Many of us have seen TV shows and movies where robots with highly advanced technology can learn and reason with humans, or where artificial body parts make a character have far greater skills than his physical body alone. Think “Terminator”, “The Six Million Dollar Man”, “I, Robot, and “Iron Man”, among many others. Although sometimes quite alarming, we can certainly acknowledge that technology innovation seems to be limitless and these ideas may not be too far out of reach. Especially when it comes to medical technology, innovations are advancing rapidly and greatly improving the quality of life for millions.
One of the truly transformative pieces of technology is hearing aids. Hear me out! Today, these tiny devices are packed with cutting-edge technology and are accessible to almost everyone who needs them. No longer are they the huge, beige, squealing devices that are the first thing to be noticed when a hearing aid wearer approaches. You may be surprised about how different modern hearing aids may be from the image in your mind.
Artificial Intelligence is the new normal
Major hearing aid manufacturers have equipped their more advanced devices with artificial intelligence (AI) to keep you connected even in the most complicated listening environments. AI is the ability for technology to learn from the user and surroundings to provide a customized service or outcome. Each person’s hearing is as unique as their fingerprint, so being able to continuously shape the listening experience to the wearer is a very important feature in a hearing aid.
Examples of AI in hearing aid technology include:
- Computerized networks within the hearing aid that can differentiate background noise from speakers to focus only on the sounds that are important to you.
- Scanning the environment for noise levels and adjusting to your preferred settings.
- Recognizing frequently visited locations and automatically adjusting to your preferred settings.
Think about hearing aids as your discreet personal companion. Those who have treated their hearing loss with hearing aids have reported over 80% satisfaction rate.1
So what else is there room for in these tiny hearing aids?
The simple answer – a lot. Most hearing aids are also equipped with telecoil (t-coil) and Bluetooth technology that can connect you to room loops in public areas, as well as connect your hearing aids directly to your phone for calls and streaming music. For those who suffer from tinnitus (ringing, buzzing, or hissing in the ears), many hearing aids also feature tinnitus masking to help relieve symptoms. Other features include activity tracking, apps to personalize sound levels, remote professional assistance, fall monitoring, and more.
Hopefully this has helped you see hearing aids in a new light. If you think you or a loved one may have hearing loss, to learn more about features that would be important to you, or to give technology a try, reach out to a local hearing care professional.
Not sure if it’s time for hearing aid help? This hearing screener can help you better understand your hearing ability.
