Looking for general
consumer information on hearing aids? We will start with the end in
mind. I
know that when you come to this site, you are expecting some answers
to your questions and information on hearing aids usage
from a consumer
point of view.
So, I
have listed the most common questions among new hearing aids
users and give you the best answers around.
Very
few are deaf
The word "deaf" has pretty much disappeared from our vocabulary today.
To be deaf means to be without any hearing. Few persons lose all their
hearing. The majority merely have hearing losses of some degree. If
you can hear at all, you are NOT deaf!
Okay, let us start with the
questions. You can browse through the
remaining website for more information and guide later.
The most
common questions from consumers on hearing aids usage:
Hearing
aids
are small, battery-powered devices that makes sounds
louder and for most users, make speech easier to hear and understand.
A single
hearing aid
system consists of a tiny microphone which picks
up sound waves from the air and converts them into electrical signals,
an amplifier which increases the strength of the electrical signals, a
small replaceable battery which provides electrical energy to
operate the hearing aid, and a tiny loudspeaker called a receiver which
converts the amplified signals back into sound waves and directs them
into your ear through a specially fitted ear coupler.
By
increasing the intensity of the sound, by shaping sounds in certain
ways, and by delivering these amplified and shaped sounds into an ear
that is lacking some of the neural elements normally needed to analyze
sounds, the hearing aids help offset your hearing loss.
An external volume control is usually provided to allow you to adjust
the loudness to a comfortable level.
Sometimes, additional user
controls are available, depending upon the needs of the user and on the
size of the hearing aids.
Hearing impaired
persons have far more choices in style and placement
of hearing aids today than ever before. New components now
available
allow for further miniaturization and improved circuitry. The results
are more attractive, cosmetically appealing devices with increased
acoustic fidelity and flexibility.
Hearing Aid
Definition
A
hearing aid is an
ultra-miniature
electro-acoustical device that is always too large.
It
must amplify sound a million times, but bring in
no noise.
It must operate, without failure, in a
sea of
perspiration, a cloud of talcum powder, or both.
It
is a product that one puts off buying for ten
years after he needs
it, but cannot do without it for thirty minutes when it has to be
serviced.