Things have changed since your great, great grandpa held an ear trumpet up to his ear. Even 10 years ago, hearing aids weren’t able to do the things they can do now. The development of hearing aid tech permits users to participate in activities that were impossible at one point. Just consider these seven things hearing aids are currently capable of doing.
1. Stay Put Even When You are Moving
Jogging or riding a bike while wearing a hearing aid would have been risky in the past. Even the highest quality hearing aids can be damaged if they fall out while you are exercising. Now it’s possible to wear your hearing aids while exercising whether you are a beginner or an athlete.
However, the evolution is not just in the technology. Hearing aids that fall out can still get broken or lost. The simple principle of a hearing aid retention cord wins the day. Think of it as a lanyard for your hearing aids. They clip to your clothes and connect to the hearing aid as a security measure. Kids will also benefit from hearing aid retention cords.
2. Resist Water
While it is true most hearing aids are water resistant, they still don’t do well when fully submersed. Instead, if you want to go swimming you’ll need to invest in waterproof hearing aids and consider a few accessories.
Raincoats are available for your hearing aids. Your device is protected by waterproof sleeves that fit snugly over them and still allows you to hear. The majority of the sleeves have cords that connect to your clothing too, so you don’t lose the hearing aids while enjoying some summer activities.
The second thing you may want to get is a dehumidifier for your hearing aids. No matter how cautious you are, some amount of water will get into the case. The device is dried out by the dehumidifier without causing damage to the sensitive components.
3. Pair With Your Smartphone
Now when your phone rings you won’t need to take your hearing aids out. However, some brands don’t have this feature. You want to purchase hearing aids that are Bluetooth-enabled or have the wireless streaming capability. This technology lets them pair with your phone the same way Bluetooth earbuds or headphones do.
Would you like to stream a movie? This is another case where wireless functionality are useful. Sound from your MP3 player or TV can be picked up by a hearing aid that is equipped with Bluetooth technology.
Also, for cell phones or landlines, these hearing aids have a phone function. Telephone adaptation makes use of a telecoil to receive signals from the phones so you can hear them through your hearing aids.
4. Learn
That’s right, hearing aids have machine learning capabilities. Some devices can remember what volume you prefer in different settings and will make the adjustment without you doing a thing, for instance.
They can also include multiple programs so you can store a specific setup in the memory and push a button to load it when the time is right.
5. Make the Ringing Stop
Hearing loss and tinnitus are closely linked for many people. You will hear sounds better because your hearing aid can generate tinnitus masking noises. The masking noise cancels out the tinnitus, and that ringing stops. Tinnitus masking is a specific feature, though, and not available from all brands. If you are shopping for hearing aids, and need this function, you will need to ask for it.
6. Store Data
Data logging is one of the more modern functions in hearing aid technology but a powerful one. Volume adjustments, when you use the hearing aid, and background noises you encounter are examples of things that are logged by these devices.
The benefit is your audiologist or hearing aid retailer can use this data to make critical modifications to the devices to enhance their sound or give you information to go on when purchasing new hearing aids.
7. Go Remote
You can quickly adjust the volume, change the program, or use your hearing aid as a Bluetooth streaming device if you have a remote.
Not all of these features are new, but they all help you to do things with your hearing aids that weren’t possible years ago. Also, advancements in hearing aid technology are always being made. If you go shopping for new hearing aids, be certain to check out the latest and greatest features. Make an appointment with a hearing care expert to see them all.