turning up the world's volume.

Turning Up The World's Volume.

Courtesy of the
Hearing Foundation of Canada

From disposable hearing aids to flashing lights, assistive devices come in many guises.

There’s no shortage of hearing aid devices and assistive hearing devices for the home and office, says University of Calgary auditory researcher Dr., David Brown.

"The problem is getting people with hearing impairments to take advantage of them," Brown said. "Many people with hearing impairments don’t even know what’s available out there."

Dr. Brown, who is also a pediatric audiologist, said hearing aid devices now come in a variety of styles - behind-the-ear (known as BTE) aids, usually the largest and least expensive, in-the-ear (ITE) aids, in-the-canal (ITC) aids, and even newer for the Western market, completely-in-the-canal (CIC) aids, which cost about $2,000.

Implantable hearing aid devices, currently available in Europe, are also "coming soon to the United States, and then to Canada," said Dr. Brown. These implantable devices work the same as a regular hearing aid, in that they amplify sound, but they are directly connected - implanted - to the bone of the ear.

"They have a direct connect," he said. "You dislocate one of the bones of the ear and you connect the device to it. The device directly connects to the bone, like a direct drive."

All hearing aids function the same way, however. Sound goes into a microphone, becomes amplified by its circuitry, and then a receiver (think of it as a speaker) outputs the sound again in an acoustic form.

There are a dozen or so major, multi-national manufacturers of hearing aids, as well as numerous independent makers. "Everyone has been trying miniaturize the hearing aid since it was first developed," Dr. Brown said. Technological developments began primarily after the Second World War, when so many soldiers returned to their homelands with damaged-hearing from the excruciating noise of battle.

Patients with suspected hearing problems are usually referred by their doctor to an ear, throat and nose specialist (otolaryngologist), and then to an audiologist who tests hearing and fits the right type of hearing device for the person. An audiologist will take an ear mold, and impression of the person’s ear, that is used to make the device fit properly in the ear.

"Somehow, we have to hold that hearing aid in the ear, and if you don’t have a good seal, you get a little squeal, caused by the hearing aid not sitting right," Dr. Brown said.

Disposable hearing aids are also about to be released on the market, Brown said. They last about 40 days, for the life of their battery, and are designed for people who aren’t sure they want a hearing aid but want to find out how they feel before going to the expense of ordering and fitting a permanent one. "They’re not on the market yet but they will be released this year," Dr. Brown said. "It’s going to be a new option." Cost will be about $40 (U.S.)

Assistive hearing devices for the home or office abound, he said. Phones can be fitted with telephone flashers to indicate when there is a call. Belt vibrators can be clipped to a belt and worn so that if the phone rings, the person feels the vibrational signal.

Alarm clocks can also be fitted with flashers, or even vibrators that attach to a bed leg to signal time to get up, he said.

"Not everyone wants to get a hearing aid. Sometimes just an assistive device helps," said Dr. Brown.

"Anything is possible. You can plug just about anything into a hearing aid these days. Anything that has an output can be ported directly into a hearing aid."

In theatres, many have a microphone system using either an FM or infrared signal that enables a person wearing a hearing aid in the audience to receive as if they were next to the person on stage. And closed caption broadcasting on television is increasingly common, and a boon for people who are hearing impaired, he said.

A decoder attached to their television enables them to read what is being said in a running line that appears on the bottom of the screen. And all telephone communication companies offer relay services for people who are hearing impaired. This involves an operator who functions as a teletypewriter, taking a person’s words, writing them and sending them to the person on the phone who is hearing-impaired. That person reads the words on a device attached to the phone. All conversations take place between the operator and the caller.

In the classroom students can use hearing devices that pick up a teacher’s words from a cordless microphone worn by the teacher. "It broadcasts a signal and the student wears a receiver that captures the signal," Dr. Brown said. "These days, there is some sort of fix for just about any situation you come across."