Tuesday, 6 September 2016

The Various Types Of Hearing Aids

By Brenda Murphy


Hearing aid also goes by the name deaf aid. It refers to a device that is designed to enhance hearing is people with hearing loss. These devices fall under mechanical devices in many countries and they are subject to regulation by the state. Hearing aids have evolved over time from devices like ear trumpets which gathered external sound energy f and directed it at the ear canal to computerized electroacoustic systems.

Modern devices make sounds more comfortable and intelligible because they are computerized electroacoustic systems. They have sound processing abilities that allow them to cancel noise and wind, highlight voice, highlight spatial region, and shift frequencies. Configuration needs to be done to the gadget so as to match with the extent of loss of the ability to hear, physical features, and lifestyle of the user.

The term fitting is used to refer to the process by which an aid is configured so that it can match various aspects. The fitting is done by a specialist called an audiologist. The level of usefulness of a device is often dependent on the quality of fitting the audiologist does on it. It worth knowing that, deafness is not truly corrected by a deaf aid. All the device does is to increases the accessibility of sound.

Two main factors minimize how effective these devices can be. The first factor relates to the loss of brain cells that process sound. This happens when stimulation is not provided to primary auditory cortex regularly. The loss in these cells occurs progressively as the level of deafness increases in a person. The second factor relates to the damage of hair cells within inner ears because of sensorineural hearing loss. With the loss of these hair cells, it becomes hard to discriminate sounds.

Evaluation of how effective a gadget is in compensating for hearing loss is done using various methods. Among the evaluation methods currently in use is audiometry. This evaluation is undertaken under laboratory conditions to measure the level of hearing in a person. The method tries to mimic the conditions in a real world to the highest degree. However, regardless of the mimicry, patient experience is still very different.

Three main dimensions are available for representing the outcome of the device. These dimensions are hearing aid usage, satisfaction, and aided speech recognition. The correctness of the adjustments done to the device can be measured through a method called real ear measurement, which is also called probe microphone measurements. This method uses a silicone probe tube microphone to assess the characteristics of amplification by the device near the eardrum.

Several different types of deaf aids are in existence. These instruments vary in their circuitry, power, and size. Some of the common models in use are body worn aid, behind the ear aid, on-the-ear aid, receiver in the canal aid, and BTE cross system. Additional types are earmolds, BTE Bi cross system, invisible in canal devices, extended wear deaf aid, open-fit devices, disosable deaf aid, bone anchored devices, and stethoscope deaf aids.

Button cell zinc-air batteries are the most commonly used battering in modern devices. There are five major standards of these batteries. Mercury batteries were common in older models of the device. Other manufacturers of modern devices also use long-life disposable or rechargeable batteries.




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