(BPT) - Hearing aids – those two words alone may conjure up images of unattractive, beige devices that your father or grandmother once wore before finally throwing them in a drawer, never to be seen again. And who could blame them? In the past, hearing aids were big, bulky and fragile – incapable of getting wet or dirty. But hearing aids have come a very long way. Here are five things you may not know about today’s digital hearing aids:
1. Hearing aids can adjust automatically based on your listening situation
kAms:8:E2= 962C:?8 2:5D @7 E96 A2DE C6BF:C65 J@F E@ >2?F2==J DH:E49 AC@8C2>D 56A6?5:?8 @? J@FC 6?G:C@?>6?E W7@C 6I2>A=6 ?@:DJ GD] BF:6EX] %96 =2E6DE 962C:?8 2:5D 2C6 D>2CE 6?@F89 E@ C64@8?:K6 FA E@ D:I 5:DE:?4E =:DE6?:?8 6?G:C@?>6?EDi BF:6E[ DA6649 :? BF:6E[ ?@:D6[ DA6649 :? ?@:D6[ 42C @C >FD:4] %96 962C:?8 2:5D 4@?E:?F@FD=J 56E64E H9:49 @7 E96 D:I D:EF2E:@?D J@F’C6 :? 2?5 2FE@>2E:42==J DH:E49 D6EE:?8D 7@C E96 36DE 962C:?8 :? E92E 6?G:C@?>6?E] }@ >2?F2= 25;FDE>6?ED 2C6 ?66565]k^Am
kAma] w62C:?8 2:5D 42? 24E =:<6 J@FC @H? A6CD@?2= 9625D6Ek^Am
kAm|@DE A6@A=6 H9@ 92G6 962C:?8 =@DD 92G6 :E :? 3@E9 62CD 2?5 ?665 EH@ 962C:?8 2:5D] (:C6=6DD 962C:?8 2:5D “E2=<” H:E9 6249 @E96C D@ E@F49:?8 E96 G@=F>6 4@?EC@= @C AC@8C2> DH:E49 7@C @?6 962C:?8 2:5 2FE@>2E:42==J 25;FDED 3@E9] %@52J’D 962C:?8 2:5D 2C6 A6CD@?2= 6=64EC@?:4D E92E H@C< H:E9 J@FC 9:89\E649 82586ED] *@F 42? H:C6=6DD=J DEC62> >FD:4 :?E@ J@FC 962C:?8 2:5D 7C@> 2? :!@5[ 962C 2 42== E92E ;FDE 42>6 :? @? J@FC D>2CEA9@?6[ 2?5 =:DE6? E@ E96 E6=6G:D:@? H:E9 ?@ 56=2J 2E J@FC AC676CC65 G@=F>6 – H:E9@FE 5:DEFC3:?8 @E96CD]k^Am
kAmb] *@F 42? DH:>[ DH62E 2?5 D<: H9:=6 H62C:?8 962C:?8 2:5Dk^Am
kAmx? a_``[ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^962C:?8]D:6>6?D]4@>^FD^6?^AC@5F4ED^3E6^2BF2C:D^2BF2C:D]9E>=QmpBF2C:Dk^2m[ >256 3J $:6>6?D[ H2D E96 7:CDE 5:8:E2= H2E6CAC@@7[ 5FDEAC@@7 2?5 D9@4<\C6D:DE2?E 962C:?8 2:5] u@C 9:89\D49@@= DH:>>6C zC:DE=6 r@H2? @7 !9@6?:I[ 2 H2E6CAC@@7 962C:?8 2:5 :D =:76\492?8:?8]k^Am
kAm“q67@C6 >J H2E6CAC@@7 962C:?8 2:5D[ x 76=E =:<6 BF:EE:?8 E96 DH:> E62>[” D2JD `f\J62C @=5 r@H2?] “|J @=5 962C:?8 2:5D 4@F=5?’E 86E H6E D@ x 4@F=5?’E H62C E96> :? E96 A@@=] x H@F=5 36 2E 2 4@>A6E:E:@? 2?5 86E 5:DBF2=:7:65 3642FD6 x 4@F=5?’E 962C E96 3FKK6C] }@H x 42? 962C 6G6CJE9:?8]”k^Am
kAm(2E6CAC@@7 962C:?8 2:5D 2C6?’E ;FDE 7@C DH:>>6CD 6:E96C] q642FD6 E96J 2C6 D@ C@3FDE 2?5 DE2J D64FC6=J :? A=246 369:?5 E96 62C[ >2?J A6@A=6 42? 36?67:E[ :?4=F5:?8 E9@D6 H9@ A6CDA:C6 962G:=J[ 2C6 24E:G6 :? DA@CED[ @C H9@ 82C56? @C H@C< :? 5FDEJ 6?G:C@?>6?ED]k^Am
kAmc] w62C:?8 2:5D 2C6 C6492C8623=6k^Am
kAmx7 E96 :562 @7 92G:?8 E@ 492?86 E:?J 32EE6C:6D @?46 2 H66< W@C >@C6X >2<6D J@F 4C:?86[ J@F’C6 ?@E 2=@?6] (:E9 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^962C:?8]D:6>6?D]4@>^FD^6?^AC@5F4ED^2446DD@C:6D^6492C86C^6492C86C]9E>=QmC6492C8623=6 962C:?8 2:5Dk^2m[ E96C6’D ?@ >@C6 4@?DE2?E 7F>3=:?8 H:E9 32EE6C:6D] p44@C5:?8 E@ sC] v23C:6==6 u:=:AD @7 $:6>6?D w62C:?8 x?DECF>6?ED[ A6@A=6 H:E9 2CE9C:E:D[ !2C<:?D@?’D 5:D62D6 @C @E96C 4@?5:E:@?D E92E 4C62E6 56IE6C:EJ AC@3=6>D 42? C62==J DECF88=6 H:E9 @A6?:?8 32EE6CJ A24<286D[ 2446DD:?8 2 32EE6CJ 4@>A2CE>6?E 2?5 8F:5:?8 2 32EE6CJ :?E@ A=246]k^Am
kAm#6492C8623=6 962C:?8 2:5D 2C6 2=D@ 7C:6?5=:6C E@ E96 6?G:C@?>6?E – 2?5 @FC H2==6ED] ~G6C 2 E9C66\J62C E:>6 DA2?[ EH@ C6492C8623=6 962C:?8 2:5D 2?5 2 492C8:?8 DE2E:@? 4@DE =6DD E92? E9C66 J62C’D H@CE9 @7 H66<=J 5:DA@D23=6 32EE6C:6D] %96J’C6 62DJ E@ FD6[ E@@] pE ?:89E[ J@F A=246 E96 962C:?8 2:5D :?E@ 2 492C86C 2?5 6G6CJ >@C?:?8 J@F’== 92G6 7C6D9=J\492C865 962C:?8 2:5D]k^Am
kAmd] w62C:?8 2:5D 42? 36 :?G:D:3=6k^Am
kAm{:<6 4@?E24E =6?D H62C6CD[ >@DE A6@A=6 DE:== H2?E E@ 36 5:D4C66E 23@FE E96:C 962C:?8 2:5D] %96 DE:8>2 2DD@4:2E65 H:E9 H62C:?8 962C:?8 2:5D DE:== C2?<D 2>@?8 E96 E@A C62D@?D H9J 4@?DF>6CD 49@@D6 ?@E E@ AFC492D6 E96>] qFE H:E9 :?G:D:3=6 962C:?8 2:5D[ @?=J J@F <?@H J@F’C6 H62C:?8 E96 56G:46]k^Am
kAmx?G:D:3=6 2?5 ?62C=J\:?G:D:3=6 962C:?8 2:5D =:<6 k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^962C:?8]D:6>6?D]4@>^FD^6?^AC@5F4ED^:E6^64=:AD6^64=:AD6]9E>=Qm$:6>6?D t4=:AD6k^2m 2C6 G6CJ 4@>7@CE23=6[ E@@] p44@C5:?8 E@ u:=:AD[ 3642FD6 E96J D:E 4=@D6C E@ E96 62C 5CF>[ E96J AC@G:56 2 >@C6 ?2EFC2= D@F?5 BF2=:EJ H:E9@FE 2 >F77=65 @C @G6C\2>A=:7:65 67764E] p?5[ :? 42D6 J@F H6C6 H@?56C:?8[ 2 E:?J[ EC2?DA2C6?E C6>@G2= 4@C5 =6ED E96 H62C6C D276=J C6>@G6 E96 962C:?8 2:5D 2?JE:>6 \ H:E9@FE 92G:?8 E@ D66 2 AC@76DD:@?2=]k^Am
kAm(:E9 2== E96D6 25G2?46D[ :E’D ?@ H@?56C 962C:?8 2:5 H62C6CD 2C6 92AA:6C 2?5 >@C6 D2E:D7:65 E92? 6G6C] x? 724E[ E96 E649?@=@8J >2J 8:G6 D@>6 H62C6CD 2? 25G2?E286 @G6C E9@D6 H:E9@FE 962C:?8 =@DD] $@ k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^962C:?8]D:6>6?D]4@>^FD^6?^D6CG:46D^DE@C607:?56C0:7C2>6^DE@C6\7:?56C]9E>=Qm>2<6 E92E 2AA@:?E>6?Ek^2m E@ 86E J@FC 962C:?8 4964<65 E92E J@F’G6 366? AFEE:?8 @77]k^Am
kAmk:>8 DC4lVk2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`fb_bU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fQm9EEAi^^HHH]2C24@?E6?E]4@>^AC:?ED:E6^x>286(C:E6C]2D9In2CE:4=6:5l`fb_bU2>Aj>6>36C:5lfac`fk^2mV 3@C56ClV_V H:5E9lV`V 96:89ElV`V ^mk^Am
