Basic Information on Hearing Aids

A hearing aid is a device that makes it easier for people who are hard of hearing or completely deaf to hear sounds and voices better. A hearing aid is best defined as, “an electronic, battery-operated device that amplifies and changes sound to allow for improved communication.” The hearing aids of early days were called “ear horns” or “ear trumpets” and they were unusual looking amplification cones that resembled funnels of a sort. Another hearing aid that was commonly used was one that was attached to a desk and was a built-in amplifier that could have earphones and a microphone plugged into it. This type of hearing aid tended to work much better than the ear trumpets or ear horns but the only major disadvantage to it was that it could not be moved from place to place, and instead could only be used at the desk.

Hearing aids have improved over the years, both how they work as well as how they look. The modern hearing aid is a tiny electronic device that even fits inside or directly behind the individual’s ear. The way hearing aids work is sound goes through a microphone and from there the sound waves are then converted into electric signals. The amplifier part of the hearing aid increases the intensity of the electric signals and then the sound is transmitted to the ear by way of a speaker.

Those who have hearing loss can be broken down into three different groups. There is conductive hearing loss, sensorineural (or nerve) hearing loss and mixed hearing loss. Conductive hearing loss takes place when sound waves are not able to pass into the inner ear. This can happen for any number of reasons- due to an ear infection, a puncture eardrum, the build up of cerumen (which in layman’s terms is wax), or fluid that has developed in the middle ear due to an ear infection or otitis media. Sensorineural or nerve hearing loss takes place when the hair cells or the auditory nerve located in the middle ear is damaged due to injury, infection, head trauma, an inherited condition, illness, excessive noise, aging or toxic medications. Mixed hearing loss is just what the name says, it is a combination of conductive hearing loss and sensorineural hearing loss. A hearing loss that is conductive in nature can often be improved upon by way of medical treatment or surgery whereas sensorineural hearing loss is usually permanent and not likely to be able to be reversed, no matter what treatment is undertaken.

There are a variety of problems that will show themselves to individuals who are experiencing hearing loss. For example a person who has a difficult time hearing conversations may be suffering from the early stages of hearing loss, and this is particularly the case when there is noise in the background. People who experience ringing in their ears (medically this is called tinnitus) may be developing hearing loss, as are those who experience roaring or hissing in their ears. If a person has a problem hearing the television or radio when it is at a regular volume then this is a symptom of the onset of hearing loss. Feeling dizzy or having problems with balance for no apparent reason could indicate hearing loss problems as could experiencing irritation or fatigue due to the effort and energy expended to hear.