Hearing aids are designed to alleviate problems with detecting sound by amplifying low and high frequencies into your ear. There are two main types of hearing aids: digital and analogue. Both types of hearing aids want to accomplish the same goal, but go about it in different manners. Understanding the differences between these two types of hearing aids allows you to make an informed decision about which type of hearing aid is best suited for you.

Analogue Hearing Aids

Analogue hearing aids work by simply amplifying sound waves in the air so that they are louder, and thus easier for you to hear. They are less common now, slowly being replaced by digital hearing aids. They can be adjusted based on the environment that you're in, boosting the sound by different degrees. This means that you can adjust your hearing aid to amplify very little in loud areas and to amplify significantly in quiet ones. Your settings can be stored on the hearing aid so that you can simply change the setting at the push of a button. Analogue hearing aids are significantly less expensive than digital hearing aids.

Digital Hearing Aids

Digital hearing aids convert the sound waves that they pick up in the air and produce a duplication of the sound in your ear. They are becoming quite common, taking over the majority of hearing aid usage today. They are able to differentiate between speech and environmental sounds in the environment around you and amplify them differently so that background noise is blocked out. This makes it much easier to hear someone in a loud area and to prevent unnecessary sounds from interfering with what you are trying to listen to.

Additionally, many digital hearing aids can be customized to your specific needs, which means that they will provide better results than analogue hearing aids. This is further helped by the fact that digital hearing aids are less prone to whistling and broadcasting feedback than analogue hearing aids are. Digital hearing aids also tend to be much smaller than analogue hearing aids, providing a much more discreet solution.

However, the one major drawback of digital hearing aids is the fact that they come with a high price tag. If they are not covered by insurance, it may not be financially viable for you to purchase a digital hearing aid. Besides that fact, however, the benefits provided by a digital hearing aid are miles beyond what an analogue hearing aid can offer.

For more information about hearing aids and which type will best meet your needs, contact a local clinic, like Waters ENT Sinus & Allergy.