October 2021

parts of a hearing aid

How do Hearing Aids Work

How Hearing Aids Work Hearing aids have become incredibly small pieces of digital technology. Even these little devices can improve the quality of communication for many people with hearing loss. So, how do hearing aids work? Well, let's find out! While most hearing aids have the same basic components, some will have modifications based on the wearers' needs. Here is a basic overview of how the most common hearing aids work. Basic Hearing Aid Components As mentioned, all hearing aids have the same 4 basic components: microphones, an amplifier, a receiver, and a battery. Microphones - The microphones take in the sound and turn it into electrical signals Amplifier - The amplifier increases the strength of the signal to your prescription A Receiver or Speaker - The receiver or speaker takes that signal delivers a louder sound to your ears Battery - The battery, disposable or rechargeable, powers the whole process Sounds simple, right? But a lot happens in those 4 little parts in addition to some other components that can be involved. Other Components While these other components don't necessarily change the process for how the sound enters your ear, they can manipulate how you experience the sound. Domes or Custom molds - at the end of the receiver there is always a little rubber dome or a custom mold. Based on the size, shape, and style of the dome or mold, it will change how the sound enters your ear. Wax filters - another part of the receiver, most...

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guessing game

Stages of Guessing

The 4 Stages of Guessing We've all experienced guessing during a conversation. You're in a crowded room and it's loud, your attention was on something else for a moment, the person talking turned their head, etc. and a piece of information was missed, so you guess. However, when you add hearing loss to the equation, guessing becomes more of a common occurrence. Guessing happens in stages and these can be a slow progression. When we start guessing more than 50% of the time is when it becomes a problem. So, let's look a the stages of guessing. Stage 1: Guessing Correctly At this stage, you might be guessing a few words here and there and getting them right. Soft sounds like 'z,' 'v,' and 'p' may be becoming harder to hear. This one I think almost everyone has experienced. Some sounds when heard sound very similar, but we can usually glean enough from the context of the conversation to guess the word correctly. With a mild hearing loss, some sounds may be harder to hear, but you can typically follow the conversation with very little problem. Stage 2: Guessing Incorrectly Are you guessing at what people are saying most of the time but guessing part of the word correctly or guessing a similar word? At this stage, more sounds are becoming difficult to hear like 'j,' 'm,' 'd,' and 'b.' This is because all of the sounds made in the English language fall into a very specific pattern of where we...

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