There are three kinds of people in the world: those who are very interested and fascinated by history, those whose eyes glaze over and they start to fall asleep when history is discussed, 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 probably a lot stranger than you might think. Hearing loss is, after all, a human challenge that has been around as long as we have. People have, as a result, been attempting to discover new effective ways to deal with hearing loss since the dawn of our existence.
An appreciation for your incredible little digital devices, their features, and why it’s important to use them, can be gained by discovering some history about them.
Hearing loss has existed for thousands of years
Evidence of hearing loss going back to the very start of human existence has been discovered by archaeologists. Fossil evidence shows indicators of ear pathologies. It’s kind of amazing! Civilizations like the Egyptians and even older groups were reporting hearing loss for as long as writing has existed.
Obviously, hearing loss isn’t new. And it’s likely always kind of sucked (particularly when neglected). When you have untreated hearing loss, you will find it more difficult to communicate. You may become alienated from friends and loved ones. When humans were a little more primitive, untreated hearing loss could lead to a shorter lifespan as they may not have been able to detect danger.
Humans, thus, have had a great incentive to address hearing loss going back thousands of years. And they’ve even managed some terrific successes!
A timeline of hearing aid-type devices
It’s important to mention that we don’t have a complete history of the hearing aid. Not all evidence of hearing devices is recorded through time. It’s very 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 recognized “hearing aid timeline” looks like:
- 1200s: Animal Horns: Some of the oldest known proto-hearing aids were hollowed-out animal horns. Evidence of this kind of hearing device goes 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 conduct sound more directly into the ear. Clearly, this device isn’t working on the level of a modern hearing aid because there is no amplification. But it’s likely they provided some reasonable ability to reduce distracting sounds.
- 1600s: Ear Trumpet: For hundreds of years, the “cone shaped” hearing device was the prominent format. These “ear trumpets” were a favored way to manage hearing loss throughout the seventeenth century. These contraptions looked, well, like trumpets. You’d stick the narrow end in your ear. They came in a large number of shapes and materials. At first, they were large and cumbersome. Eventually, clever individuals developed smaller, more collapsible versions of these ear trumpets, so people could take them on the go. Once again, these were never very efficient, because they couldn’t amplify sounds. But they were able to channel sounds into your ear, and direct sound more intentionally toward you.
- 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? Not really. As of the early 1900s these devices were too large to be practical or wearable. The core principle was there, but the technology wasn’t fine-tuned enough to be truly useful.
- 1920s: Wearable Hearing Devices: Say hello to vacuum tubes! At one time, believe it or not, those vacuum tubes that powered those bulky television sets were state-of-the art technology. These vacuum tubes allowed (relatively) smaller, wearable hearing aids to be made, the size of a backpack. Slightly clearer sound and better 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 significant leap! The same impact was now possible with less bulky technology thanks to the invention of the transistor. It became a substantial advantage, as a result of this technology, to bring your hearing aid with you wherever you went.
- 1970s and 1980s: Hearing Aids Get Smaller: As technologies improved, hearing aids became smaller. Hearing aids got considerably smaller in the 1970s and 80s. As a result, they became more prominent and easier to use. The amplification, sadly, was still very basic. These hearing aids essentially just made everything louder. It was better than nothing, but still not quite what most people needed to successfully treat their hearing loss.
- 1982: Digital Hearing Aid: While not fully implemented and commercially available until 1996, 1982 was the year of the first digital hearing aid. Digital hearing aids were a game changer, they offered improved sound quality, more ways to personalize amplification, and the ability to package everything into a more discrete package. Treatment for hearing loss has become more successful since the development of digital hearing aid.
- 2000s (and Beyond): Hearing Aids Get Wireless and Smart: Since the launching of the digital hearing aid, manufacturers have been able to cram more and more technology into these tiny devices. Wireless, Bluetooth technology came first. Today, modern hearing aids will help you hear better than ever by using machine learning algorithms. This integration with other technologies makes hearing aids more effective, and more convenient!
History’s best hearing aids
For centuries or more, humans 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. These little pieces of technology are more popular than they ever have been because they’re so effective. A broad range of hearing problems 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