The desire to manage hearing loss dates back centuries, with people as early as the 13th century using the hollowed-out horns of animals as hearing devices. Fast-forward a few hundred years to find a man named Frederick C. Rein who first commercially produced funnel-shaped devices called ear trumpets that collected sound and delivered it to the ear. Skip ahead once more to 1898, when Miller Reese Hutchison invented the first electric hearing aid.
Between 1898 and today, those first electric hearing aids have advanced into high-tech and helpful devices that make it much easier to live with hearing loss. Let’s take a look at a few of the features they offer.
A Few Helpful Hearing Aid Features
Hearing aids will vary from model to model, but a few features and advancements you might encounter include:
- Rechargeable batteries. Hearing aids now come in either disposable or rechargeable batteries. If you choose devices with rechargeable batteries, you can enjoy clear, all-day sound and then just pop your hearing aids into their case to charge overnight. Not only is this advancement convenient, but it’s helpful for patients with dexterity issues who have trouble changing tiny disposable batteries, as well as for people who have trouble remembering to buy new disposable batteries regularly.
- AI sound processing. Intelligent sound processing is one of the top benefits of modern hearing aids. Many devices now use advanced algorithms to analyze your surroundings and automatically adjust settings in real time.
- Higher music quality. Low-quality sound while listening to music is a chief concern for new hearing aid wearers. That low quality stems partly from older devices’ inability to differentiate between music and speech, so they adjusted and amplified both the same way. Newer hearing aids are better at distinguishing between the two sounds, resulting in a clearer sound from conversations around the dinner table to a concert at The Birchmere.
- Tinnitus relief. Hearing loss and tinnitus often present together. Luckily, some hearing aids have a tinnitus-masking feature that plays soothing sounds to distract from the internal ringing, allowing you to address hearing loss and tinnitus with a single device.
From easy charging and clearer speech to crisper music and tinnitus relief, modern hearing aids haven’t just come a long way from the rudimentary devices of the 13th century, but they’re miles more effective than the electric models of the 19th century.
Starting Your Hearing Aid Journey
If you want to take advantage of the many advanced features and benefits hearing aids offer, don’t wait another second. Call us at ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia today to schedule an appointment with one of our trusted specialists.