Most hearing aids on the market today are digital. The hearing aids are programmed on a computer and fine tuned to each person’s individual hearing loss and sound preferences. If the patient is not happy with the way the hearing aid sounds, or their hearing changes over time, then the hearing aid can be re-programmed. There are many features in digital hearing aids today that have significant advantages for patients over older style analog hearing aids. Some of these features include: 

Directional Microphones
Many hearing aids are equipped with microphones that can separate sound coming from different directions.  This feature is especially beneficial in noisy settings.  Directional microphones amplify sound in front of you more than sound behind you in order to enhance your hearing in noisy situations.  For example, while in a crowded restaurant, the directional microphone can amplify the conversation at your table, without picking up as much of the conversation coming from tables behind you.  This feature can be either manual or automatic. 

Automatic Noise Reduction
The hearing device constantly monitors your listening environment.  When it detects background noise that might interfere with your ability to hear speech, special processing allows the hearing aid to reduce the amount of noise it amplifies to help you hear better and make listening more comfortable.

Feedback Reduction
Have you ever heard that annoying whistle that a hearing aid sometimes makes? That whistle occurs when sound from the hearing aid leaks out of the ear and gets picked up again by the microphone. This is called “feedback.” Feedback reduction technology allows the hearing aid to detect feedback at very low levels and stops the hearing aid from whistling before it becomes a nuisance. This is often achieved without reducing the amount of amplification that the hearing aid is providing.

Automatic Telephone Amplification
When you pick up the telephone, the hearing device automatically amplifies the caller’s voice without any feedback or whistling. This feature is also known as “Easy-Phone” or “Auto-T-Coil”. If you prefer, a manual T-coil is also available on most products.