Hearing Aids; Sound Amplifying Medical Devices Used To Treat Hearing Impairment
A hearing aid is a medical device intended to enhance hearing by producing sound normally audible to an individual with impaired hearing. There are many types of hearing aids available in the market, such as in the canal hearing aids, in the ear hearing aids, completely in the ear hearing aids, receiver in the ear hearing aids, and behind the ear hearing aids. The most common ones are the digital hearing aids and are the easiest to operate and use. Hearing aids are classified as therapeutic devices in most countries and usually regulated by the regulatory agencies. They are also covered by standard insurance policies in most cases.
Among all, behind the ear hearing aids type is mostly preferred by people with issues as it fits comfortably behind the ear. It is a small electronic device that comprises various components such as batteries, receiver, amplifier circuitry, and a microphone. Hearing aids capture, amplify, and deliver sound into the ear canal. The hearing loss may occur due to many reasons such as aging, genetic factors, trauma or injury to the head, prolonged exposure to loud noise, and diseases such as Meniere’s disease.
With the increasing prevalence of hearing problems and the growing geriatric population, the demand for hearing aids is also increasing with a rapid pace. For instance, according to the World Health Organization, in 2019, the annual costs of health disorders caused by hearing impairments was € 2.65 billion in Germany. Moreover, worldwide around 466 million people suffer from hearing impairment, of which 432 million are adults.
Sensorineural hearing loss, mixed hearing loss, and conductive hearing loss are three major types of hearing loss. Among all, sensorineural hearing loss is the most common type and is a permanent type of hearing loss caused by damage to the inner ear cells or the auditory nerve. Modern hearing aids use digital signal processing, which includes noise reduction, frequency lowering, directionality, wide dynamic range compression, and feedback management, to improve speech intelligence and comfort for the user. However, modern devices require configuration to match hearing loss, physical characteristics, and lifestyle of the wearer.
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