Comparing Hearing Aid Features

With the rapid advancement in hearing aid technology it can be a bit tricky to keep up and understand what features are important to your hearing aid purchase. In an effort to assist you in conducting your research, I am outlining the following feature categories that may be important in helping you obtain the best hearing aid match for your hearing loss, lifestyle and budget.

Bands and Channels - these features refer primarily to your hearing aid provider’s ability to adjust your hearing aids to your individual hearing loss needs and personal sound preferences.  Generally, the fewer channels and bands an instrument has, the less precise the adjustments to your aids can be. Besides the volume at each of these frequency bands, many of today’s noise filtering and comfort features take place automatically within these channels, so again the less channels you have, the less precise the features can perform.  The more precisely your hearing aids can be programmed to your individual hearing needs, the greater your satisfaction may be.

Feedback Cancellation - Recent innovations in hearing aids over the last few years have aimed to eliminate some of the issues that make wearers unhappy with their hearing aids. Historically, one of the biggest of these problems has been the annoying whistling, called feedback. Feedback can be triggered by a number of things, such as hugging a loved one, putting a telephone up to your ear or simply being outside on a windy day. However, new technology has VIRTUALLY ELIMINATED BUZZING AND WHISTLING complaints without compromising performance. Find out if the aids you are considering have feedback cancellation technology and is it the most advanced version of the technology.

Multi-Memory Setting - Multi-memory settings allow you to have customized programs for different purposes easily accessible by the touch of a button. The number of settings available in the different manufacturers models varies, but most will have at least 3 memory settings. These settings can be customized to help give you additional advantages in noisy environments, or give you a boost so you can hear TV better or hone in on a speaker at a distance....like in meetings or church. They can be programmed to enhance music or suppress sounds and be very soft for people who work around machinery, for example. By having multiple memories, hearing aids can be switched into different programming settings for optimal performance and control by the hearing aid wearer.

Directional Microphones - The directional microphone component of a hearing aid involves two microphones working together to increase sound, while at the same time, control surrounding background noise for greater audibility and understanding in noisy places. Recent advancements in hearing aid technology have made it possible for directional microphones to work in conjunction with other noise controlling components built into today's hearing aids to help the aids focus on amplifying speech while reducing or not amplifying background noise. Directional microphones have proven to very beneficial in helping to ease the struggle of hearing speech in noisy environments. Directional microphones in behind-the-ear aids operate on a different basis than directional microphones in "custom" in the ear style aids. More severe hearing losses will benefit more from the behind the ear style configuration, while milder losses would be benefited from any of the available styles. 

Telephone Coil vs. Telephone Response - Many hearing aids today have advanced telephone compatibility offering multiple telephone configurations. Many aids can be programmed to automatically detect a telephone and increase the volume of the caller, while at the same time, controlling whistling that can occur when a hearing aid is covered up by a telephone. However, some people prefer manual control, which is always available with a multi--memory button. Some aids have tele-coils as standard components and other aids must have a tele-coil added as an option. A tele-coil is a dedicated option that utilizes one of the memories in your hearing aid and can ONLY be used on the telephone. If a telephone is not up to the ear and you are in the tele-coil setting, you will not hear any amplification. A telephone response also utilizes one of your memories, but it does not deactivate the microphone the way the tele-coil does, so you would be able to hear amplification externally without a telephone up to you rear. Your hearing aid professional will be able to explain the differences in more detail and help determine which feature is best for you. 

Wireless Technology - allows the user to connect directly  - and wirelessly - to most media devices. TV, radio, and computer can be heard in stereo-quality sound directly through the hearing aid.

I can't encourage you enough to gain some understanding about what each of these features can contribute to your success and satisfaction with you hearing aid experience. All of these features provide positive benefits that assist in improving speech audibility and patient comfort. There are many more features currently available that may vary from one hearing aid manufacturer to another, so make sure to do a little research and ask lots of questions. All hearing aids offer a TRIAL PERIOD where you may have aids customized for you and then wear them in your own environment for a period of time before making a final decision. So take advantage of tis wonderful opportunity to experience how this features benefit you in your own home, at work or in social situations.

Kathy Zietz, BC-HIS

Western Hearing Aids