Common Hearing Aid Terms
BE AN EDUCATED CONSUMER
In 2013 approximately 11.3 million hearing aids were sold worldwide and 2.6 million hearing aids were sold in the United States. 90% of the worldwide production of hearing aids is controlled by 6 multi-national hearing aid conglomerates who market their hearing aids under 27 different brand names. These six companies are Siemens, Oticon, Starkey, Widex, Phonak and GN-Resound. All of these hearing aids manufacturers purchase microphones, receivers, circuits and volume controls from the same component suppliers. All six of these manufacturers produce quality products. Some of these products have more features than others; however the actual discernible consumer listening/understanding difference is essentially the same. There is very little difference, if any, in hearing aids today because of computer-aided design and computer aided manufacturing/production. All hearing aid factories have computerized quality control.
Hearing aids are basically prescription lenses for your ears. The benefit that the hearing aid provides is in direct proportion to the amount of damage done to your organ of hearing. For example if you have an 80% speech understanding score with hearing aids no hearing aid will change your speech understanding from 80% to 100% regardless of how much you spend. The difference in hearing aid features /cost /benefits is how well you will hear, what speech understanding you have left in a variety of noise environments.
Analog Circuit | In an analog circuit the sound is amplified, frequency shaped, can be compressed if needed before being delivered to the ear. This type circuit does quite well for mild to moderate hearing losses where the residual dynamic range of the hearing impaired is relatively large and where a large amount of signal processing is not required |
Digital Circuit | In a digital circuit the signal is converted in an A/D converter [analog to digital] after which the sound is frequency shaped, expanded, compressed if needed and divided into bands and/or channels then the signal is sent to a D/A converter [digital to analog] before being delivered to the ear .The digital circuit is best suited for difficult hearing losses, steep slopping losses and very reduced dynamic range of hearing where a large amount of signal processing is required. In addition the digital circuits allows a large amount of signal processing in a small chip, allows anti–feedback to be employed and allows for noise reduction to be added. |
Compression | A type of automatic gain control that produces output levels for given changes in input levels. |
Screw Set | Adjusted by a screw driver – limited adjustment possibilities |
Programmable | Acoustic parameters of hearing aid are adjusted by computer virtually – a limitless number of programming possibilities. |
Single Channel | Amplifies patient specific ranges of sound. |
Multi Channel | Enables the programmer to separate the audiogram into several distinct frequency groups to more exactly mirror the hearing loss for clearer understanding. |
Noise Suppression Circuit | Makes hearing aid sound less noisy than conventional circuit but does not enhance speech understanding in noise. |
Bands | Frequency range in which you can control gain, noise reduction & feedback cancellation. |
Multi Memory | Provides different programs for various listening situations. Basically on electronic tone control. |
Directional Microphone | Designed to enhance signal to noise ratio by de-emphasing sound inputs from the sides and behind the listener-decreases sound coming from rear by 30-50%. A single decibel increase in signal to noise ratio results in close to a 10% increase in speech intelligibility. 51% of hearing aids fit today are with directional microphones. |
Tel Coil | An internal antenna in a hearing aid which picks up the magnetic field of a telephone. 46% of hearing aids are fit with a telephone coil. |
Custom Made | A hearing aid which is custom fabricated from an ear mold impression to your exact anatomical and acoustic requirements. |
Open Fit | Provides a more natural sound reproduction due to the ear not being plugged up. |
Feedback | Is a high pitch whistle or howl which is caused by the recirculation of acoustic output of any amplifying system. |
Low battery indicator | Sounds to alert you that it’s time to change the battery. |
Power on delay | Helps prevent whistling/feedback as you insert the hearing aid. |
Wax guard | Helps keep the hearing aid free of wax. |
Vents | Tiny tunnels in hearing aids and/or earmolds that help minimize the stuffed up sensation. |
Direct audio input | Allows the hearing aid to be connected by cable to mp3 players and other audio devices. |
Bluetooth capability | Allows hands free use of cell and regular phones. |
RIC | Receiver in the canal, used on some open fit behind the ear hearing aids. |
Zinc Air | The only type battery used for hearing aids- the average digital hearing aid uses approx 30-35 batteries per year. |
BTE | Behind the ear |
ITE | In the ear |
ITC | In the canal |
CIC | Completely in the canal |
Conductive hearing loss | This type hearing loss is a condition of the outer and/or middle ear. Most conductive hearing losses can be treated medically or surgically. |
Sensorineural hearing loss | Is the most common type of hearing loss. This is a condition of the inner ear and can be successfully treated with hearing aids. |
Extended wear hearing aid | Means hearing aid has to be replaced with a new one every few months at N/C and has to be replaced annually at an average cost of $1600 per hearing aid per ear. |
Mini CIC or IIC | Smallest hearing aid made which fits the deepest in the ear canal. |
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