It seems as if all our devices are getting smarter, stronger, and smaller. Being smaller while doing more is the general trend.
Hearing aids are no exception, and it’s not a surprise. The world’s population is aging and hearing problems, though they can have many different causes, are more common amongst older people. About 37.5 million people and 3 million Canadians describe some amount of hearing impairment according to the National Institutes of Health. And that number is going up since age is the strongest demographic variable to predict hearing loss.
If you’re suffering from hearing loss, that’s one person too many. Better ways to minimize hearing loss? Let’s have them! Advancements are happening, here are a few.
Using Your Hearing Aid to Track Your Whole Body
This one seems as if it should be obvious. Health and fitness trackers have to be worn on the body. So, if you already have a device that’s in your ear… do you really need another one on your wrist? Nope! Or at least, you don’t with some of the latest hearing aids, which in addition to helping fix hearing difficulties such as tinnitus, will also keep track of your pulse, your physical activity, and much more. Hearing aids also have the ability to track things that other wearables usually don’t, like the time spent conversing. Especially as you get older, your level of social involvement can actually be an important health metric.
Better Streaming Straight to You
Virtual assistants like Alexa and Siri have quickly moved from smartphones to in-home devices and the main emphasis here is connectivity. Audio from a device, such as a smart TV can now be streamed directly to your hearing aid if it is Bluetooth compatible. Android developers now have open-source specifications provided by Google which lets them use certain Bluetooth channels to stream continuous audio directly to your hearing aid. This type of technology is helping hearing aids work almost like super-powered wireless headphones, making it easier to enjoy music, movies, and more.
Big Data Allows Smart Adjustments
Your next hearing aid may make individualized suggestions similar to how a Fitbit alerts you to fitness objectives or how Netflix suggests your next movie based on your viewing trend. The places you go and the adjustments you make will allow these new hearing aids, being manufactured by several companies, to learn your behaviors. Some push it even further, crowdsourcing data on how people use their hearing aids anonymizing and then mixing the data. So whether you’re watching TV at home, or in an IMAX theater, your hearing aids will be able to use this information to know what your situation is and make adjustments to provide you with the most enjoyable audio experience.
Getting Rid of The Batteries Once And For All
Hearing aids that don’t require their batteries replaced? Sound too good to be true? After all, making certain you’ve got spare batteries with you, or even taking time to recharge your hearing aid batteries, can be a pain in the, um, ear. While we’re not likely to get hearing aids that don’t need any batteries, there has been a constant improvement in rechargeable technology. That means longer in-use time, faster recharging, and less worrying about batteries, all in all, not too shabby.