What Are Analog Programmable Hearing Aids?

One type of hearing aid that can be programmed by an audiologist is the analog programmable hearing aids. The analog programmable hearing aids contain a microchip that allows audiologists to program settings for different environments common to that individual. The hearing aid user may have programmed settings for a noisy work environment and quiet home environment.

Audiologists use a computer to personalize the settings for the user who can then adjust the hearing aid settings by remote control or pushing a button. Digital hearing aids automatically adjust unlike analog programmable hearing aids.

Why would someone want an analog programmable hearing aid? Since cost is a significant factor in deciding on a hearing aid purchase for many people, the fact that analog programmable hearing aids are cheaper than digital hearing aids is attractive to many hearing aid users.

Analog programmable hearing aids have many of the same features as digital hearing aids. The life of an analog programmable hearing aid may be shorter than a digital hearing aid. When programming the hearing aid, the audiologist will consider the type of hearing loss and the person’s tolerance for loud noises.

An analog programmable hearing aid costs more than a regular analog hearing aid that cannot be programmed. Many hearing aid manufacturers no longer make analog or analog programmable hearing aids. This may be due to the popularity of digital hearing aids and their features.

Besides cost and differences in features such as automatic self-adjustment, digital and analog programmable hearing aids differ in how sound is processed. Analog programmable hearing aids translate sounds into electrical signals that are amplified.

Digital hearing aids convert sounds to binary code, computer language, that is then amplified. Most digital hearing aids are also programmable to better meet the needs of the individual hearing aid user.

Analog programmable hearing aid technology can be used in behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), and completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid styles. An audiologist helps the hearing aid user decide on what type of hearing aid best meets the needs of the hearing aid user.

Price should not be the exclusive reason for choosing a particular hearing aid. People who would want digital hearing aids but cannot afford them may want to seek financial assistance from a government agency for people with disabilities or a non-profit organization like Audient Alliance.