Skip to main content
Clear
Find glasses using an image
  • Find a store
  • Menu
Specsavers logo
  • My account Log in
    • Favourites
    • Express re-order
    • Orders
    • My details
    • Payment methods
    • Log out
  • Re-order contact lenses
    • Glasses
        • Glasses
        • Glasses
        • Sunglasses
        • Designer glasses
        • View our collections
        • Varifocal lenses for lifestyle
        • Find your glasses
        • Lens guide
        • Buyer's guide
        • Order Replacement glasses
        • Lens extras and treatments
        • #loveglasses blog
    • Contact lenses
        • Contact lenses
        • Product type
        • View all
        • Daily
        • Monthly
        • Information
        • Direct debit scheme
        • Express Re-order
        • Free contact lens trial
        • Buying contact lenses
        • Contact lens guide
        • Express re-order
    • Eye health
        • Eye health
        • OCT Scan
        • Book an eye test
        • Eye tests at home
        • Book a RemoteCare appointment
        • Eyecare at work
        • Care Hub - (COVID-19 Information)
        • Glaucoma information hub
        • Eye conditions & symptoms
        • Children's eyecare
        • Ask the expert
        • FAQs
        • View all
    • Hearing
        • Hearing
        • Hearing
        • Book a free hearing test
        • Earwax removal
        • Free online hearing test
        • Products
        • Hearing aids
        • Hearing aid prices
        • Buy hearing aid batteries
        • NHS funded hearing aids
        • Great offers
        • Information
        • What happens in a hearing test
        • All about earwax
        • All about ear health
        • Hearing loss
    • Home visits
        • Home visits
        • Home eye tests
        • About home visits
        • Eligibility
        • Request a home visit
        • Eye tests in care homes
        • FAQs
    • Offers
        • Offers
        • Glasses
        • Great value for NHS customers
        • Student glasses discount
        • 2 for 1 varifocal glasses
        • Complete glasses from £19
        • Designer glasses for teens
        • 2 for 1 designer glasses
        • 20% off glasses for over-60s
        • Free pair for kids
        • 2 for 1 glasses from £69
        • Lenses
        • Polarising lenses only £59
        • Free varifocals
        • Free UltraClear SuperClean
        • Free Thin + Light lenses
        • Free Reactions
        • Contact lenses
        • Free contact lens trial
        • 50% off glasses with contact lenses
        • Save with easycare
        • Hearing
        • Best value for hearing aids
        • Invisible hearing aids from £495
        • Free hearing tests
        • Rechargeable hearing aids from £995
        • Hearing product bundles
    • Book appointment
    • Find a store
    • Re-order contact lenses
    • Log in
    • My account
    • Favourites
    • Log out
  • Book appointment Book appointment
Type
  • Glasses
  • Sunglasses
  • Designer glasses
  • View our collections
  • Winter sun
  • Women's metals
  • Smile - As seen on TV
Age & gender
  • Women
  • Men
  • Teens
  • Kids
Guides
  • Find your glasses
  • Buyer's guide
  • Lens guide
  • Lens extras and treatments
  • Varifocal lenses for lifestyle
  • Order Replacement glasses
  • #loveglasses blog
Buy glasses online
Buy Glasses Online
Did you know you can now enter your prescription and buy online?
Buy now
Product type
  • Daily
  • Monthly
  • Multifocal
  • Toric
  • View all
Brand
  • easyvision
  • Acuvue
  • Focus
  • View all
Information
  • Direct debit scheme
  • Buying contact lenses
  • Contact lens guide
  • Free contact lens trial
  • FAQs
  • Express Re-order
Specsavers express re-order
Buy Online
Buy your contact lenses online and get free delivery
Buy Now
Services
  • Book an eye test
  • Book a RemoteCare appointment
  • Eye tests at home
  • Eyecare at work
  • OCT Scan
Information
  • Care Hub - (COVID-19 Information)
  • Your store visit explained
  • Your prescription explained
  • Eye conditions & symptoms
  • Glaucoma information hub
  • NHS funded eye tests
  • Children's eyecare
  • Information for GPs
Help
  • Ask the expert
  • FAQs
  • View all
Book appointment
Book appointment
Pop in for an eye test to give your eyes all the care they deserve.
Book now
Services
  • Book a free hearing test
  • Earwax removal
  • Hearing aid aftercare
  • Free online hearing test
  • Hearing
Products
  • Hearing aid prices
  • Hearing aids
  • Hearing aid brands
  • NHS funded hearing aids
  • Buy hearing aid batteries
  • Great offers
  • All about hearing protection
Information
  • What happens in a hearing test
  • All about earwax
  • All about ear health
  • Hearing loss
  • GP guidance
  • Download an information sheet
Book appointment
Book appointment
Give your hearing a check-up with our team of expert audiologists.
Book now
Home visits
  • About home visits
  • Eligibility
  • Request a home visit
  • Eye tests in care homes
  • FAQs
  • Home eye tests
Glasses
  • 2 for 1 glasses from £69
  • 2 for 1 designer glasses
  • 20% off glasses for over-60s
  • Free pair for kids
  • Designer glasses for teens
  • Complete glasses from £19
  • Great value for NHS customers
  • Student glasses discount
  • 2 for 1 varifocal glasses
Lenses
  • Free Reactions
  • Free Thin + Light lenses
  • Free UltraClear SuperClean
  • Free varifocals
  • Polarising lenses only £59
Contact lenses
  • Save with easycare
  • 50% off glasses with contact lenses
  • Free contact lens trial
Hearing
  • Invisible hearing aids from £495
  • Rechargeable hearing aids from £995
  • Free hearing tests
  • Best value for hearing aids
  • Hearing product bundles
  1. Home

How do modern hearing aids work?

It’s quite common for people to require hearing aids in their lifetime. Whether you have hearing loss due to a genetic disease or as the result of environmental factors, hearing aids can help in a variety of situations — from conductive hearing loss to tinnitus.

Here, we’ll take a closer look at the history of hearing aids, how modern digital ones actually work, and at how to pick the right ones for you.

 

A brief history of hearing aids

The earliest form of hearing aids were ear trumpets. Usually made of metal and wood, these tubular or funnel-shaped devices were used to direct sounds directly into the ears.

Later, with the invention of the telephone and microphone in the 1870s and 1880s, electronic hearing aids arrived and quickly gained popularity. These required a sound receiver, which was often the size of a large cigar box, with a speaker that fitted in the ear.

Since then, hearing aids have become smaller and more portable, and with the invention of microprocessors and microcomputers brought digital hearing aids — with the first behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids arriving in the late 80s.

Modern digital hearing aids: common features

Modern digital hearing aids have a number of features that can help the user navigate their day-to-day lives with more ease. These range from selectively blocking out certain sounds such as background noises to offering the ability to stream music and phone calls directly to the hearing aids. More specifically, modern hearing aids often have the following features:

Directional microphones

Automatic directionality provides you with the benefit of picking up speech over background noise. For those who have a mobile phone app connected to their hearing aids, they are able to select the type of directionality (where the sound they want amplifying is coming from) they require given the particular environmental circumstances. This includes narrow beam directionality which allows you to just focus on the person in front of you. Therefore, hearing aids with directional microphones can selectively tune-in and tune-out certain noises in the environment. Some directional microphones tune-out the noises coming from behind you, while others tune-out noises selectively from moving sources, such as cars or passing bikes.

Noise reduction

The noise-reduction feature, which is also known as ‘sound-smoothing’ or ‘anti-shock’, works by minimising background noises from the environment. The sources of these noises range from traffic to wind and other sudden noises, like clanging dishes.

Automatic programmes

Hearing aids will often use automatic programmes to identify the listening environment and choose the proper instrument settings accordingly. This allows you to get the best settings for any hearing situation without pushing a button.

Binaural synchronisation

In order to enable you to hear better in a range of different situations, there is often a wireless communication system between the hearing aids that synchronises the settings between them to optimise the hearing condition for you.

Data logging and frequency bands

Modern hearing aids can also record the listening programmes and volumes used under different listening environments, in addition to marking the range and frequency of the sounds you most often hear under different settings. This allows hearing aid professionals to assess your wearing times and the environments you’re in the most and may help in reprogramming your hearing aids to better suit your lifestyle.

Speech enhancement

Traditionally, hearing aids have struggled to pick out voices from background noise. Modern hearing aids, however, pick up the sound patterns (or frequencies) of speech against those background noises, minimising those sounds from the speech, and ultimately helping the user to hear conversations more clearly.

Types of hearing aids

ITC and ITE hearing aids

If you want more discretion when it comes to how visible your hearing aids are, there are a range of smaller, more discreet options available that do just this. In-the-canal (ITC) and in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, for instance, are far less visible than standard behind-the-ear (BTE) ones, but they also have fewer features and options than BTEs, and may require more maintenance.

Rechargeable hearing aids

Thanks to advancing technology, hearing aids can now be recharged, making them more dependable and long-lasting. These can be a more convenient option than some traditional digital hearing aids, as you don’t need to carry small batteries around with you or change the batteries on a regular basis.

Invisible hearing aids

Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) or invisible hearing aids are the smallest types of hearing aids we currently offer. They are almost invisible because all the functioning components are in the earmould, so they can be a perfect option for those wanting a more discreet option. However, they are not suitable for people who have frequent ear infections or who are prone to earwax which may frequently block the ear canal and may prevent the hearing aid from working properly. CICs may also not be suitable for those with severe hearing loss.

Remote control and management

Most modern hearing aids are now controllable via mobile phone or tablet apps. These allow you to turn the volume of the aids up or down and select various programmes to suit the environment you are in.

What to do next

The first step to finding the right hearing aid for you is to book a free hearing test. Our hearing professionals will be able to help you understand your hearing health, and take you through a range of options to suit your lifestyle. For more information, head over here to book an appointment,or visit our hearing resource to learn more about the different hearing options available.


Samantha Dixon
PGCE FdSc RHAD MSHAA

Samantha works in the professional advancement team as national training manager for audiology. She supports Specsavers desire to continue to raise clinical standards through organising… Read more

Book a free hearing check

Find out more

Hearing loss - real stories

Find out more

Understanding hearing loss

Find out more

  • Browse
    • Glasses
    • Sunglasses
    • Designer glasses
    • Contact lenses
    • Hearing aids
    • Offers
    • Gift vouchers
  • Services
    • Eye test in store
    • OCT scans in store
    • Eye tests at home
    • Eyecare at work
    • Hearing test
    • Hearing tests at home
    • Information for GPs
  • COVID-19 Information
    • Keeping you safe in store
    • Glasses fogging up advice
    • How we're supporting the community
    • Use of PPE in store
    • Your new in store experience
  • About
    • About Specsavers
    • Contact us
    • Latest news
    • Annual review 2018-19
    • Careers
    • Sitemap
  • © Specsavers 2021
  • Legal policies
  • Privacy policy
  • International sites
  • Modern Slavery Act
  • 20.12.1