A hearing aid or deaf aid is an electroacoustic device which is designed to amplify sound for the wearer, usually with the aim of making speech more intelligible, and to correct impaired hearing as measured by audiometry. In the United States, Hearing aids are considered medical devices and are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ordinary small audio amplifiers or other plain sound reinforcing systems cannot be sold as “hearing aids”. In the United States, Hearing aids are considered medical devices and are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Ordinary small audio amplifiers or other plain sound reinforcing systems cannot be sold as “hearing aids”.Hearing aids are incapable of truly correcting a hearing loss; they are an aid to make sounds more accessible.
Analogue hearing aids are equipped with a microphone that picks up surrounding sound and converts it into electrical signals. These electrical signals are then amplified and directed into an earphone on the hearing aid. Nowadays, they have mostly been replaced by newer digital hearing aids. All hearing aids were analogue until the 1990’s. Analog hearing aids are still used among some people despite the fact that there are many modern digital hearing aids developed with better transmitters of sound. Analog hearing aids are also much cheaper than the digital ones. Therefore if they fit well for some people, than there is no need for them to use the digital hearing aids. Digital hearing aids can be very sophisticated and have a lot of important features and therefore be a good option for many people with hearing problems.
