When it comes to history, there are three different kinds of people: people who find history to be incredibly interesting, people who think history is horribly boring, and those who believe history is full of aliens.
Aliens aren’t behind the history of hearing aids. But the real story is probably pretty strange as well. After all, hearing loss isn’t really a new thing; it’s been around as long as we have. People have, as a result, been trying to discover new effective ways to cope with hearing loss since the beginning of our existence.
Being aware of the history of your hearing aids can give you a better appreciation of how your own little, digital devices work, and why you should use them more frequently.
Hearing loss has existed for thousands of years
Archaeologists have discovered evidence of hearing loss that goes back to the beginning of humanity. They can detect signs of ear pathologies in fossil evidence. It’s kind of amazing! Civilizations such as the Egyptians and even older groups were reporting hearing loss for as long as writing has existed.
So, clearly, hearing loss is nothing new. And it wasn’t any better then than it is now (this is particularly true because it was more challenging to manage then). Communication will be a lot harder if you have untreated hearing loss. You may become alienated from friends and family members. In a more “hunter and gatherer” type of society, you may also lose your ability to detect danger (resulting in a shorter lifespan).
So going back thousands of years, humans have had an incentive to figure out how to treat hearing loss. And they didn’t totally fail at this.
The progression of hearing aid like devices
The first thing to know is that our history of hearing aids is not exhaustive. Not all evidence of hearing devices is documented through time. Even if we don’t have a published record of exactly what ancient people did to relieve hearing loss, it’s very likely that they took steps in that direction.
Still, here’s what the recognized “hearing aid timeline” looks like:
- 1200s: Animal Horns: Some of the earliest known proto-hearing aids were hollowed-out animal horns. People probably used this device to amplify sound and lessen the effect of hearing loss and evidence of this sort of device goes back to the 1200s. Sound would be more easily carried to the ear with the funnel shaped horn. There was no amplification used, so these animal horns weren’t working on the same level as a modern hearing aid (obviously). But they probably help focus the sound you want to hear and control distracting outside sounds.
- 1600s: Ear Trumpet: The “cone shaped” hearing aid was the dominant format for hundreds of years. These “ear trumpets” continued to be a popular way to treat hearing loss through the seventeenth century. These contraptions looked, well, like trumpets. The small end would go inside your ear. They came in a wide range of shapes and materials. At first, they were large and cumbersome. Eventually, clever individuals developed smaller, more collapsible models of these ear trumpets, so people could take them on the go. Because there was still no amplification, they were roughly as efficient as the larger versions. But they could bring sound more directly to your ear.
- 1900s: Electronic Amplification: In the late 1800s, the carbon microphone was developed but wouldn’t be employed as hearing aid technology until early the 1900s. Their ability to amplify should have made hearing aids effective and practical, right? Well, not so much. As of the early 1900s these devices were too large to be realistic or wearable. The root idea was there, but the technology wasn’t fine-tuned enough to be truly practical.
- 1920s: Wearable Hearing Devices: Say hello to vacuum tubes! The same technology that energized those old, incredibly 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 permitted better amplification and somewhat clearer sound.
- 1940s: Pocket-Sized Hearing Aids: It’s a huge leap from a backpack sized hearing aid to a pocket or purse sized one. This was because of the development of the transistor, which meant you required less technological bulk to achieve the same impact. As a result 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: Hearing aids got smaller as technology improved. The 1970s and 80s, particularly, saw a considerable reduction in the size of hearing aids. This made them easier to use, and more popular. Unfortunately, the actual amplification was still rather basic. They just increased the volume of all of the sound they picked up. Most people need something a little more fine tuned to address their hearing loss, but it was still better than nothing.
- 1982: Digital Hearing Aid: While not fully adopted and commercially introduced until 1996, 1982 was the year of the first digital hearing aid. Digital hearing aids were a game changer, they offered improved quality of sound, more ways to personalize amplification, and the ability to pack everything into a more discrete package. With the advent of digital hearing aids, treatment for hearing loss became much more effective and successful.
- 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. This began with Bluetooth wireless connectivity. These days, contemporary hearing aids will help you hear better than ever by utilizing machine learning algorithms. Hearing aids are more convenient and more efficient due to this integration with other technologies.
The best hearing aids in history
For centuries or longer, we have been working on managing hearing loss.
Better than at any other time in history, we are able to achieve that with contemporary hearing aids. And because they’re so beneficial, these little devices are also more prominent than ever. A wide range of hearing issues can be managed.
So hearing aids can help you if you want to develop a stronger 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. Call us for an appointment.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/hearing-aid-history-ear-trumpets-european-royalty-earbuds
https://www.hear-it.org/lighter-smaller-and-better