Health Beat: New hearing aid makes big splash
By: Ivanhoe Broadcast News
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Hearing aids are little electronic devices that are worn behind the ear to assist in the hearing process. The device makes some sounds louder for people who have hearing loss so they can listen, communicate and participate fully in daily activities.
Hearing aids can help people hear better in both quiet and noisy situations. According to the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, only 20 percent of people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually use one.
Insound Medical
(800) 599-5109
http://www.insoundmedical.com
There are three parts to a hearing aid: a microphone, amplifier and a speaker. The device receives sound through the microphone. The sound is then converted to sound waves, and then converted to electrical signals that are then sent to an amplifier.
The amplifier increases the power of the sound signals and then sends them through the ear to a speaker. There are four types of hearing aids: behind-the-ear (BTE), "Mini" BTE, In-the-Ear (ITE) and completely-in-canal (CIC). All of these consist of a hard plastic case that is connected to a plastic ear mold that either fits in the ear, behind the ear, or in the canal.
Lyric hearing aid is the first extended-wearing hearing device that is completely invisible. The device is considered invisible because the placement of the lyric in the ear canal is deep and is invisible to the eye.
The device can be worn 24 hours a day, seven days a week for months at a time. The device is placed within the ear canal, millimeters from the ear drum. It is put in the ear by a trained hearing professional and does not involve any surgery or anesthesia.
Lyric can stay in the ear canal for months at time. The positioning of the lyric allows the outer ear to direct sound directly into the ear canal naturally.
By having this direct connection, the hearing aid is able to improve directionality and localization (the ability to determine where the sounds are coming from), reduces feedback, minimizes background noise and improves the ability to hear high frequency sounds. The device also can be used during daily exercising, showering and sleeping.