Hearing Aid Frequently Asked Questions
What is a hearing aid?
Hearing aids are a small electronic device worn within or behind the ear. This hearing aid device amplifies some sounds so that a person with hearing difficulties can listen, communicate and take a fuller part in daily activities that many might take for granted. A hearing aid can help people to hear in both quiet and loud situations, yet only one in five people who require a hearing aid actually use one.
The three primary features of a hearing aid are the microphone, amplifier and speaker. The hearing aid receives a sound signal via the microphone, converting the sound waves into electrical signals which are sent to the amplifier. The amplifier then increases the power of these signals and transfers them to the ear via the speaker.
How can a hearing aid help?
Hearing aids are primarily helpful in the improvement of hearing and the comprehension of speech by people suffering from hearing loss as a result of damage to the small sensory cells within the inner ear, which are known as hair cells. This particular type of hearing loss is known as sensorineural hearing loss; resulting from aging, disease or injury from noise and certain medicines.
The hearing aid magnifies the vibrations transmitted to the inner ear so that the existing hair cells can detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals for the brain. The greater the damage to the hair cells, the more severe the loss of hearing and the greater vibration size needed to promote hearing. There are however limits and at a certain level of damage or with certain kinds of damage, no amount of vibration amplification will successfully be converted into a neural signal.
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