Deaf Awareness Month: Hearing Technology

Hearing challenges present in many different ways. Some individuals have more trouble with hearing loudness and some have more difficulty with speech clarity. The type and degree of hearing loss is evaluated by an audiologist, and technology options and recommendations vary.

Hearing aids are the most common form of hearing technology and serve to amplify sounds using a prescription approach, and generally include various digital options and strategies to optimize clarity.

Bone anchored hearing aids (BAHAs) involve a surgically implanted component and are only recommended for a specific types of hearing challenges that have minimal or no inner or nerve damage.

Cochlear implants are another form of surgically implanted devices, this time involving an internal magnet and an electrode array inserted inside the cochlea. An external processor captures sound and transmits signals through the magnet to the electrode array. It takes time to adapt to the sounds of the cochlear implant for most people, and it often takes multiple visits to “map” or program the cochlear implant for optimal hearing.