One of the most common misconceptions about hearing aids is that they are bulky and inconvenient devices that only aging adults experiencing hearing loss wear. However, hearing aids are incredibly advanced pieces of technology that maximize hearing for people of all ages who navigate any degree of impaired hearing. These hearing instruments have benefitted from significant innovations that have strengthened connectivity, greater sound quality, and expanded capabilities. Today’s hearing aids are designed to support active lifestyles, enhancing overall health and wellness.
Innovative Technology and Hearing Aids
Hearing aids are medically prescribed electronic devices that are designed to absorb, amplify, and process sound; providing ample hearing support. These instruments have evolved over the past few decades and are smaller and more innovative than ever before. As technology has advanced, creating an increasingly digital and interconnected world, hearing aids have utilized this technology to maximize user experience (and hearing capacity across all environments). Today’s hearing aids can do a range of things including the following:
- Using bluetooth technology, hearing aids can wirelessly connect to other electronic devices such as your smartphone, TV, and speaker. This allows the device to stream audio directly which enhances sound quality, making it easier to hear and process while talking on the phone, watching TV, listening to music etc.
- Reduce background noise using noise cancellation technology which prevents you from having to increase the volume, allowing you to hear comfortably.
- Hearing aids are also able to connect to your smartphone and access your GPS. If you have saved locations and have set your preferences for those locations, hearing aids can save that information and once you arrive at that saved location, they can switch to the settings you have already programmed.
This technology highlights the ways in which hearing aids have produced exciting features that enable them to easily integrate into daily life and activities you participate in.
Hearing Aids for Active Lifestyles
If you live an active lifestyle – play sports, go on hikes, listen to music, take runs etc. – hearing aids can provide useful support that enhance these activities. They can also enhance safety by increasing spatial awareness which is important while navigating public space. A few of the ways that hearing aids support active lifestyles includes:
- Protection against wind: a common concern active people have is noise from wind. This is particularly a concern for people who engage in activities outdoors like walking, running, cycling, hiking etc. Encountering wind while doing these activities can create feedback that is unpleasant which also makes it difficult to hear clearly. To prevent this, there are hearing aids that have wind-noise management features that are designed to reduce the impact of wind. Using noise reduction technology, hearing aids are able to absorb and amplify the sound from the environment you are in without picking up the wind you are surrounded by.
- Water resistant: the impact of water exposure and sweat is another factor to consider for active people. Moisture can erode and damage hearing aid components and for people living active lifestyles, sweat from various activities is a concern. Offering protection for this, hearing aids have water resistant features that use nanotechnology coating which provides a protective barrier from moisture, dirt, earwax etc. This water- resistant protection also limits the impact of other debris that could enter the ear.
- Saves settings: hearing aids are able to save and remember settings that are programmed for specific environments which you are able to easily switch to. This means that when you are in an outdoor environment, your hearing aid can automatically adjust to your preferences for that setting. So if you work outdoors, are exercising, or moving through a noisy public space; your hearing aid can switch to the setting that will maximize your hearing while navigating that environment.
Hearing loss should not be a barrier to living an active lifestyle! Hearing aids are savvy devices equipped with the technology that allow them to be integrated (and useful) into day life. This provides significant support, enabling you to fully participate and enjoy a range of activities. If you would like to know more and are interested in exploring your options, contact us!