Hearing aids feature a range of different technologies to help you hear and provide the best experience. When you choose your hearing aids, you should consider the various features on offer. However, you also have other factors to think about, such as your budget and lifestyle. You probably don't want or need every available feature, but it's worth knowing the benefits of them. Read on to find out the basics of some of them, and ask your audiologist to explain further if you need them to.

Noise and feedback reduction

The ultimate goal of a hearing aid is to help you hear as well as possible. Considering the features that will help you to do that is important before you start thinking about the convenient extras. For example, a good hearing aid needs to be able to focus on the right sounds and filter out irrelevant ones. Directional microphones help with this, but hearing aids can also reduce amplification in some channels and increase it in others to lower background noise levels. Digital hearing aids also control feedback. You can find different levels of sophistication in the technology that controls feedback, and not everyone needs the most sophisticated option.

Programs and memories

Having to adjust your hearing aid all the time for different environments can be inconvenient. Fortunately, many hearing aids come with the option to set different programs and memory banks. You can select from programs suitable for different environments or activities so that your hearing aids can use the optimum settings for things like being in a noisy social space or using the phone. Some more sophisticated hearing aids can also automatically adapt to different environments by detecting where you are. When this happens, they can turn on functions like noise reduction for a better experience.

Telephone adaptation

Many people who use hearing aids don't feel particularly confident about using the telephone. It can be difficult to hear clearly and to understand what people are saying over the phone. Some hearing aids have a feature specifically designed to make talking on the phone easier. Many hearing aids have an electromagnetic induction coil, which can help, but works best with phones designed to be compatible with hearing aids. Some hearing aids have a sensor that detects when you use a phone and switches to an appropriate program.

Remote or smart control

Being able to adjust your hearing aids when you need to is important. While some hearing aids will make adjustments automatically, you still might want to be able to control them yourself. Hearing aids usually have manual controls on them in the form of buttons, but there are other ways to change the settings. Some hearing aids have remote controls, which means you can change your hearing aid settings without touching them or taking them out. You can also use Bluetooth or wireless connectivity to connect some hearing aids to a smartphone or another device and use an app.

You should consider your personal needs to select hearing aids with the right features for you. Your audiologist can offer you advice if you need it.