Review: Phonak hearing aids at your service even in noisy environments

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A Phonak hearing aidCredit: Phonak.com

Hearing aids are digital equipment for sound collection, amplification and direction, into the ear. A basic hearing aid must include a microphone, amplifiers, receivers and batteries. It is traditionally expected that hearing aids should help one to hear better in a quiet environment. When it comes to a noisy environment, making a good choice can be a challenge. Audiologist and clinicians can help you if your lifestyle involves being in noisy environments, like a stadium or a restaurant.

According to a study conducted four years ago, hearing aids can meet the challenges of noisy environments. The studies showed that some hearing aids can work well there.

It was found that a new hearing aid technology, open-fit hearing aids, a type of behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, when equipped with directional microphones, can perform well in noisy environments. Open-fit technology allows ambient sounds into the ear canal. This is more attractive than the traditional hearing aids which can create canal blockage. Directional microphones, on the other hand, help its user to distinguish conversation from background noise by partially cancelling out low frequency sounds coming from the sides and from behind. It was proved conclusively that open-fit hearing aids with directional microphones on average gave wearers a 20 percent improvement in speech intelligibility in a noisy environment, particularly a restaurant setting, compared to not having a hearing aid or wearing an open-fit aid without a directional microphone. This study was the first to show that this combination showed an improved performance in hearing sound. Open-fit hearing aids, a type of BTE hearing aids, have been in the market for a long time, but with the results of this research, audiologists and clinicians will readily recommend the technology with a directional microphone for a challenging noisy environment.

Phonak Hearing Aids

Phonak hearing aid brands have been ranked number three worldwide in the market. Phonak hearing aids come equipped with the basic features like microphones, amplifiers, receivers and long lasting batteries. Its brands have different styles like in-the-canal (ITC), in-the-ear (ITE), completely-in-the-canal (CIC) and behind-the-ear (BTE). Phonak’s BTE hearing aids come equipped with directional microphones. So, you can be sure that whether in a quiet environment or a challenging noisy environment, Phonak hearing aids can serve you well. You can visit the website for Phonak hearing aids for an overview of its product line.

Always remember to consult an expert for your lifestyles and needs before choosing any hearing aid. Remember also that hearing aids are costly. So, avoid falling into the trap of buying one that you’ll later regret doing so. Get yourself checked by an audiologist before a recommendation before taking a decision on hearing aids.

Source: Unaided and aided performance with a directional open-fit hearing aid.

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