Hearing aid technology continues to improve and evolve, offering users better listening experiences in different environments. Let’s take a look at some of the new technology that today’s hearing aids have to offer!
Directional Microphones 
Traditional microphones pick up sound from all directions equally. Since people with hearing loss can struggle to pinpoint where sound is coming from, this can pose a problem in louder environments with lots of background noise.
Directional microphones boost sound coming from in front of you while suppressing background noise coming from other directions, making it easier to converse with friends when out at a popular San Francisco hangout like Sotto Mare.
A 2016 study examining the effects of directional microphones found that “directional microphone processing effectively reduced the cognitive load of listening to speech in background noise.” Essentially, hearing aid users have to put less mental effort into understanding speech in louder environments if they have directional microphones.
Bluetooth® Compatibility
Many hearing aids use Bluetooth® technology to be able to pair with other devices like smartphones and laptops. This allows the user to stream audio directly into their hearing aids as if they were earbuds. This makes activities like listening to music, watching TV or taking phone calls or Zoom meetings much smoother and easier to hear.
Hearing Aid Apps
Hearing aid apps allow users to make adjustments to their device, monitor their hearing aid battery life and contact their hearing healthcare specialist for certain checkups easily and discretely from their smartphone. Some can even convert speech to text or translate different languages.
Rechargeable Hearing Aids
For hearing aid users who are sick of having to carry around extra batteries or find them a pain to have to change in and out every few days, rechargeable hearing aids can be a game-changer. As the name suggests, they use rechargeable batteries. Just plug them into their charging station at night when you go to bed, and you should wake up with a fully charged device ready to provide quality hearing to you for a full 24 hours before needing another charge.
Bottom Line
These are but a few of the many technological features of modern hearing aids that can help keep you better connected to the world and make it easier to listen in any environment. Whether you are new to hearing aids or looking to upgrade, call the experts at San Francisco Audiology today to schedule an appointment and discuss your options.