Sensorineural Hearing Loss
About 95% of adults experience "sensorineural" hearing loss, or what is commonly referred to as "nerve damage". With this type of hearing loss, words sound muffled and there is a general loss of voice clarity. Sensorineural hearing loss is usually gradual and is rarely helped by medical intervention. Hearing aids are almost always the only solution at providing relief for the hearing problems associated with this loss. A hearing test will tell you what type of hearing loss you actually have.
Digital Hearing Aids
The main difference between analogue, the conventional system, and digital, the new technology, is in their method of conversion. Analogue converts sound waves to electrical waves while digital converts sound waves using exact mathematical calculations that are processed by a computer.
a
Analogue Hearing Aids
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— Do not distinguish different sounds and therefore amplify all sounds equally, which means some sounds, are too loud while others may be difficult to hear. This is rectified when the hearing aid user adjusts the volume.
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— Programmable analogue hearing aids are equipped with different programs that are saved in the aid. The programs are then switched depending on the listening environment. As an example, one program will work during a conversation, while the other may work best while in the theatre.
b
Digital Hearing Aids
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— Translate sound to digital code, change it and re-transmit it back by using mathematical calculations.
— Duplicates sound transmission.
— Produces a high quality sound that is extremely accurate.
Many believe that the digital system has revolutionized hearing by accurately duplicating sound transmission. Digital hearing aids have many benefits and lots of automatic features, although some still believe that programmable analogue aids possess great sound quality and functionality and are great in that they are more affordable.