There are three kinds of individuals out there: those who are really interested and fascinated by history, those whose eyes gloss over and they begin to fall asleep when history is mentioned, and people who think that aliens are responsible for history.
The history of hearing aids is not full of aliens (sorry not sorry). But it’s most likely a lot stranger than you might believe. After all, hearing loss isn’t exactly a new thing; it’s been around as long as we have. People have, as a result, been attempting to find new effective ways to manage 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 learning a bit of history about them.
For thousands of years, people have been coping with hearing loss
Evidence of hearing loss dating back to the very beginning of human existence has been found by archaeologists. They can see signs of ear pathologies in fossil evidence. It’s kind of amazing! Civilizations like 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 especially true because it was more challenging to deal with then). Communication will be a lot more difficult if you have neglected hearing loss. You might lose touch with friends and loved ones. When humans were a little more primitive, neglected hearing loss could lead to a shorter lifespan as they may not have been able to detect danger.
So going back thousands of years, humans have had an incentive to learn how to treat hearing loss. And they’ve even managed some very good successes!
A timeline of hearing aid-type devices
The first thing to recognize is that our history of hearing aids isn’t exhaustive. Throughout time, some of the advancements in hearing aid technology were simply not recorded. It’s likely that ancient humans did something to relieve hearing loss, even if there’s no direct evidence of what that was.
Still, here’s what the known “hearing aid timeline” looks like:
- 1200s: Animal Horns: Hollowed out animal horns were used as some of the earliest proto-hearing aids. Evidence of this form of hearing device goes back to the 1200s, and it’s likely people used them to help lessen the impacts of hearing loss. 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 most likely help focus the sound you want to hear and limit distracting outside sounds.
- 1600s: Ear Trumpet: For hundreds of years, the “cone shaped” hearing apparatus was the dominant format. These “ear trumpets” continued to be a favored way to manage hearing loss throughout the seventeenth century. These devices looked, well, like trumpets. The small end would go in your ear. They came in a wide range of shapes and materials. The early models were rather large and awkward. Subsequently, more portable models that could be carried around with you were developed. Once again, these weren’t very effective, because they couldn’t amplify sounds. But they were able to funnel sounds into your ear, and direct sound more intentionally toward you.
- 1900s: Electronic Amplification: In the late 1800s, the carbon microphone was invented but wouldn’t be implemented into hearing aid technology until early the 1900s. This should begin amplifying and make hearing aids a no-brainer for effectiveness, right? Not really. In the early 1900s these devices were too large to be practical or wearable. The base concept was there, but the technology wasn’t refined enough to be truly practical.
- 1920s: Wearable Hearing Devices: Hello, vacuum tubes! The same technology that energized those old, incredibly bulky television sets was actually state-of-the-art, once upon a time! These vacuum tubes allowed (relatively) smaller, wearable hearing aids to be made, the size of a backpack. Slightly clearer sound and improved amplification were also feasible.
- 1940s: Pocket-Sized Hearing Aids: From fitting a hearing aid in a backpack to being able to put one in your pocket or purse, it’s a giant leap! The same effect was now available with less cumbersome technology thanks to the invention of the transistor. Because of this advancement, people could easily bring hearing aids with them wherever they went, it was a huge benefit!
- 1970s and 1980s: Hearing Aids Get Smaller: Hearing aids became smaller as technology advanced. Hearing aids got substantially smaller in the 1970s and 80s. This made them simpler to use, and more prevalent. The amplification, sadly, was still very basic. They just boosted all of the sound they picked up. It was better than nothing, but still not quite what most people needed to effectively treat their hearing loss.
- 1982: Digital Hearing Aid: While not fully adopted and commercially available until 1996, 1982 was the year of the first digital hearing aid. Digital hearing aids were a game changer, they provided improved quality of sound, more ways to customize amplification, and the ability to pack everything into a smaller package. With the advent of digital hearing aids, treatment for hearing loss became much more robust and successful.
- 2000s (and Beyond): Hearing Aids Get Wireless and Smart: An increasing amount of innovative technology has been put into these digital hearing aids since they were invented. Wireless, Bluetooth technology came first. Today, modern hearing aids will help you hear better than ever by using machine learning algorithms. Hearing aids are more convenient and more efficient because of this integration with other technologies.
History’s best hearing aids
Mankind has been working on and improving hearing loss for centuries, at least.
Contemporary hearing aids can attain that better than at any point in human history. And because they’re so effective, these little devices are also more prominent than ever. A wide variety of hearing issues can be addressed.
So if you want to get back to connecting with your kids or your loved ones or the cashier at the checkout lane, hearing aids can help you do it. (See? No aliens involved.)
Learn 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
