What parts make up your hearing aid and how to maintain them?
Over the years, significant advancements in the field of hearing aids have enhanced sound quality and minimized the likelihood of malfunctions. Nevertheless, the maintenance of these devices plays a crucial role in their longevity and effectiveness. Therefore, knowing the parts that make it up is essential to understand its operation and increase its useful life. However, the success and durability of your hearing aid depend, in part, on its proper maintenance.
In this article, we are going to briefly introduce what parts make up ELEHEAR otc a hearing aid and how to maintain your hearing aid.
Constituent Components of a Hearing Aid
The microphone
Normally, every hearing aid, regardless of their model or size, has one or two microphones and ELEHEAR alpha/pro OTC hearing aids have 2 mics for directional capturing responsible for collecting sound from the environment. The use of a microphone transforms acoustic energy into electrical energy, allowing it to capture the sound and transform it according to the characteristics necessary for the patient: modify the volume, the frequency of the sound, etc.
The processor or amplifier - AI Intelligent Noise Reduction
Depending on the hearing aid model and the technology used, the device may have a sound amplifier or a digital processor.
In most modern hearing aids, the processor or amplifier performs a vitally important function to fulfill the sound cycle in your hearing aid: it is responsible for taking the electrical signals transformed by the microphone and transforming them into digital signals. These digital signals are easily modified by the hearing aid technology. It is in the processor where the sounds are modified to adapt to the patient's ear and can be captured in the most faithful way to the original sound.
ELEHEAR as the first AI over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid, has AI intelligent noise reduction that can effortlessly manage various environmental sounds and accurately identify speech in almost all audio scenarios. It precisely amplifies human voices while efficiently handling background noise interference, creating a pleasant and comfortable auditory experience.
Receiver
It is the last piece that makes up the sound cycle from when it reaches the hearing aid until it passes to the inner ear. The receiver takes the digital signals generated by the processor and transforms them back into acoustic signals, sending the sound through the ear canal so that it can be processed by the nervous system.
Volume controller
It is the piece that allows you to modify the intensity with which the sound captured by the microphone is perceived. It can be found on the front of the Alpha Pro hearing aid with increase or decrease buttons.
The connecting tube
Normally made of plastic, it is a small cylinder that is responsible for transmitting the already amplified sounds to the receiver. Being made of a flimsy material, it is one of the pieces that needs the most care, as it has a greater risk of damage or breakdown during use.
The headphone
It is the part of the hearing aid that sits directly in the ear canal and transmits sound to the ear. It is the part that covers the receiver and transmits the acoustic signals previously transformed by it. It is also usually made with materials such as plastic, they adapt to the hearing aid model and each patient.
Battery and compartment
The battery or cell provides the energy that the hearing aid needs to function correctly. Over the years, increasingly more efficient and long-lasting batteries have been developed, increasing the autonomy time of the hearing aid. ELEHEAR Alpha pro battery life of up to 20 hours and the charging case enables 7 additional charges. Total battery runtime of 160 hours.
Factors Impacting Your Hearing Aid
Now that you know the parts that make up your hearing aid, you will be able to understand the importance of caring for each of its delicate parts. For this reason, at ELEHEAR we want to mention some of the most common agents that can cause failures or breakdowns in your hearing equipment.
Sweat and humidity
Being an electronic device, excess humidity is one of the factors that most contribute to the damage of hearing aids since it can oxidize the metal parts, as well as damage the battery contacts. In addition, since it has parts made of plastic tubes, it can cause water condensation in it, damaging the ducts that transmit signals to the ear.
Earwax and dust
Earwax can create obstructions in the earpiece, limiting sound quality and directly affecting the correct functioning of the hearing aid and the patient's perception of sounds. Dust buildup on the hearing aid can cause obstructions in the microphone and earpiece, as well as blocking sound output at the receiver.
Extreme temperatures
Exposure to very high or low temperatures can affect the operation of your hearing aid, causing damage to the parts due to deformation, condensation on the plastic tubes, or damage to the welds of the parts.
Bumps and falls
It is logical that a strong fall of your hearing aid can damage it. Impacts can break parts or move internal contacts, in addition to damaging the casing that protects your hearing aid.
Maintain your hearing aid
Correct maintenance of the hearing aid will allow its useful life to be extended for several years, allowing you to lead a full and normal life, enjoying the sounds of life.
Hearing aid maintenance starts with keeping it cool and dry, in addition to protecting it against accidental falls or bumps. For more information about how to maintain your hearing aid, ELEHEAR will irregularly update related information, please stay tuned with us.
Moreover, remember that you can find out the model that best suits your hearing needs by obtaining a free test and advice at https://elehear.com/pages/hearing-check.
