Despite the fact that many people use the terms “hearing” and “listening” interchangeably, they are not synonymous. Hearing is simply perceiving or registering speech sounds, while listening is the process of understanding or interpreting them.
The most frequent type of hearing test involves the presentation of pure tones at different pitches and volumes. The patient is asked to press a button or raise their hand when they can hear the sound. This assesses one’s capacity for perceiving sound, taking into account varying pitches. However, this type of assessment is not sufficient for understanding speech sound in crowded environments such as restaurants and parties. In order for an individual to make sense of what’s being communicated, the primary speech sounds must be louder than any secondary background noise, thereby necessitating a test to measure the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
When the primary speaker is a little louder than the secondary speaker, most people are able to hear it clearly. As a result, listeners report that they are unable to “hear” and “understand” at cocktail parties because the secondary speakers are often as loud as the primary speakers, or even louder.
Our hearing in the higher frequencies of speech usually decreases as we age. It is not enough to simply hear the sounds – we must also be able to make sense of them. Even if we amplify the sounds, our auditory system and brain still have to process them. It is important that the desired sounds be louder than any background noise in order to understand them correctly. As our hearing loss increases, our SNR must rise as well.
The volume of simple amplification devices often only increases, rather than improving the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Modern hearing aids have more powerful processing capabilities, enabling them to deliver a better SNR. Even if the SNR was inadequate prior to the use of this device, clarity is still lacking if the primary speech and background sounds are louder. In many people’s minds, this is worse than not hearing at all because the signal is loud and unclear.
Hearing aid technology has made a great leap forward, offering users better volume and signal-to-noise ratio. From directional and beam-forming microphones to MSAT, T-coils and Bluetooth streaming for music and telephones, these advancements come with wide-ranging advantages. Of particular benefit to those requiring extra assistance in hearing correctly are FM and digital remote microphones (DRM), which make it possible to transmit signals from a speaker up to 40 feet away resulting in a much more pleasant and clear SNR.
Our ability to understand speech in noise and improve our listening skills has been greatly improved since the advent of hearing aid technology. If you are considering hearing aid amplification, ask your hearing care professional to test your speech-in-noise ability both unaided (with just your own ears) and with hearing aids. Most people will be pleasantly surprised by the difference today’s technology can deliver.
