Top Insights from this Year’s Hearing Technology Impact Report

 

Top_Insights_From_This_Years_Hearing_Technology_Impact_Report.jpgThe hearing aid industry remains committed to discovering and advancing hearing knowledge to improve hearing quality and the lives of those suffering from hearing loss. The Hearing Industries Association (HIA) published the impact report to showcase and congratulate the innovative achievements in the hearing technology industry.

With new ideas in engineering, science, and technology, this industry is at the forefront of technological hearing advancement. Here are the takeaway points from this year’s hearing technology impact report.

Depth of New Technologies

The report highlighted eight companies in hearing technology that fueled breakthroughs in electronics, microelectromechanical systems, and manufacturing processes. Several of these organizations include Widex, GN ReSound, Starkey, and the Phonak parent company: they all contributed new technology and devices to improve hearing problems.

Connectivity and wearable technologies were notable game-changers. Bluetooth hearing aid devices have undergone significant upgrades in today’s market, as seen in the Widex Beyond Hearing Aids.

“Wearable” technology was another major highlight for hearing and lifestyle improvements. Small wearable housings are fitted and programmed for the individuals’ specific hearing loss, frequency, and lifestyle needs. Wearable technology helps integrate hearing aid technology with other smart devices. We are also seeing the first ever “Hearable” technology, such as the Bragi Dash by Starkey, which is a device used to provide Bluetooth streaming and other sophisticated information at ear level, but isn’t a hearing aid.

Highly noted were hearing aids and related devices with stylish and friendly looks that in some cases, hardly resembled medical devices. These technologies combined scientific understanding with imagination and ingenuity. The Widex Remote Microphone or Phonak’s Roger Pen, which helps people with more significant hearing loss, looks more stylish than medical, but is equally effective. People using these devices can understand speech better than those with normal hearing at noise levels of 65 dB and above.

Not all hearing aids are identical, and while they operate the same and have similar functions, it’s the micro-processing chip in new technologies that sets them apart. Technological advancements highlighted in this report illustrate how manufacturers and engineers are able to make smaller, better, and smarter hearing aids.

The Benefits of Modern Hearing Devices

The NIDCD reports that approximately 15 percent of American adults over 18 years of age have trouble hearing. This impacts the quality of life these people face and their ability to handle everyday challenges. Advances in technology allow those suffering from hearing loss the ability to live their life to the fullest.

For example, a student who was previously delayed in language development now attends a gifted program: his reading is above average thanks to his hearing aids. Today, new technologies no longer limit people from advancement. The development of hearing aids allows everybody the same opportunities and quality of life.

The hearing aid industry understands the challenge of daily communication, and they work to promote and discover technologies that enhance the lives of those with hearing problems. This year’s impact report shows how far the industry has advanced and improved the lives of those struggling with hearing.

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