How Do Hearing Aids Work?
Digital Hearing Aids – Explained
The best part about technology is that it just keeps getting better and better. Today’s computers are able to run faster and hold more information on much smaller devices. People across the world are able to communicate with each other using both audio and video technology. With so many technological advancements, medical professionals are also better able to learn about the human body and find ways to improve its functions.
Because of recent advancements in technology, new and improved digital hearing aids are being developed to help individuals regain their hearing. Scientists, doctors, and technicians have all worked together to understand just how the ear works and what types of technology would be most comfortable and beneficial for hearing-impaired patients.
How Do People Hear?
The ear can be divided into three main sections. The first is the outer ear, which is the part that is seen. This fleshy appendage catches sound vibrations and directs them in through the ear canal towards the middle ear, where the eardrum is located.
As sound vibrations pass by the eardrum, it vibrates back and forth, moving the sound through it to the inner ear. Often, the vibrating bones attached to the eardrum that spread the sound also help increase the volume so that people can hear better. The vibrations move to the cochlea, which is a spiral shaped tube filled with fluid. The vibrations hit the fluid and create waves that stimulate hair cells. These tiny cells change the wave into an electrical impulse that is sent to the brain which processes the sound and interprets what the sound means.
How Does a Hearing Aid Help?
If any one of these muscles, bones, or cells fails to work properly, hearing is impaired. Digital hearing aids help assist the many parts of the ear with a microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker which magnifies the vibrations and sends the sound impulses to the brain. This assists the ear to process the vibrations into sound, and helps restore hearing so patients can better communicate with the ones they love. Call (602) 639-4064 today to learn more about hearing aid technology or for information about the digital hearing aids available at Metro Hearing in Phoenix.
