What Do You Need to Know About Hearing Aid Features?

Hearing aids can be equipped with a variety of features. Some features are standard across all or most hearing aid models, and you will find them in all or most of them. Other features are more optional accessories that you may or may not choose to have. In addition, some may be available only in certain hearing aid styles, while others may be accessible for all. When selecting your hearing aids, you must consider which features are most important to you. Your audiologist can assist you in understanding your options and selecting the features that are most appropriate for your requirements. Here are some of the most important features you need to know about.

Directional microphones

Hearing aids with directional microphones have two microphones: one that is focused forward and one that is focused backward. You can control the direction of hearing in any way you want, from the overall sound to being more focused on a specific person or item. Directional microphones are incredibly versatile. Consequently, if you are having a discussion, this form of microphone will limit sound amplification from the back of the room and increase the focus on the noises coming from the front.

Automatic directional microphones

Automatic directional microphones automatically pick the most appropriate mode of operation for the listening environment. For example, while operating in a quiet environment, they will use the directional mode and, if available, the adaptive directional mode.

Adaptive directional microphones

To minimize noise, this microphone can detect and adjust its pick-up to the location of the loudest source of the noise. If the source of the noise changes, such as when a motorbike rides down the road, the microphone system adjusts to keep the noise at a minimum.

Wind noise reduction

Wind noise reduction is an electronic system that eliminates the annoying sound of wind whistling across microphones. The hearing aid senses strong winds and automatically adjusts the hearing aid to provide the most comfortable setting- this is particularly handy for outdoor activities such as walking or running.

Transient noise reduction

While maintaining speech clarity, this technology analyzes and minimizes unpleasant sounds such as rustling paper and clashing plates without interfering with conversation. It is also referred to as ‘sound-smoothing.’

Feedback cancellation

When your hearing aids generate a whistling noise, this is known as feedback. This can be caused by a poor fit, excessive or compacted earwax, or if you put something on your ear while listening to music, such as a hat. As a result of combining the feedback frequencies with the original, any unwanted feedback sounds that you may be experiencing are canceled.

Adaptive feedback cancellation 

While similar to the ‘feedback cancelation’ feature, this feature has the capability of automatically adapting its pace of operation to improve performance in varied contexts, such as when you are listening to music or on the phone.