You may have an idea of what wearing a hearing aid is like. This could be because you have been wearing one for some time, or because you can see what they are like and that they can’t be the most comfortable of devices to wear. However, thanks to modern technology and continuing work by researchers and innovators, hearing aids are very little like the devices you might be thinking of – they are smaller, easier to use, more comfortable, and technologically advanced. Read on for some excellent examples of these hi-tech hearing aids.
Artificial intelligence
You’ll find artificial intelligence in pretty much every aspect of your life today – chatbots, automated savings apps, health monitors, and so much more. So why not hearing aids? It makes perfect sense and companies such as Oticon Kaizn are jumping aboard with this new idea.
The AI will offer you a personalised hearing aid, gradually learning how you like to listen and the kinds of places you go to. Heading to a noisy restaurant will, once your AI powered hearing aid has adapted and learned, automatically change settings to give you the best hearing experience possible in exactly the way you like it.
Health tracker
Health is so important and now that we have devices and apps such as Fitbits and more, we are able to proactively monitor our health and ensure that we are doing as much as possible to keep fit.
There are now hearing aids that act as health trackers. The Livio AI hearing aid uses sensors to track your movements and your heart rate, offering advice when necessary. This is about physical health, but also cognitive health, so you get an all-round service.
Not only that, but connect this aid to Amazon’s Alexa, to your TV, or your tablet or smartphone, and you can stream audio at exactly the right settings.
Controlled by smartphone
We use our smartphones for so much, so when it comes to being able to control a hearing aid, it should be just as easy. The good news is, thanks to the Thrive app, this is exactly what happens. Thrive allows you to geotag specific ‘memories’ so that as soon as you arrive at a place you have been before, the settings on your hearing aid will change.
Remote support
Having support when you are starting to wear a hearing aid, or changing your hearing aids after a long time of using one particular type, can be extremely useful. the ReSound Linx Quattro hearing aid means you can contact a specialist audiologist for professional fine-tuning when you need it.
Another option is the Phonak Audeo Marvel. You can use the app for the aid to make a special, personal, hearing diary. This can then be shared with your audiologist, who will be able to make suggestions to help you.
No batteries
It is often the battery on a hearing aid that causes the most problems for users. Not only are they cumbersome, but when they need to be changed or charged it can leave the user without the required level of hearing they might want.
New hi-tech hearing aids offer much more freedom. Not only can they be equipped with cells that charge completely in as little as 20 seconds, but they then last for 24 hours.
