| When you think of hearing aids, you probably | | | | These types of hearing aids are often smaller, which |
| don’t think of exciting advances in technology, | | | | is nice, since you may not need a huge hearing aid to |
| but, actually, these little pieces of plastic and wire | | | | help you hear every single thing. |
| have been through some major changes in the past | | | | One of the coolest things that you can do with an |
| few decades. The original hearing aid was actually a | | | | aid like these today is hook it up to your cell phone. |
| very large piece that fit over the ear and was | | | | You can actually use Bluetooth technology to |
| attached by a wire to a box that was the size of a | | | | wirelessly transmit the noises from your cell phone |
| deck of cards. Now, though, these things are actually | | | | directly to your hearing aid. This is a huge benefit |
| pretty wonderful, and they’re a whole lot smaller. | | | | because even hearing aids with telephone adaptors |
| Besides their reduced size and increased power, | | | | don’t actually work with cell phones because the |
| though, today’s aids have lots of interesting new | | | | cell phones aren’t compatible with the adaptors |
| technology. | | | | on the aid. You can use your phone just like your |
| Today’s hearing aids are highly sophisticated | | | | normally would, except that you don’t have to |
| pieces of machinery that can actually analyze and | | | | worry about trying to hear the person on the phone |
| respond to their surroundings. One new feature is a | | | | through interference or background noises like you |
| directional microphone. With an old hearing aid, you | | | | sometimes have to do with phones. |
| would pick up sounds behind you and to your side | | | | Another basic advance in the area of hearing aids is |
| almost as well as you’d pick up sounds in front | | | | that they can actually decide which noise to pick up |
| of you. This is a major problem when you’re | | | | on. This is where the smart aspect of this technology |
| trying to have a face-to-face conversation, since | | | | comes in. They can actually sort through all the |
| background noise can drown out the speaker’s | | | | noises that they’re receiving and decide which |
| voice. These new microphones actually help you | | | | ones you need to hear most. Some will do this |
| focus on the person in front of you. Some very | | | | automatically, and some will have different settings |
| advanced aids actually switch between directed | | | | that you can switch between manually. You’ll |
| microphones and typical microphones that will let you | | | | have settings for things like one-on-one |
| hear noises coming from all directions automatically. | | | | conversations, telephone conversations, crowded |
| Some hearing aids have this interesting feature called | | | | rooms, and super-loud settings. |
| transposing. If you still have decent hearing of low | | | | With all the advances in hearing aid technology, |
| frequency sounds, a hearing aid can take higher | | | | it’s interesting to think about what they could |
| frequency sounds and turn them into lower | | | | come up with next. Maybe they’ll make a hearing |
| frequency sounds that you can actually hear well. | | | | aid that drowns out all by one voice at a time! |