For people with hearing loss, the number one complaint reported most often is that they cannot hear well when there is background noise, or when they are in a noisy environment. For example, it can be difficult for a person with hearing loss to have a conversation with friends in a cafe, with family in a restaurant or simply when there are a lot of people around. This means that hearing in background noise is the number one priority for people with hearing aids.
Hearing aids assist by providing amplification and speech clarity for people with hearing loss. However, throughout the years, hearing aids have always had their limitations and they cannot return your hearing to “normal”. Hearing aids have typically struggled at making speech clear in noisy environments. But with recent technology developments and new products becoming available each year, there are now features and technology available to ensure that you have the best opportunity to hear well in background noise.
At Value Hearing, audiologists specifically fit your hearing aids based on your hearing test results. They will also run several measurements to ensure your hearing aids are matched to a target and your level of hearing requirements. This process verifies the fitting and ensures that your hearing aids have been programmed correctly to increase audibility of sound. This ensures the optimal performance of your hearing aids.
These measurements are known as ‘real ear measurements’ or ‘speech in noise tests’. Research shows that hearing aids perform substantially better in background noise when a hearing care professional has fit your hearing aids using these measurements. Therefore, hearing aids bought online or borrowed off a friend, will not work nearly as well compared to devices measured and fit by an audiologist. 
Additionally, measurements such as speech in noise tests can help you and your audiologist understand which level of technology may be most appropriate for you. Every manufacturer of hearing aids has approximately five levels of technology that start at a basic level device, increasing to a premium level. As the levels increase, the hearing aid has more features and sophisticated technology to help you hear a more clear and natural sound. Another way to ensure you can hear well in background noise is to be sure that you have hearing aid technology that has features to help you do so.
For example, manufacturers such as Phonak, have features called StereoZoom 2.0 in their newest Lumity line of hearing aids. They have
developed a new hearing aid to make hearing in background noise easier. This technology means that when you go into an environment with a lot of noise, the microphones on the hearing aids will gradually move to a narrow directionality, the microphones act like a light beam focusing on people speaking directly in front of you and reducing the noise around you.
Also, most premium level hearing aids have additional features to make listening in noisy environments easier and more comfortable. For example, higher levels of technology can reduce wind noise so that when you are outside, the sound of wind is not amplified while you are trying to have a conversation. There are also features known as transient noise reduction, which means the hearing aid stop noises such as banging and clanging cutlery from being amplified.
Different hearing aids have different levels of technology, features and benefits that can help you hear better in noisy listening environments. However, to get the most out of these features, your hearing aids need to be fit to your ears and your hearing level by an audiologist using verification measurements to ensure an optimal fitting. If you are looking to get more out of your hearing aids or you would like to hear better in background noise, book a hearing aid assessment today.
