The Latest Advancements In Hearing Technology

Everyone’s heard about hearing aids at some point or another, regardless of whether or not they need them. In many cases, they’ll have a particular image in their minds when they think of these, but that image can often be a bit outdated. As any hearing instrument specialist (HIS) would tell you, there’ve been countless advancements in hearing technology in recent years.

What you might have imagined mightn’t match up perfectly with reality. If you’re on the verge of needing these hearing aids, it’s worth being as informed as possible about them. They could be much more practical and appealing than you’d think, especially with some of the more recent advancements they’ve gone through.

Better Frequency Response and Sound Processing

One of the more obvious advancements in hearing technology is that hearing aids are much better at processing sounds and frequencies. They mimic your hearing much better than older models, giving you sounds much closer to your hearing before you started losing it. In some cases, you might not even notice the difference since you first started losing your hearing. You’ll end up hearing much better than you thought you would have. It’s an aspect that continues to improve, and you shouldn’t have a problem hearing better and better.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

While only really available on more premium models, artificial intelligence has become more popular for hearing aids. It gives them a deep neural network for them to process sound much better than other options. They essentially log your personal preferences and use them to improve your hearing aid. In some cases, these devices use AI to mimic how your brain usually processes sound and then makes the sound quality much better. You shouldn’t have to deal with many hearing-related issues because of that.

Apps

Older hearing devices used to be a struggle to use. If you needed to make adjustments, you had to do so on the device itself, which can be troublesome. Nobody likes that process. Thankfully, it’s becoming less and less common as hearing aid-related apps continue to be released. These are downloaded on your smartphone and then synced with the device you’re using. From there, it’s much easier to make adjustments whenever you need to. All it takes is a few taps on your phone, and you’re done.

Bluetooth Compatibility

Bluetooth compatibility has become almost mandatory with hearing devices, and it’s getting harder to find ones that don’t offer this. The technology lets you connect your hearing aid to your smartphone and similar devices so you can hear them much better. They’ll essentially stream the audio to your hearing device.

By using this, you can make things much easier to hear than they used to be. You also shouldn’t need to worry about whether or not you actually hear the phone ringing and similar issues. Even listening to music can be much easier than with devices that don’t have Bluetooth compatibility.

Water-Resistant Design

For decades, most hearing aids couldn’t go anywhere near the water. Then, water-resistant options became more and more popular, but these were only great for being in the rain for a short period, among other things. You couldn’t bring them near a swimming pool, in the shower or anywhere else.

That’s starting to change, however. More and more manufacturers are focusing on waterproof resistant aids. While you can’t submerge them in water, a little moisture will not damage your hearing aid, as long as your properly care for them afterwards.

Two-Way Audio

Most hearing aids only come with the option to stream audio one-way. They let you hear things going on around you, but that’s about it. While that’s primarily what they’re designed for, it’s becoming increasingly common to see hearing devices that offer two-way audio.

These let you not only hear things but stream your speech to something else. That makes phone calls and similar situations much easier, and you wouldn’t need to worry about hooking a microphone up or anything else.

Hearing aids can be much more appealing than you’d think if you’re experiencing hearing loss. The image you might have in your head about them mightn’t match up completely with real-life, however. There’ve been countless advancements in their technology in recent years, making them more and more appealing.

It’s worth speaking with a hearing instrument specialist about what you could need. When you’re doing this, it’s worth working with the best. At the Center for Better Hearing, we work with you to make sure your hearing is well looked after. Call us at 510-768-7091 to see how we can help you.