How Does a Hearing Aid Work?

Hearing aids have a microphone which picks up sound, an amplifier which magnifies it and a receiver which delivers the amplified sound into the ear canal. The characteristics of these vary to suit different hearing losses. An audiologist can then adjust the hearing aid either manually or using a computer to get the optimum result for each individual. As hearing losses are generally very different from person to person, a hearing aid must be individually selected for each case.
The hearing aid must also fit snugly in the ear canal so an impression of the ear is taken to have the hearing aid or ear mould custom made.

Some hearing aids have multiple memories and are called programmable aids. They can be adjusted by the wearer to suit different environments, for example to respond better in noisy situations. Some have a volume control, either on the device itself or on a remote control unit. Others automatically adjust their volume according to the incoming sound.

All hearing aids operate with a battery, the size and life span of which varies according to the size of the hearing aid. Usually, each battery cell lasts for about 100 hours of usage. The battery is easily replaced by the hearing aid user.