Things have changed since your great, great grandpa held an ear trumpet up to his ear. Newer hearing aids are able to do so much more than they could do even ten years ago. Activities that were not possible a few years ago are now possible due to developments in hearing aid technology. Just think about these seven things hearing aids are now capable of doing.
1. Prevent Accidental Damage While Exercising
Jogging or riding a bike while wearing a hearing aid would have been risky in the past. When you are moving around, hearing aids can fall out even high quality ones. Today whether you are an athlete or beginner it is possible to exercise while your hearing aid is in.
The change here is not in the technology, however. You can still damage or lose your hearing aids if they fall out. The simple idea of a hearing aid retention cord solves the problem. Think of it as a lanyard for your hearing aids. They clip to your clothes and slide on to the hearing aid as a safety measure. Hearing aid retention cords area great option for kids, too.
2. Resist Water
While it is true many hearing aids are resistant to water, they still don’t do well when completely submersed. Instead, if you want to swim you’ll need to get yourself waterproof hearing aids and consider a few add-ons.
Begin with a protective covering for your hearing aids. Waterproof Sleeves fit tightly over the devices to protect them from water damage while still letting you hear. A cord is also included with most sleeves so you won’t lose your hearing aid while enjoying summer activities.
Another thing you may want to invest in is a dehumidifier for your hearing aids. Some water will get inside the case regardless of what you do. The unit gets dried out by the dehumidifier without causing damage to the fragile components.
3. Pair With Your Smartphone
No more taking the hearing aid out when your phone rings. Not all hearing aid brands do this, however. You want to purchase 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 type of hearing aids also do that.
Want to stream a movie? Wireless is useful there, as well. Sound from your MP3 player or TV can be received by a hearing aid that is equipped with Bluetooth technology.
The majority of hearing aids come with a telephone adaptation, also, that works for both cell phones or landlines. Telephone adaptation makes use of a telecoil to receive signals from the phones so you can hear them through your hearing aids.
4. Learn
That’s correct, hearing aids have machine learning capabilities. Certain devices will make volume adjustments depending on the environment by remembering your preference and you won’t have to do anything.
You can also just press a button and recall a particular setup stored in one of the multiple programs.
5. Make the Ringing Go Away
For many people tinnitus and hearing loss are closely linked. Hearing aids which include tinnitus maskers or sound generators will play a low-level sound in the background that covers up the ringing, so you hear sounds better. The masking sound cancels out the tinnitus, and that ringing stops. Tinnitus masking is a specific feature, though, and not available from all brands. Be sure you ask for it if you are shopping for hearing aids.
6. Store Data
A compelling new function in hearing aids is data logging. The devices log things such as when you use the hearing aids, times you make volume changes and what background sounds you encounter.
The advantage is your audiologist or hearing aid retailer can use this data to make essential adjustments to the devices to enhance their sound or give you insight to go on when purchasing new hearing aids.
7. Go Remote
Hearing aids that come with remotes let you to quickly change programs, lower the volume or even act as a Bluetooth streaming device.
Not all of these features are new, but they all let you do things with your hearing aids that were impossible years ago. Also, advancements in hearing aid technology are always being made. If you’re buying new hearing aids, make certain to check out the latest and greatest features. To see them all, schedule an appointment with a hearing expert today.