Hearing Aid Anatomy

A hearing aid is a small, very powerful device that amplifies sound for people with hearing loss, but what does it really do and how does it do this?  When you first look at a hearing aid, it can be surprising that such a small device can make so much sound and do so many things.  Let’s go over the basics of hearing aids and how each component works together to create the amplified sound.

First, there is sound.  Sound travels through the air in waves, and these sound waves are picked up by the microphone of the hearing aid.  These sound waves, which are in a variety of pitches and volumes, are then changed into electric currents for the hearing aid to better understand and adjust as needed for the user.  The electric current then flows into the amplifier.  The amplifier takes the electric sound current and increases the strength of it, essentially increasing the volume.  However, that is not all that the amplifier does.  The amplifier, along with a few other components, adjusts the electric sound current as needed for the user to hear the sound at a comfortable level.  The amplified or adjusted electric sound current is then converted back into sound waves for the ear to hear the sounds properly.  The amplified sound then travels to the receiver.  The receiver pushes the sound out of the hearing aid and into the ear. 

The basic function of a hearing aid is to amplify sound for a person with hearing loss, but a hearing aid now does so much more for its users.  Hearing aids have many parts and complicated components to allow them to function.