How Do Hearing Aids Work?
Microphone
A small microphone located inside a hearing aid picks up any sound, whether it is someone speaking or the sound of music at a concert. The microphone takes this sound, turns it into electrical impulses and sends it to an amplifier inside the hearing aid. The amplifier makes the sound louder.
Programming the Hearing Aid
Once the sound has reached the amplifier, certain sounds are made louder than others. This is due to sophisticated computer programing inside the hearing aid. A specialist called an audiologist uses this program to tell the hearing aid what sounds to amplify more than others based on the type of hearing loss the patient is experiencing.
Earhook and Earmold
Once the correct sounds have been amplified, the amplifier changes the electrical impulses back into sound waves and sends them through the ear hook and into the ear mold. The ear mold is a specially shaped piece of equipment that is made from a mold of your ear. This allows the mold to fit perfectly and comfortably in your ear. The ear mold allows the sound to travel directly into the ear with little interference from the outside.
Power
Since hearing aids need constant power to work, a small battery is located within the hearing aid. Different sizes and strengths of batteries are available for different hearing aids, and are easily recognized by their different colors. Each color corresponds to a specific hearing aid battery size.
Volume
Each hearing aid also is equipped with a volume knob. This allows the user to turn down the hearing aid when needed, or increase the volume in situations where they are still unable to hear what needs to be heard.
Tags: inside hearing, Aids Work, electrical impulses, hearing aids, Hearing Aids