About Hearing Aids

Nowadays hearing aids come in many shapes and sizes. They all however have the same basic components:

The Microphone

Picks up sounds in the environment and changes them from an acoustic signal - one that is audible by the human ear - into an electronic signal - one that is recognised by the amplifier of the hearing aid. Recent developments in hearing aids have incorporated the use of two microphones. These have been shown to be an advantage when hearing aids are used in noisy environments.

The Amplifier

Processes the signal from the microphone and amplifies it making it louder. However most amplifiers do more than amplify all sounds equally since all hearing losses are different. Some people lose hearing in the high frequencies, some in the low or middle frequencies. People with hearing loss also have widely varying comfort levels when it comes to the loudness of various sounds.

That's why a hearing instrument must be highly selective in how it amplifies sound for its user. Today, the most advanced hearing instruments use digital technology. Hearing test results are fed into a computer and the hearing aid dispenser uses the computer to give the right amount of amplification for the user's particular needs. A further development of this are 'fully digital' instruments. These aids have their own tiny microprocessor or computer.

The Receiver

This is the 'speaker' in the hearing aid, and the part which converts the amplified electronic signal back to an acoustic signal that the hearing aid user can hear.

There are many different styles and sizes of hearing aids ranging from instruments that are barely visible when inserted into the ear canal, to aids worn at the back of the ear, or even in a pocket. The style and size chosen often depend on the user's hearing loss, and can only be discussed once a detailed hearing history has been acquired by the hearing aid dispenser.

Above (left to right): Behind the ear aid; Full Shell Canal aid; Half Shell Canal aid; Completely in the Canal aid (CIC)

If you would like to discover if you might have a hearing loss that might be helped by a hearing aid click on the 'How's Your Hearing link' right.

If you would like to contact a BSHAA member who is a Registered Hearing aid Dispenser in your area for a more in depth investigation of your hearing problem, click on the 'Find a dispenser' section of this website..