Hearing Center - Listening Aids in the Digital Age

When it comes to technology, we've come a long way in a short amount of time. Those with disabilities have seen these changes as well as anyone. When it comes to listening aids and devices, the move to digital has increased the ease of use and given those with auditory problems more options when it comes to making a purchase. If you're interested in seeing the new generation of these devices, visit a good hearing center near you and see what's available. If you've been stuck with an old device for a long time, you might be impressed by what's out there today.

Gain Processing

A good hearing center, offering a selection of digital listening aids, will often tout the benefits of gain processing in their devices. One of the main things people complain about when it comes to older devices is that it makes no discrimination when it comes to amplified sounds. Those who want to be able to follow conversations and television shows are hardly pleased when the sound of a newspaper rattling is making them scramble for the volume button. With gain processing, some of this equality can be changed so that sounds the user is interested in are still amplified while higher intensity sounds are not.

Noise Reduction

When everything gets amplified equally, it can be just as difficult for the listening aid user to distinguish conversation and dialogue as it was before using the device. Digital aids can cut through some of this through noise reduction. This processing is used to reduce some of the gain, which may help the device to recognize speech more accurately, as well as block out some of the more annoying sounds. Reviews and researchers are mixed in their opinions of how well this works in real life, but, when combined with other features, it adds to the benefits of going digital.

Speech Enhancement

Some digital models are equipped with speech enhancement technology, which gives the aid the ability to boost some aspects of human speech. This is one of the most important benefits to many listening aid users, as it is one of the main impediments to living a fulfilling life with an auditory impairment. Like some of the other features, the effectiveness of speech enhancement isn't entirely known, but many experts have praised it in the higher end models.

Is there anything wrong with the older models of listening aids? Certainly, the deaf and hard-of-hearing have had success with them for many years. When you visit your hearing center, however, you may want to ask about a digital model, as it could be a significant upgrade.