Since the times when your great, great grandpa used one of those ear trumpets to hear, things have changed. Even ten years ago, hearing aids weren’t capable of doing the things they can do now. The development of hearing aid tech enables users to do activities that seemed unlikely at one point. Hearing aids can now do the following things.
1. Stay Put Even When You are Moving
Jogging or riding a bike with a hearing aid in would have been risky in the past. When you are moving around, hearing aids can fall out and that even goes for high quality devices. Today whether you are an athlete or novice you can exercise while wearing your hearing aids.
However, the evolution is not just in the technology. Hearing aids that fall out can still become damaged or lost. Innovation wins out with a straightforward idea: hearing aid retention cords. Consider it a lanyard for your hearing aids. They attach to the devices and then clip to your clothes for safety. Hearing aid retention cords area smart option for kids, too.
2. Resist Water
Most hearing aids don’t do well when fully underwater despite the fact that they are water resistant. Waterproof hearing aids and some accessories will be necessary if you plan to go swimming with your hearing aid.
Start with a raincoat for your hearing aids. Waterproof Sleeves fit securely over the devices to shield them from water damage while still letting you hear. Most of the sleeves have cords that connect to your clothing too, so you won’t lose the hearing aids when you are enjoying some summer fun.
A dehumidifier is an additional piece of equipment you may want to invest in. No matter how cautious you are, some amount of water is going to get inside the case. The dehumidifier dries the devices out without damaging their complex electronic components.
3. Pair With Your Smartphone
Now when your phone rings you won’t have to take your hearing aids out. However, some brands don’t have this feature. You want to buy hearing aids that are Bluetooth-enabled or come with the wireless streaming capability. The same way that earbuds or headphones use Bluetooth to connect to your phone, these kinds of hearing aids also do that.
Want to stream a movie? This is another case where wireless capabilities come in handy. Sound from your MP3 player or TV can be picked up by a hearing aid that has Bluetooth technology.
Most hearing aids have a telephone adaptation, as well, that works for both cell phones or landlines. Telephone adaptation makes use of a telecoil to pick up signals from the phones so you can hear them through your hearing aids.
4. Learn
That’s correct, machine learning capabilities are available in many models. Some devices can remember what volume you prefer in different settings and will make the adjustment without you doing a thing, for instance.
You can also just press a button and load a specific setup stored in one of the multiple programs.
5. Stopping The Ringing
Loss of hearing and tinnitus are closely linked for lots of people. You will hear sounds better because your hearing aid can produce tinnitus masking noises. The ringing will subside after the masking sound cancels the tinnitus. Tinnitus masking is a specific feature, though, and not available from all brands. If you are shopping for hearing aids, and require this feature, you will have to ask for it.
6. Store Data
Data logging is one of the more modern features in hearing aid technology but a compelling one. The devices log things like when you use the hearing aids, times you make volume changes and what background noises you come across.
The benefit is your audiologist or hearing aid retailer can use this data to make crucial modifications to the devices to improve their sound or give you information to go on when buying new hearing aids.
7. Go Remote
Hearing aids with remotes permit you to quickly change programs, adjust the volume or even act as a Bluetooth streaming device.
All of these functions allow you to do things that weren’t possible years ago even though they aren’t all brand new. Hearing aid technology is constantly progressing, too. Be certain to take a look at the latest features when you’re buying a new hearing aid. To see them all, schedule an appointment with a hearing expert right away.