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HEARING
AIDS |
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Hearing
Aids | Assistive
Listening Devices | Hearing
Aid Care & Accessories
With the
advent of digital, programmable and multi-channel technology, hearing aids
can provide exceptional improvements to the quality of living and lifestyle
of those who experience hearing loss.
 A
& B Hearing Aid and Audiology Center is committed to staying on the leading
edge. We are current and progressively explore advances in the fields of
audiology and hearing instrument technology to offer you the very best products.
We offer a
wide range of products to meet the varying lifestyle and budgetary requirements
of our customers. And, to ensure our customers are provided with the best
possible solutions to their hearing loss, we provide accessories that support
trouble-free hearing aid care and maintenance.
We also carry
a large selection of easy-to-use assistive listening devices (ALDs) that work in
conjunction with hearing aids, to overcome challenges presented by background
end environmental noise. These devices are increasing in popularity due to the
primary benefit they offer, which is to bring ease to common, yet diverse
listening situations, including telephone conversations, watching television,
attending lectures church or theatre events and alerting people to doorbells and
alarms.
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| Hearing
Instruments |
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Recent
technological advances have been made which have improved the experience
of living with hearing instruments for many hard of hearing people. The
hard of hearing will always face listening challenges, with or without
hearing instruments. Thankfully, hearing aids make those challenges easier
to live with. For thousands of people with hearing loss, amplification has
been the difference between feeling isolated and depressed, or feeling in
touch with other people.
There
is a wide range of technology available to help people cope with hearing
loss, and products grow in sophistication every year. Varying in price,
power, features, size and style, hearing instruments are available to meet
the audiological and lifestyle demands of most clients.
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are four main categories of hearing instruments: |
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Completely-in-the-canal
(CIC)
 Completely-in-the-canal
(CIC) are custom made so that all components fit inside the shell, but
they are worn deeper in the ear canal than in-the-ear hearing aids (ITE's)
which are described in the following category and are almost invisible.
Less amplification is required from CIC than other types of hearing
instruments because output is delivered close to the eardrum. ClC reduces
the awareness wearers have of their own voice and their ears do not feel
as "plugged up" as with other types of instruments. The
technical term for this benefit is "reduced occlusion effect".
Wind-noise and telephones pose fewer problems to wearers of CIC compared
to the other types of instruments as well.
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 In-the-ear
(ITE)
In-the ear hearing aids (ITE) became available in the late 1970's and are
now the most popular style of hearing instrument in North America.
Consumers are attracted to the discreet styling of ITE which come in
several sizes including full shell (large) to half shell (small). All the
instruments electrical components are housed within the custom-made shell
which is worn inserted in the ear. These devices use smaller batteries
than BTE and may have a shorter battery-life, but the microphone is
located in a more natural position on ITE than on BTE and some people find
that this provides better sound quality.
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 In-the-Canal
(ITC)
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids are smaller and are custom made to fit
the shape of your ear canal. These aids can be worn during most physical
activity. They also fit more deeply than in-the-ear hearing aids and
therefore are popular because of their cosmetic appeal. All of the
components within the single plastic shell fit into the ear.
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 Behind-the-ear
(BTE)
Behind-the ear (BTE) were the most common hearing instruments in North
America from the 1950's-1970's, and they continue to outsell all other
hearing instruments world-wide. BTE aids are reliable and offer fitting
flexibility in addition to power. These instruments sit behind the ear and
amplify incoming sound. The amplified sound travels down a short tube
connected to a custom-fitted earmold that delivers the sound into the ear
canal, towards the eardrum.
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| What's
Inside a Hearing Instrument? |
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All
conventional hearing instruments include a microphone, an amplifier, a
receiver (speaker) and a volume control. Tone controls and output controls
are also featured on most instruments and the choice of circuits ranges in
sophistication. Recent advances in hearing instrument technology include
digital signal processing; multi-channel, frequency specific control of
amplification; various forms of compression which automatically ensure
that the listener does not receive too much amplification; directional and
multi-microphones, remote control and programmability.
Hearing
instruments will never completely make-up for hearing loss and some
instruments serve individual clients better than other instruments. It is
the job of hearing health professionals to choose instruments which
incorporate the style, circuit type and additional features best suited to
each individual client; together, hearing health professionals and hard of
hearing individuals must work to find the best possible solution.
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| How
Hearing Aids Work |
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Programmable
Hearing Instruments
The advent of programmable hearing instruments has led to new solutions to
some old problems.
Single
Program devices allow the hearing professional to adjust electronic
controls in the hearing instrument using a computer. Previously,
instruments would have been returned to the manufacturer for internal
fine-tuning. People who own programmable hearing instruments do not have
to go without their devices as frequently as those who do not have
programmable instruments.
Multi-Program
devices provide the benefits of single channel instruments in addition to
having more than one "program" or setting. This means that one
program can be set for listening in quiet environments, and another
program can be set for noisy environments, etc. The wearer is able to
choose which program is best for specific listening situations.
Digital
Signal Processing
Up until recently, hearing instruments have used analog technology to
process sound signals - most instruments still do - but extensive research
in the field of digital signal processing (DSP) and its application in the
hearing health industry is taking place. DSP enables hearing health
professionals to sculpt the output of hearing instruments with refinement
in terms of frequency specific amplification, control of loudness levels
and working towards noise reduction. DSP is the most promising technology
on the hearing health horizon because of the flexibility it provides to
hearing impaired listeners and hearing health professionals.
Hearing
Aids | Assistive
Listening Devices | Hearing
Aid Care & Accessories |
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