When it comes to history, there are three distinct kinds of individuals: those who are really interested and fascinated by history, those whose eyes glaze over and they begin to fall asleep when history is mentioned, and people who believe that aliens are responsible for history.
Aliens aren’t responsible for the history of hearing aids. But the true story is probably pretty strange too. After all, hearing loss isn’t really a new thing; it’s been around as long as humans have. People have, consequently, been attempting to come up with new effective ways to cope with hearing loss since the beginning of our existence.
An appreciation for your incredible little digital devices, their functionality, and why it’s important to use them, can be gained by discovering some history about them.
For thousands of years, people have been coping with hearing loss
Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of hearing loss that dates back to the beginning of humanity. They can detect indicators of ear pathologies in fossil evidence. It’s rather amazing! Mentions of hearing loss also begin popping up as soon as written language is created (for example, there are numerous Egyptian sources that discuss hearing loss symptoms).
Which is to say, hearing loss isn’t new. And it’s likely always kind of sucked (especially when neglected). Communication will be much more difficult if you have neglected hearing loss. Friends and family members may become more distant. In a more “hunter and gatherer” type of society, you might also lose your ability to detect danger (leading to a shorter lifespan).
So going back thousands of years, humans have had an incentive to learn how to treat hearing loss. And they didn’t completely fail at this.
The progression of hearing aid like devices
It’s significant to mention that we don’t have a complete history of the hearing aid. Throughout time, some of the advancements in hearing aid technology were simply not documented. Even if we don’t have a written record of exactly what ancient people did to alleviate hearing loss, it’s very likely that they took measures in that direction.
Still, here’s what the known “hearing aid timeline” looks like:
- 1200s: Animal Horns: Some of the earliest known proto-hearing aids were hollowed-out animal horns. Evidence of this kind of hearing device dates back to the 1200s, and it’s likely people used them to help reduce the impacts of hearing loss. The concept was that the funnel-shape of a hollowed out animal bone would help move sound more directly into the ear. Clearly, this device isn’t working on the level of a modern hearing aid because there’s no amplification. But they probably help focus the sound you want to hear and limit distracting outside sounds.
- 1600s: Ear Trumpet: For hundreds of years, the “cone shaped” hearing device was the prominent form. These “ear trumpets” continued to be a favored way to manage hearing loss through the seventeenth century. They were called “ear trumpets” because, well, that’s what they looked like. The small end would go inside your ear. You could find them made out of a wide array of materials (and with a surprising variety of shapes). The early models were quite large and unwieldy. Eventually, clever individuals developed smaller, more collapsible models of these ear trumpets, so people could take them on the go. Since there was still no amplification, they were about as effective as the larger versions. But they could funnel sounds into your ear, and direct sound more intentionally toward you.
- 1900s: Electronic Amplification: Alright, here we go: the invention of the carbon microphone (okay, the carbon microphone was really developed in the late 1800s, but it wasn’t really implemented for hearing aids until later). Their ability to amplify should have made hearing aids reliable and practical, right? Not really. In the early 1900s, these devices were big, and not really wearable. The technology would need quite a bit of refinement before it would be very useful.
- 1920s: Wearable Hearing Devices: Then came vacuum tubes! The same technology that energized those old, extremely bulky television sets was actually state-of-the-art, at that time! Relatively smaller hearing aids that were about the size of a backpack were now feasible. New technologies also enabled better amplification and somewhat clearer sound.
- 1940s: Pocket-Sized Hearing Aids: It’s a giant leap from a backpack sized hearing aid to a purse or pocket sized one. The same impact was now available with less cumbersome technology thanks to the invention of the transistor. Because of this progress, people could conveniently bring hearing aids with them wherever they went, it was a significant advantage!
- 1970s and 1980s: Hearing Aids Get Smaller: As technologies got better, hearing aids became smaller. The 1970s and 80s, in particular, saw a significant decrease in the size of hearing aids. This made them easier to use, and more prevalent. Sadly, the actual amplification was still fairly rudimentary. They just amplified all of the sound they picked up. Most individuals need something a little more fine tuned to manage their hearing loss, but it was still better than nothing.
- 1982: Digital Hearing Aid: The first digital hearing aid was introduced in 1982, though it was not commercially available until 1996. Digital hearing aids changed the hearing aid landscape by making everything smaller and more discrete while providing custom amplification and clearer sound quality. Treatment for hearing loss has become more effective since the development of digital hearing aid.
- 2000s (and Beyond): Hearing Aids Get Wireless and Smart: Since the introduction of the digital hearing aid, manufacturers have been able to cram more and more technology into these little devices. Wireless, Bluetooth technology came first. These days, contemporary hearing aids will help you hear better than ever by using machine learning algorithms. Hearing aids are more convenient and more effective as a result of this integration with other technologies.
The best hearing aids in history
Mankind has been working on and bettering hearing loss for centuries, at least.
Better than at any other point in history, we are able to accomplish that with contemporary hearing aids. These little pieces of technology are more prominent than they ever have been because they’re so beneficial. A wide range of hearing problems can be addressed.
So hearing aids can help you if you want to create a better connection with your friends, family, or the clerk at your local pharmacy. (See? No aliens involved.)
Find out how hearing aids can improve your life. Give us a call for an appointment.
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References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/hearing-aid-history-ear-trumpets-european-royalty-earbuds
https://www.hear-it.org/lighter-smaller-and-better