How do they differ?
Analogue hearing aids use a amplifier to raise all sounds by a certain amount, which can be adjusted by a simple volume control. The problem with this is that hearing loss is rarely equal over the range of pitches and by raising the volume to hear speech, we will be raising the level of background noise as well. Difficult! In fact many of us have been put off wearing a hearing device for just that reason.
The latest digital hearing instruments from manufacturers like Phonak, Oticon and Resound can be set not to enhance background noise, and to just concentrate on hearing speech, which is what hearing aids are designed to do. This means that digital hearing aids are much better for more difficult types of hearing loss, and for hearing in background noise.
The newest hearing instruments are also great at suppressing those unwanted sounds, incorporating features such as wind suppression and feedback cancellation. These two features can alone substantially improve ones listening experience.
Really for anyone wearing an analogue hearing aid they should try and listen to the benefits of these latest devices because the benefits really are incredible and must be experienced. Its sometimes considered a cliche to hear customers who are wearing the latest devices, comment that "it really has changed my life", or "i can hear birdsong again". But its really anything but a cliche and it is only when we are able to experience these amazing new advances in hearing health that we can trully see at the benefits they deliver.
If you've got an analogue hearing device, or even if you just think you've got a hearing loss, go and get a free hearing test from a local hearing audiologist and ask for a demonstration of digital hearing aids. It really is as simple as that, and anyone who is concerned about their hearing or currently wearing the older analogue style should go and have a look for themselves.
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