Digital hearing aids

Hearing connects people and shapes memories. With digital hearing aids, it has become easier to ensure better hearing and understanding. Modern hearing aid technology allows for clearer and natural sounds without the recurring feedback or bulky designs of the past.

Key Takeaways

Digital hearing aids have many advanced technology features available for convenience and customization for the user.
Most hearing aids on the market today are digital vs. analog hearing aids.
The cost of digital hearing aids varies depending on style and features included, as well as whether service and aftercare are part of the purchase price.
Some features include noise reduction, Bluetooth connectivity, AI automation, and smartphone app integration.
Digital hearing aids can improve mental and physical health and help build stronger interpersonal relationships.

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What is a digital hearing aid?

Hearing aids are sound-amplifying devices designed for individuals with hearing loss. They have evolved past the clunky hearing devices of the past that merely amplified all sounds and now represent advancements in modern-day technology. Digital hearing aids offer more sleek and discreet designs as well as digital signal processing, which offers higher-quality amplification in a variety of sound environments. They also provide a range of additional digital features, like Bluetooth connectivity, artificial intelligence (AI) integration, and rechargeable batteries, along with custom programs that can be changed at the touch of a button.

Analog vs. digital hearing aids

Analog hearing aids

Analog hearing aids convert sound waves into electrical signals that are amplified and then passed to the hearing aid’s receiver, delivering sound into the ear canal. This older style of hearing aids has a continuous amplification of all sounds, so background noises are amplified in addition to speech and other sounds you’d like to hear better¹. Analog hearing aids offer limited features, which makes them simpler to use but limits their ability to adjust to your sound environment.

Digital hearing aids

Most hearing aids on the market today are digital hearing aids. These hearing devices work differently from analog hearing aids by converting sound into a digital signal using the built-in digital microchip. This not only offers a better overall sound, but it also allows for a lot of customization based on a person’s level of hearing loss and sound environment¹. Many digital hearing aids today can even automatically change settings based on the sound environment and background noise, helping the user better differentiate between environmental sounds and speech.

Which is better: analog or digital hearing aids?

In today’s world, comparing analog vs digital hearing aids is pretty simple. Most manufacturers have phased out the production of analog hearing aids, replacing them with digital counterparts. While there are still some basic, budget-friendly options on the market, they generally have digital processors. Digital hearing aids are preferred for their higher-quality sound amplification, customized settings, longer battery life, and other technological advancements.

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How do digital hearing aids work?

Digital hearing aids have a three-step process for detecting, amplifying, and delivering sound.

Sound detection: Every digital hearing aid starts by using tiny, high-fidelity microphones. The microphone picks up sounds, based on chosen settings, and uses its digital signal processor (DSP)²—the microcomputer for the hearing aid—to convert the signal into a numerical code (a string of 0s and 1s). It uses an algorithm to analyze the sound and convert it.
Signal amplification: After receiving and converting the sound, the signal processor and amplifier will adjust, modify, and amplify the signal based on the specific frequencies where a person’s hearing loss is most prominent.
Sound delivery: Next, the sound is transferred to the hearing aid’s receiver, which sits behind the ear or in the ear canal, depending on what style of hearing aid you have. This delivers sound to the ear canal, which travels to the hair cells of the inner ear. They process the amplified sound and send the signal to the brain.

While this process is the same for all digital hearing aids, each person’s hearing aids work slightly differently based on how they’re programmed, since everyone has different hearing needs and hearing loss levels. At Miracle-Ear, a hearing care professional can customize the settings on your device.

Digital hearing aid technology

Modern digital hearing aid technology has evolved drastically in the last few years. Some popular technology features in digital hearing aids include:

With digital Bluetooth hearing aids, there’s no need to switch out your hearing aids for headphones. Instead, Bluetooth connectivity allows you to connect your hearing aids directly to other Bluetooth-enabled devices. This feature means you can talk on the phone with perfect clarity. Once the call ends, you can easily change connected devices. The Bluetooth can connect to many devices, including cell phones, MP3 players, computers, GPS devices, and FM systems³.

A rechargeable digital hearing aid means you no longer have to regularly change small hearing aid batteries. Instead, rechargeable lithium-ion batteries can charge while you sleep at night and last all day. And if you forget to charge your hearing aids, a quick 30-minute charge will give you up to eight hours of battery life.

With digital signal processing hearing aids, the device’s microchip processes sound waves, converting them into digital signal transmissions². It then analyzes and converts the sound instantly and sends the sound to the inner ear, where it is converted into electrical energy and sent to the brain for the brain to process.

The powerful technology of digital hearing aids would be overwhelming to the ear if it weren’t for features like noise reduction. Noise reduction decreases background noise while amplifying the sounds you want to hear, like the conversations happening around you.

If you are at a party, sporting event, or outdoor space, you can fine-tune the perfect balance and avoid uncomfortable and loud background noises. In these typically challenging environments, unwanted background noise will be reduced thanks to the technology in digital noise reduction hearing aids.

Your hearing care professional will program your hearing aid software when you buy your devices. They’ll customize the settings to your level of hearing loss and hearing needs, utilizing specific software and creating different programs for different sound environments.

The Miracle-Ear hearing aid app, available to both iPhone and Android users, supports your digital hearing aid programming software. The app allows you to adjust the volume, change your sound settings, and create custom profiles for different sound environments.

AI-powered sound enhancements support today’s most advanced digital hearing aids. The processors for AI pick up sound data points and strengthen the ability to fine-tune personalized adjustments. AI can learn what allows you to hear better and implement that into its future experience. This reduces the need to manually change settings.

Miracle-Ear SmartSense Technology™ makes over 80 million adjustments per hour, making your hearing experience effortless.

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Types of digital hearing aids

Different types of hearing aids suit various lifestyle needs, preferences, and levels of hearing loss. Types of hearing aids include:

Invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aids: These nearly invisible digital hearing aids are best for mild to moderate hearing loss. They sit far down in the ear canal and are the smallest possible hearing aid available.
Completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids: Slightly more visible than IIC hearing aids but still very small and discreet, CIC hearing aids are best for mild to moderate hearing loss.
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids: These hearing aids sit in the ear canal and are suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. They’re simple to use and are still discreet while being slightly easier to use than CIC and IIC models for those with dexterity issues.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids: ITE hearing aids are suitable for people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Sitting in the bowl of the ear, they’re more visible than smaller models, but they also offer more powerful features.
Receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids: The most popular hearing aid style, RICs are suitable for almost every level of hearing loss, and even though they have a small shell that sits behind the ear, they are visually very discreet. They offer some of the most advanced technology features.
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids: BTE hearing aids are best for severe to profound hearing loss, as they have the most powerful amplification of any other hearing aid style. They sit comfortably behind the ear, with a clear tube connecting the shell to the earpiece.

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Cost of digital hearing aids

The price of digital hearing aids varies depending on the style of hearing aid you choose and what technology is built into your device.

This leads many people to ask, “Why are digital hearing aids so expensive?” It’s a valid question, as high-quality hearing aids are certainly an investment. Some health insurance providers may offer hearing aid coverage. For those paying out of pocket, Miracle-Ear offers payment plan options to make purchasing hearing aids more affordable. Ultimately, these devices are an investment in your health and wellness. Hearing aids can improve mental health and brain function, communication with friends and family, and the ability to run daily errands.

How long do digital hearing aids last?

Digital hearing aids last around 3 to 7 years. Many factors affect this lifespan, including what type of batteries they have, how you care for your hearing aid, how they are stored, and if they are regularly cleaned or receive maintenance checks. Daily maintenance and care are very important, including drying them in a dehumidifier or storing them in a dry box. Keeping up with cleaning and wax filter changes is also beneficial for the device’s lifespan. At Miracle-Ear, we provide lifetime aftercare*, ensuring ongoing support from any of our 1,600+ locations.

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Discover a new way of hearing

There are a vast number of hearing aid features that may or may not be applicable to your lifestyle, but you want to make sure the ones you use the most will be there when you need them. Be sure to talk to your Miracle-Ear hearing care professional to compare all the hearing aid features you need to live your best life. Book an appointment near you.

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Benefits of digital hearing aids

There are many life-changing benefits when starting to use digital hearing aids. Not only do you get to improve your ability to hear, but also your ability to connect with loved ones.

Some of the top benefits of digital hearing aids include:

More positive, satisfying relationships
Improved job performance and higher earning potential
Reduced depression and anxiety
Increased confidence
Reduced risk of dementia and improved cognitive function

*Miracle-Ear® lifetime aftercare is not included with hearing aids purchased utilizing some insurance benefits.

Sources

^1.Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Types of Hearing Aids.” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, FDA, https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/hearing-aids/types-hearing-aids

^2.Schweitzer, C. “Development of Digital Hearing Aids.” Trends in Amplification, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 1997, pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4172287/.

^3.Burrows, Dennis. Bluetooth Technology in Hearing AIDS: A Clinician’s Perspective | Perspectives on Audiology, pubs.asha.org/doi/abs/10.1044/poa6.1.4.