Digital And Analogue Hearing Aids
You will usually hear hearing aids being described as either analogue or digital hearing aids. They differ in terms of the way they work and also how they process sound.
Main differences;
Analogue Hearing Aids
Sounds are converted into electrical signals, which are then amplified then passed onto the earphone on the hearing aid.
Some may be programmable for different environments
Usually cheaper compared to Digital hearing aids.
Make sounds louder but may not discriminate between them
Digital Hearing Aids
Sounds are converted into digital signals (data), which are then processed by a tiny computer
Can be programmed to suit each person’s hearing loss
Suppress background noise so that speech is easier to hear and understand especially in noisy environments
Usually more expensive compared to analogue hearing aids.
Whilst digital aids may offer the latest technology, they may neither be suitable nor the solution for everyone. People must at all times compare hearing aids and find the one that best suits there hearing loss and is also comfortable to wear; as some people still prefer analogue hearing aids.
Improve Your Hearing Loss
To add on to this, research has proved that two things which have shown to also improve hearing, especially in noisy environments, more than anything else, is actually wearing hearing aids in both ears and also using hearing aids that have directional microphones. Many digital hearing aids consist of directional microphones which work well in noisy situations, as they amplify sounds that come from in front of you more than sounds to the side or behind you. Therefore a hearing aid user can focus on what they want to hear.
Can Digital Aids Reduce Whistling?
Yes. By having feedback management systems, digital hearing aids can automatically detect any feedback and attempt to reduce the whistling that tends to bother many hearing aid users.