Digital hearing aids today are far more complex and savvy than older models. They have a microphone that picks up sound, which is converted into digital signals. These digital signals are then analyzed and processed by a small chip using Digital Signal Processing (DSP). Finally, it is converted into acoustic sound. While DSP makes room for changes in volume, it also provides noise reduction and other features to help improve communication in difficult listening situations.
Here are a few features you should look for when upgrading to a new digital hearing aid.
Volume Processing
For most patients with hearing loss, automatically increasing or decreasing the volume does nothing to improve the clarity of speech. Yet having the automatic feature reduces the wearers need to physically adjust the volume. Besides hearing aids are able to separate sound into different tonal regions, called channels, and much like an equalizer, each of these can often be adjusted independently. This allows certain sounds to be amplified more than others. An audiologist will use programming software to help you fine-tune the amount of amplification you need on each channel.
Directional Microphones
Understanding conversations in noisy environments is one of the biggest challenges for those who are dealing with hearing impairment. Having two microphones on each hearing aid (front and behind) can be an effective way of fixing this problem. Though it’s important to remember, that only reduces but cannot eliminate background sounds entirely.
Frequency Channels
Having a fair number of channels is important when it comes to hearing aids as they can be programmed to help your level of hearing loss better. But more is not always better as having too many can muddy the overall effect.
Digital Noise/ Feedback Reduction
Noise reduction features that help with reducing noise can be a godsend when it comes to hearing aids, especially if you can select specific challenges to reduce amplification.
When it comes to digital feedback reduction, older hearing aids still tend to suffer from some amount of high-pitched whistling sound. Fortunately, most digital hearing aids now offer better fits and have a feedback manager that reduces this sound leak.
If all these options have you stunned, consulting an audiologist is your best course of action.