1. There are many advantages of digital hearing aids over old analog hearing aids. Digital hearing aids are far more comfortable than analog. High intensity sounds are discomforting for those wearing analog hearing aids compared to digital. Digital aids reduce the intensity of environmental sounds which makes things more comfortable for the wearer.
2. Another advantage over analog hearing aid is reduction of whistling sound. This helps in providing more gain at required frequencies which helps in improvising sound quality.
3. Digital speech enhancement technology is now being added to hearing aids one can assume that it will make listening to speech better than on analog aids.
4. Directional microphones have been added to digital aids. Advantages of these microphones are amazing. When the hearing aid is switched to directional mode then the sounds originating from back are cut down. This helps to focus on a speaker in a crowded environment.
There has been explosion in the number of digital hearing aids in the market in the last five years. Manufacturers are moving toward their third or fourth generation of digital products.
Need for binaural amplification ( Hearing aid fitting in both the Ears)
Many people in India use only monoaural ( only in one ear ) hearing aids. The main factor for the use of monoaural hearing aid use is due to the cost associated with the hearing aids.
Apart from this dis-advantage there are various plus points for using the binaural amplification namely :-
Firstly binaural summation when a person uses hearing aids in both ears he / she gets additional gain of 6 dB i.e. the speech is perceived much clearer and there is less need for concentrating on speaker.
Secondly one gets the sense of directionality, one would be able to track down the side from which the speech / sound is coming, where as with one hearing aid, would have the person confused. He perceives all sounds coming from only one side i.e. aided ear.
Thirdly binaural hearing helps in understanding speech better in group situations. Our brain is able to decide more appropriately to suppress background noise naturally when signal is from both the ears.