If it has been confirmed you have a hearing loss that can be assisted by hearing aids, the next step is to consider your range of options and make a decision.

We understand and appreciate that the thought of wearing hearing aids can be quite disheartening for many people. Let’s be honest, they are not really considered a fashion accessory. However, there’s absolutely no need to be wary about owning and wearing hearing aids — today’s digital hearing aids are totally different from the hearing aids from “the old days”.

The most important piece of advice we can give you is that you should ignore all the misconceptions you may have about hearing aids — about them being too large, too noisy or how they whistle all the time.

Solutions for hearing loss have advanced a long way. Incredibly small hearing aids that can be worn right inside the ear and are almost invisible now incorporate truly remarkable digital technology. Some models are so discreet that nobody but you would ever know you’re wearing them.

The features within digital hearing aids are designed to reduce noise, increase wearing comfort and make conversations much easier for you to follow. They create a listening experience that replicates normal hearing far more effectively than the previous generation of hearing aids that tended to just make everything louder.

How does a digital hearing aid work?

Humans can hear sounds across a wide range of frequencies and hearing loss commonly affects these different frequencies to varying degrees. The latest digital technology allows hearing aids to selectively amplify each of these to levels that accurately compensate for your own, individual pattern of hearing loss.

These are some of the features found on modern digital hearing aids:

Multiple Programs

These programs allow your hearing aids to be set up for your own specific lifestyle situations and individual needs. For example, programs could be set for quiet rooms, noisy environments, listening to music, watching television, telephone, meetings and more.

Noise Reduction

Your hearing aids will recognize the difference between speech and background noise such as machinery, traffic, crowds, and even air conditioners. They then selectively reduce amplification of the background noise, helping you to follow conversations in noisy environments — and provide listening comfort in environments of all types.

Directional Microphones

This feature allows your hearing aids to emphasize sounds coming from the front, while de-emphasizing noise coming from the rear. This enables you to focus your hearing on conversations with the people who you are facing.

This is really beneficial in noisy environments. To appreciate the full benefit of directional microphones, you may require two hearing aids. The latest D3 Directional microphones on some hearing aids can further narrow the field of focus to directly in front of you (50°– 70°). This makes an incredible difference, substantially enhancing understanding of ‘speech in noise’.

Feedback cancellation

This cancels the whistling that many wearers can experience with cheaper models. It also allows for modifications to reduce the “talking inside your head” that hearing aid wearers may have experienced in the past with older models.

For far greater details on these features, including diagrams, download our 'Customer Demonstration Folder'.