While many people view hearing aids as instruments to help the elderly, the reality is that they are pivotal for a wide swathe of the population, particularly as we age into our sunset years, hence the perpetual development of new and more effective hearing aids.
The first hearing aids date back to the 17th century and the advent of the ear trumpet, which funnelled sound directly into the ear and helped to deaden sound from other directions, and while they evolved into the mid-19th century with the advent of devices such as the Akouphone, it was the development of transistor technology that allowed them to truly shrink down to a practical, everyday aid.
Today, modern hearing aids are digital, and while that hasn’t stopped them from shrinking in size it has expanded their functionality, with many now offering Bluetooth connectivity, neural networks, and other high-tech wizardry to help tackle hearing loss and enhance the range of sounds that sufferers can hear.
