Have you used your ear trumpet lately? No? You don’t use one? Because that technology is hundreds of years old. Okay, I suppose that makes sense. Ear trumpets are a bit… antiquated.
The modern(ish) hearing aid, as it happens, was developed in the 1950s–the basic design, that is. And somehow, that’s the hearing aid which has become established in our collective consciousness. The problem is that a hearing aid developed in the 1950s is just about as antiquated as an ear trumpet. We need to really expand our thinking if we want to recognize how much more advanced modern hearing aids are.
The History of Hearing Aids
To be able to better understand just how sophisticated hearing aids have become, it’s useful to have some context about where they began. As far back as the 1500s, you can find some form of hearing aid (though, there’s no evidence that these wooden, ear-shaped artifacts were actually effective).
The first partially effective hearing assistance apparatus was probably the ear trumpet. This construct was shaped like, well, a long trumpet. You would put the narrow end into your ear so that the wide end faced out. Today, you wouldn’t think of this device as high tech, but back then they actually give some assistance.
When electricity was introduced, hearing aids experienced a major revolution. In the 1950s the hearing aid as we know it was created. They were quite basic, relying on transistors and large, antiquated batteries to get the job done. But these devices signify the start of a hearing aid that could easily be worn and hidden. The hearing aids of the 1950s may have looked similar to modern hearing aids but the technology and capability is worlds apart.
Modern Capabilities of Hearing Aids
Modern hearing aids are a technological masterpieces, to put it plainly. And they keep getting better. Since the late twentieth century, modern hearing aids have been benefiting from digital technologies in a few profound ways. The first, and the most crucial way, is simple: power. Modern hearing aids can pack considerably more power into a much smaller area than their earlier forerunners.
And a long list of sophisticated advances come with increased power:
- Speech recognition: The biggest goal, for many hearing aid users, is to facilitate communication. Separating and amplifying voices, then, is a primary feature of the software of many hearing aids–which can be pretty handy in a wide variety of scenarios, from a crowded restaurant to an echo-y board room.
- Bluetooth connectivity: Your hearing aids are now able to connect to other devices using wireless Bluetooth technology. You will use this function on a daily basis. Old style hearing aids, for instance, would have irritating feedback when you would try to talk on the telephone. When you connect to your cellphone via Bluetooth, the transition is smooth and communication is easy. This is true for a wide variety of other situations involving electronic devices. Because there isn’t any feedback or interference, it’s easier to watch TV, listen to music–you name it.
- Construction: Modern hearing aids feel more comfortable because they are constructed from high tech materials. These new materials enable hearing aids to be lighter and more robust at the same time. It’s easy to see how hearing aids have improved on the outside as well as the inside by adding long lasting and rechargeable batteries.
- Health monitoring: State-of-the-art Health tracking software is also incorporated into modern hearing aid choices. For instance, some hearing aids can detect whether you’ve had a fall. There are others that can notify you about your fitness goals like how many steps that you’ve taken.
- Selective amplification: Hearing loss doesn’t occur across all wavelengths and frequencies equally. Maybe you have a more difficult time hearing high-frequency noises (or vice versa). Modern hearing aids are much more effective because they will boost only the frequencies you have a difficult time hearing.
Just as rotary phones no longer exemplify long-distance communication, older hearing aids no longer represent what these devices are. Hearing aids aren’t what they once were. And that’s a good thing–because now they’re even better.
