take advantage of the multi-functions that hearing aids are now capable of, everyone can now benefit from these hidden gems.

This new tech has led to the design of two categories of hearing aids:

• Hearing aids that sit in the ear canal

The hearing aids that sit inside your ear canal are custom molded to the ear canal. An ear canal impression is taken by an audiologist that is used to design the hearing aid casing, thereby perfectly fitting the ear canal and going virtually unnoticed as the ear canal is naturally ‘covered’ by the outer ear.

• Hearing aids that sit outside of the ear.

These ‘old school’ hearing aids are a far cry from what they once were. In fact, they are hardly noticeable as they are now truly hidden, sitting neatly behind one’s ear. A thin transparent cord is all that can be seen, running from the hearing aid to the ear canal.  These models also have the bonus of not being custom made and so are an excellent cost-effective option.

The streamlining of hearing aids while a technological success has had a far greater impact than just fancy tech, it has given confidence and shattered a stigma. By making hearing aids largely invisible the reasons not to use them has also disappeared. As part of their tech transformation, rechargeable hearing aids now provide enough power for a full day’s use, even when streaming audio or bluetooth. One simply puts their hearing aids into a charging port at night and they are ready to go in the morning, much like a smart phone. Another great perk to all this tech is that one can increase and decrease the volume of one’s hearing aid with the aid of a smart phone, thereby not drawing any attention to the ear device.

For many these breakthroughs are just what has been needed to improve both one’s hearing and overall health as new research has linked untreated hearing loss to several health dangers. Some of these health dangers include sooner onset of dementia (cognitive decline), falling, headaches, social fatigue, anxiety and depression due to the social isolation naturally caused by hearing loss.

Now that hearing aids have transformed into hidden multi-functional hearing devices there is no longer a reason to leave hearing loss untreated. Rather start enjoying the health as well as social benefits that the gift of hearing provides.