The ear is often thought of as the doorway to the brain, and hearing aids have become one of the greatest medical inventions ever made. But have you ever wondered how they work to enhance audio-sensory abilities? The secret is that they use wireless connectivity. This offers users the potential for considerable communication enhancement. 

Maximum improvements are possible when an auditory health professional is well-trained and experienced in wireless technology usage. In the United States alone, about 15% of people above 18 years of age report some level of hearing loss, making audiologists one of the most sought-after specialists in the country.

What is an Audiologist?

Audiologists are health care specialists who recognize, evaluate, and treat or manage hearing conditions and balance disorders. They also do the same for other neural systems. To qualify as an audiologist in the United States, you must possess an Audiology Doctorate (AuD).

Characteristically, it takes four years to complete this post-graduate degree. Students admitted to such AuD programs usually have undergraduate degrees in communication sciences and disorders. Students with a degree in statistics, biology, and psychology are also eligible to enroll for an AuD. Upon completing the AuD, new audiologists must receive licenses from their respective states. It could be in the form of a practical or written examination.

However, in addition to an AuD, audiologists can get other certifications to enhance credibility and medical reputation. These include a Board certification from the American Academy of Audiology; and the Certificate of Clinical Competence from the American Speech and Hearing Association.

How Does Normal Hearing Function?

A person is able to hear when sound waves move through the auditory canal to hit the eardrum, causing it to vibrate. The vibrations from the eardrum then continue on to the Ossicles (the three bones in the middle ear). These bones intensify the beats, and the Cochlea (small hair-like cells in the ear) resonates when struck by these vibrations. It then sends this information along the auditory nerve to the brain, where a person with a healthy hearing function will decipher it as sound.

Hearing Loss

Hearing impairment or hearing loss refers to a slight or full deviation of the function of one or both ears. The symptoms range from mild, moderate, to severe, which some Audiologists prefer to term ‘profound’. Levels of higher set volumes in the ranges before a patient can detect sound, help classify the severity of the hearing loss.

Patients with a slight or mild hearing impairment may have difficulty recognizing speech in the presence of environmental noise. With a moderate case, they may require a hearing aid to help them. In the case of extreme or severe hearing loss (profoundly deaf), persons may depend on lip-reading or sign language to interact with others. Regardless of your spectrum, there is help for your immediate hearing needs.

Hearing loss can affect both the young and old. The inner ear bones are delicate, and damage to the eardrum or other parts of the auditory system may result in hearing loss. In some cases, diseases such as diabetes, mumps, meningitis, and certain cancers may cause hearing loss.

How Connectivity in Hearing Aids Works

An audiologist can recommend a type of hearing aid based on your hearing level, lifestyle, style preference, and other factors. There are six types, these are:

  • In the ear (ITE)
  • Behind the ear (BTE)
  • Receiver in canal (RIC)
  • Invisible in canal (IIC) 
  • In the canal (ITC)
  • Completely in canal (CIC)

In today’s world, people rely on wireless devices to stay connected to friends, family, and even for office tasks. Mobile phones, tablets, laptops, and other wireless devices are commonly found in households. In the medical world, devices that employ wireless connectivity make it possible to enhance well-being and modernize healthcare. 

Among people who experience hearing loss, wireless connectivity in hearing aids channels auditory signals from the external environment into the inner ear. The transmission of sounds from the point of origin to the recipient is achieved through the air without cables or wires. Using wireless technology signals are sent through the ether via specific points to their destination. 

In addition, wireless hearing aids can communicate with external devices through Bluetooth technology, frequency modulation (FM), or telecoils (t-coils). What makes it even more exciting is that newly-designed Bluetooth-compatible hearing aid models can communicate with the latest Apple iPhones, making it easy to hear phone conversations for those who are deaf or hard of hearing — even in loud places.

Thankfully, experiencing hearing loss is not the end of the world. There are a wide variety of medically-approved ways to treat or manage the issue. With EarTech Audiology, there is always help available to assist you with your hearing challenges, whatever the severity. Call (866) 464-1008 now to benefit from this excellent service.