"Necessity is the mother of all invention" is a common adage which can apply to many products on the market today. Inventions usually result from someone trying to solve a problem, not able to find one, and creating the solution themselves. The development of hearing aids is no different. From the early twentieth century when analog hearing aids were common, to the present where most hearing aids are made with digital circuitry, necessity and competition has driven hearing aid design. A digital hearing aid has three basic components: A microphone, a digital signal processing chip (DSP- the computer), an amplifier and a speaker (sometimes called a "receiver"). Sound is picked up by the microphone and those analog sounds are converted to digital signals by the DSP which also manipulates the sounds, amplifying some frequencies, and suppressing others. After specific frequencies have been processed by the DSP, they are converted back into analog sounds and sent to the amplifier. The amplifier increases the amplitude of the frequencies according to how the DSP was programmed, and then sends the resultant signals to the speaker which then sends the sounds on to the eardrum. Types of Hearing Aids Hearing aids differ in component quality, size, and the way they are placed either onto or in the ear. The following are the most common hearing aids available on the market today: â€Completely in the Canal (CIC)- In the canal or completely-in-the-canal are those hearing aids that are fitted inside the ear with only a small part showing to the outside. These hearing aids are best for improving mild to moderate hearing loss. â€In-the ear- This type of hearing aid can be generic or custom made aid and they also fit in the ear, but are larger than the CIC models. They can rectify a larger range of hearing loss problems, from moderate to severe hearing loss. â€Behind-the-ear (BTE)- BTE hearing aids come in three basic models: ear hook design, "open fit" design, and "Speaker in the ear" design. All of these models have the hearing aid case that fits either behind or on top of the ear. The ear hook design is for those wearers who use or need a custom ear mold. The ear mold is connected to a sound tube that connects to the case. Open fit designed hearing aids have a small hearing aid that fits over the ear and a thin translucent tube that connects to a small tip, or "bud" that fits in the ear canal. The buds on these models have holes in them so the ear canal is not blocked and the wearer can hear sounds in the immediate vicinity at the same time that they hear the amplified sounds from the hearing aid. The speaker in the ear designed hearing aids are similar to the open fit designed hearing aids except that the speaker, or receiver, is incorporated into the tip that goes into the ear, and is connected to the hearing aid through a thin wire. These hearing aid models are best used for low frequency hearing loss. Is a hearing aid right for me? That depends. If you are having trouble hearing, then by all means go and get a hearing test from an audiologist, and they will tell you if you need one or not. Obtain a copy of the hearing test and research hearing aids on the Internet before you purchase; you can usually find excellent quality hearing aids on the Internet at very reasonable prices. The better websites will take your hearing test results and program the hearing aids for your exact hearing loss curves.
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