Digital hearing aids: How far have they come?

The plethora of hearing aids available for those with hearing loss has grown massively over recent years to the point where it can get a little baffling as to what model you need.

Obviously our expert audiologists can help you with this at your free hearing test but you can also take on some information prior to the test, by exploring exactly what digital hearing aids are, in comparison to analogue ones.

Most wearers of hearing aids would testify that digital devices are preferable to their more outdated counterparts, with the main difference coming in the way they transmit and amplify sound.

Digital hearing aids work by taking the signal from the device's microphone and then convert it into smaller chunks of data.

These are then processed by a tiny computer located on the device, with this process contrasting very differently to analogue aids.

These use a microphone too, but sound is then made into small electrical signals which are amplified and fed to your earphone in order for you to understand what's being said.

This move towards digital hearing aids has meant a real improvement for the lives of those with hearing loss, specifically meaning that Automatic Gain Control (AGC) technology is now installed in many devices.

AGC works by increasing the volume on those quieter sounds so that you can hear them clearly while not amplifying noises that are already loud, ensuring you aren't deafened when a loud car or motorbike whizzes past.

Analogue hearing aids don't include this, as you may expect, so there's always that chance you could get an unexpected shock.

We would recommend digital hearing aids for customers suffering with hearing loss but, for further, more specific detail, our audiologists can advice you on what model and variety you need.

Our staff have plenty of experience in fitting all manner of devices, which means they will be able to highlight the best model for you.