Four Special Features You Want In Your Hearing Aid
Hearing aids come with many different special features to improve a user's listening skills. Here are four examples of these features that you should look out for when shopping for a hearing aid:
Directional Microphone
Traditional hearing aids do not work very well in noisy surroundings because they pick up sounds from all directions. Imagine having a hearing difficulty and trying to converse with a friend when there is music blaring from a TV set while other people are also talking behind you. It can be very difficult to hear your friend well.
An aid with a direction microphone, however, allows you to focus on sounds from one direction. For example, if your friend is sitting by your side, then you can select to hear only sounds from that direction.
Telecoil
Also known as a T-switch or a T-coil, a telecoil is a device that picks up electromagnetic waves from devices that emit such signals. Examples of such devices include telephones and audio systems used in public places such as cinemas and sports stadiums.
The coil amplifies the electromagnetic signals before they are picked up by your hearing aid as sounds waves. It is like having a speaker or antenna in your ear, or moving the source of the sounds close to your ears. The effect is improved hearing, much better than you would have without the telecoil.
Wind Noise Reduction
Wind noise is one of the most annoying sounds for those using hearing aids because, in many cases, you can't move away from it. For example, if you are playing golf, then there is very little you can do to minimize the wind. You don't have to worry about wind, however, if your hearing aid is fitted with a wind noise reduction feature. The setting detects wind and adjusts your hearing aid to factor in the noise when processing the sounds you hear.
Automatic Programs
As you can see from the examples above, hearing aids come with all kinds of features and settings. Many of them have buttons you can use to switch the aid from one mode to another. However, a hearing aid with an automatic program adjusts itself to fit the current environment each time the types, directions and levels of noises change. You don't have to push a switch, for example, to enjoy the wind cancellation mode when you step outside the house.
Which of these features do you think is the most important? Which other special features would you want in a hearing aid? If you have a specific need not covered by these add-ons, then you should talk to an audiologist to see if there is a product that meets your requirement. For more information, contact Audiology Consultants, P.C. or a similar organization.
