HAVE YOU HEARD?
Hearing Aids Aren’t Big and Bulky Anymore!
Hearing Aids Aren’t Big and Bulky Anymore!
Infact, some new hearing aids are almost invisible.
The idea of bulky hearing aids is a deterrent which prevents many people who need hearing help from getting them. But hearing aids today continue to get smaller, while being even more powerful than before.
A growing selection of new hearing aids on the market are “nearly invisible”, with some devices using silicone sleeves to maintain their small size while offering users a snug and comfortable fit. New technologies mean that impressions or molds aren’t always needed – even small hearing aids can be ready-to-wear with pre-set sizes that give the user an all-day comfort fit.
Hearing Test – WHAT TO EXPECT
Hearing Tests – What to expect from your first appointment
1) Expect to talk about your medical history and hearing history. They need to know if your taking any medications that could alter your hearing. If you are taking a hearing test for a specific reason – for example, you have developed symptoms of hearing loss and wish to have this checked out – then you can explain these reasons to your audiologist. However, even if you are taking the test primarily as a screening of your hearing health, your audiologist will still ask about your hearing health and lifestyle factors – particularly in relation to the level of noise you are exposed to regularly – that may influence this.
2) Pure tone test. Your audiologist will then intermittently play sounds at different pitches and frequencies through the earphones. All you have to do is acknowledge when you hear the tone. Either by raising a hand or pressing a button. They may also do a speech test, which will involve listening to speech (this may be recorded or words spoken live by your audiologist) and then repeating back the words that you can understand.
3) Review of your test results. Your audiologist will determine based on your results if a follow up is needed, more tests, referral or just a review at a later time.
Want to find out more? Call House of Hearing today at (306) 745-2117, and we will walk you through everything you need to know about our hearing tests.
How hearing aids work
All hearing aids use the same basic parts to carry sounds from the environment into your ear and make them louder. Most hearing aids are digital, and all are powered with a traditional hearing aid battery or a rechargeable battery.
Small microphones collect sounds from the environment. A computer chip with an amplifier converts the incoming sound into digital code. It analyzes and adjusts the sound based on your hearing loss, listening needs and the level of the sounds around you. The amplified signals are then converted back into sound waves and delivered to your ears through speakers, sometimes called receivers.
Hearing aid parts
Hearing aids use these parts to help pick up and amplify sound from your environment and channel it into your ear: microphone (detects the sound), amplifier (makes the sound stronger), speaker (sends the sound into your ear so that you can hear it), battery (provides power to the electronic parts). Some hearing aids have a volume control (increases or decreases the volume of the sound) or a program button.
