What different types of hearing aid technologies are available? And how do I now what is best for me?
Before this question is answered it is important to outline a few terms. All hearing aids amplify sound. Sound travels through the instrument in the form of waves. These waves of energy ripple across the air in a continuous manner. All hearing devices are designed to amplify these waves of sound energy. All hearing devices have the following miniaturized electronic components: microphone, receiver (speaker), and amplifier. The microphone and receiver in all hearing aids are very similar, however, there are significant differences in the way the amplifier operates in various hearing aids. Essentially, the differences between various hearing aid technologies are related to how the amplifier processes sound. Hearing aid technology can be divided into two general categories: analog hearing aids and digital hearing aids. In very simple terms, analog and digital refer to how the hearing aids’s amplifier processes sound.
