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Hearing Aid
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Hearing Aid
See Also
Hearing Loss
Sensorineural Heaing Loss
Presbycusis
Home Adaptations for the Elderly
Types
Location
Hearing Aid behind the ear
Classic Hearing Aid with the electronics in a small case behind the ear
Sound tube exits the Hearing Aid and is placed inside the ear
Hearing Aid receiver in canal
Receiver moved from within case, to within the ear
Receiver connects to Hearing Aid via thin wire
Hearing Aid completely In the ear
Custom made Hearing Aid that completely sits within the ear canal
Types
Conventional analog Hearing Aids
Cost: ~$900 per ear
Components
Battery
Microphone transduces sound into electrical energy
Receiver changes electrical energy into sound
Most Hearing Aids can adjust volume
May be a problem with background noise
Sub-Types
Linear (Simple Hearing Aid)
Amplifies loud and soft sounds equally
Non-Linear
Varied amplification for loud and soft sounds
Decreased recruitment (increased loudness)
Types
Programmable Hearing Aids
Programmable by audiologist
Sound levels adjustable for audibility and comfort
Volume per frequency
Intensity
Microphone power output
Compression Ratios
Some available with multiple programs
(e.g. telephone, music)
Types
Digital Hearing Aids
Cost: ~$2900 per ear
Digital signal processor samples incoming signals
Adjusts in different sound environs
Can reduce background noise from non-speech source
Enhances speech understanding
Programmable by audiologist
See Above
References
Michels (2019) Am Fam Physician 100(2): 98-108 [PubMed]
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