Things have changed since your great, great grandpa held an ear trumpet up to his ear. Even ten years ago, hearing aids weren’t able to do the things they can do today. Activities that were impossible a few years ago are now possible due to developments in hearing aid tech. Hearing aids can now do the following things.
1. Prevent Accidental Damage While Exercising
Jogging or riding a bike with a hearing aid in would have been risky in the past. Even top quality hearing aids can be damaged if they fall out while you are on the move. Now it’s possible to wear your hearing aids when you’re working out whether you are a novice or an athlete.
The change here is not in the technology, though. Hearing aids that fall out can still get broken or lost. Innovation wins out with a simple approach: hearing aid retention cords. It’s sort of like putting your hearing aids on a lanyard. They slide on to the hearing aid and then clip to your clothes for safety. Hearing aid retention cords area great choice for kids, too.
2. Resist Water
Most hearing aids don’t do well when fully submerged even though they are water resistant. Waterproof hearing aids and some accessories will be required if you want to go swimming with your hearing aid.
Begin with a raincoat for your hearing aids. Waterproof Sleeves fit securely over the devices to protect them from water damage while still letting you hear. The majority of the sleeves come with cords that attach to your clothing too, so you won’t lose the hearing aids while enjoying some summer fun.
A dehumidifier is an additional piece of equipment you may want to get. It doesn’t matter how careful you are, some water is going to get into the case. The unit gets dried out by the dehumidifier without causing damage to the delicate components.
3. Pair With Your Smartphone
Now when your phone rings you don’t need to remove your hearing aids. However, some brands don’t have this feature. You want to buy hearing aids that are Bluetooth-enabled or have the wireless streaming capability. This technology allows them to pair with your phone the same way Bluetooth earbuds or headphones do.
Interested in streaming a movie? This is another situation where wireless functionality come in handy. With Bluetooth or wireless, the hearing aids can pick up sound from your TV or MP3 player.
The majority of hearing aids come with a telephone adaptation, also, that works for both cell phones or landlines. Telephone adaptation uses a telecoil to pick up signals from the phones so you can hear them in your hearing aids.
4. Learn
That’s correct, machine learning capabilities are available in many models. Some devices will make volume adjustments depending on the setting by remembering your preference and you won’t have to do anything.
They can also include a number of programs so you can store a particular setup in the memory and press a button to load it when the time is right.
5. Make the Ringing Stop
For many people tinnitus and hearing loss are closely linked. You will hear sounds more clearly because your hearing aid can produce tinnitus masking noises. The masking noise cancels out the tinnitus, and that ringing goes away. Not all brands have this tinnitus masking technology. Be sure you ask for it if you are shopping for hearing aids.
6. Store Data
A compelling new feature in hearing aids is data logging. The devices log things like when you use the hearing aids, times you make volume adjustments and what background noises you come across.
Critical adjustments can be made when your audiologist or hearing aid retailer a*/ccess this information bettering sound quality.
7. Go Remote
Hearing aids with remotes allow you to quickly change programs, adjust the volume or even act as a Bluetooth streaming device.
Not all of these functions are new, but they all let you do things with your hearing aids that were impossible years ago. Hearing aid tech is always progressing, too. If you’re buying new hearing aids, make sure to check out the latest and greatest features. Make an appointment with a hearing care expert to see them all.