What are Hearing Aids?

Hearing aids are devices designed to amplify sounds, helping individuals with hearing loss listen more effectively. These devices come in various styles and offer different features, but they commonly include:

1. A microphone to capture sound.
2. Amplifier circuitry to enhance sound frequencies.
3. A miniature loudspeaker (receiver) that delivers the amplified sound into the ear canals.
4. Batteries to power the device.

There are two main types of technologies used in these devices: Digital and Analog hearing aids. However, the choice of an ideal hearing aid depends on the individual's lifestyle, severity of hearing loss, and specific listening needs.

Different styles of hearing aids:

Behind-the-ear (BTE) aids
BTE hearing aids have a plastic case that rests behind the ear, connected to an earmold via clear tubing. They're often chosen for young children because the earmold can be replaced as the child grows. BTE aids are easy to clean and require low maintenance.

"Mini" BTE, or receiver-in-canal (RIC) aids
RIC are a smaller variant of BTE aids. A narrow tube connects the device to the ear canal. This type of hearing aid addresses the cosmetic concerns of some users.

In-the-ear (ITE) aids
In ITE hearing aids, all parts of the hearing aid comes in a shell that fits in the outer part of the ear. ITE aids are easier to handle than smaller aids.

In-the-canal (ITC) aids and completely-in-the-canal (CIC) aids

CIC hearing aids are tiny devices that fit into the ear canal. ITC hearing aids offer both cosmetic and listening advantages as these hearing aids comes in smaller sizes. However, their small size can make them difficult to handle for some users.

Differences between analog and digital hearing aids

Analog hearing aids: These devices amplify all sounds by creating louder, continuous sound waves. Most analog hearing aids comes with a microchip that stores multiple program settings for different listening environments, like quiet or noisy places. As the environmental conditions change, users can adjust the settings back to normal with the push of a button.

Digital hearing aids: These are increasingly common. Digital devices offer all the advantages of analog hearing aids, but also convert sound waves into digital signals, producing an exact duplicate of the sound. Their microchips analyze speech and other environmental sounds, and can store program settings for different environments.

As for where to buy analog hearing aids in Jaipur, Lavanya Speech and Hearing Centre is a well-known provider. They offer a variety of digital and analog hearing aids. You can directly contact them to schedule an appointment with their experienced audiologists.