However, there are practical limits to the amount of amplification a hearing aid can provide. The greater the damage to a person’s hair cells, the more severe the hearing loss, and the greater the hearing aid amplification needed to make up the difference. Surviving hair cells detect the larger vibrations and convert them into neural signals that are passed along to the brain. The damage can occur as a result of disease, aging, or injury from noise or certain medicines.Ī hearing aid magnifies sound vibrations entering the ear. This type of hearing loss is called sensorineural hearing loss.

Hearing aids are primarily useful in improving the hearing and speech comprehension of people who have hearing loss that results from damage to the small sensory cells in the inner ear, called hair cells. The amplifier increases the power of the signals and then sends them to the ear through a speaker. The hearing aid receives sound through a microphone, which converts the sound waves to electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. However, only about one out of five people who would benefit from a hearing aid actually uses one.Ī hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker. A hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and noisy situations. It makes some sounds louder so that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate, and participate more fully in daily activities. Congressional Testimony and the NIDCD BudgetĪ hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear in or behind your ear.Research Training in NIDCD Laboratories (Intramural).Types of Research Training Funding Opportunities.About NIDCD's Research Training Program.Scientific Workshop and Meeting Reports.Building a Diverse Scientific Workforce.

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