When it comes to history, there are three distinct kinds of people: those who are very interested and fascinated by history, those whose eyes gloss over and they start to fall asleep when history is mentioned, and people who think that aliens are responsible for history.
The history of hearing aids is not about aliens (sorry not sorry). But it’s most likely a lot weirder than you may 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 find new effective ways to manage hearing loss since the dawn of our existence.
Knowing the history of your hearing aids can give you a deeper appreciation of how your own tiny, digital devices work, and why you should wear them more frequently.
For thousands of years, people have been dealing with hearing loss
Evidence of hearing loss going back to the very start of human existence has been found by archaeologists. They can detect indicators of ear pathologies in fossil evidence. It’s fairly cool! Reports of hearing loss also start popping up once written language becomes a thing (for instance, there are many Egyptian sources that mention hearing loss symptoms).
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 more difficult if you have neglected hearing loss. Friends and family members may become more distant. In a more “hunter and gatherer” style of society, you may also lose your ability to detect danger (leading to a shorter lifespan).
Humans, thus, have had a strong incentive to deal with hearing loss for thousands of years. 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 recorded through time. 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. People probably used this device to amplify sound and reduce the impact of hearing loss and evidence of this sort of device goes back to the 1200s. Sound would be more directly moved to the ear with the funnel shaped horn. Clearly, this device isn’t working like a modern hearing aid because there’s no amplification. But it’s likely they give some moderate ability to reduce distracting sounds.
- 1600s: Ear Trumpet: For centuries, the “cone shaped” hearing apparatus was the prominent form. These “ear trumpets” were a favored way to manage hearing loss through the seventeenth century. They were called “ear trumpets” because, well, that’s what they looked like. You’d put the small end in 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 bring them on the go. Because there was still no amplification, they were about as effective as the larger versions. 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. Their ability to amplify should have made hearing aids effective and practical, right? Not really. In the early 1900s, these devices were giant, and not exactly wearable. The root concept was there, but the technology wasn’t fine-tuned enough to be truly practical.
- 1920s: Wearable Hearing Devices: Hello, vacuum tubes! The same technology that powered those old, incredibly bulky television sets was actually state-of-the-art, once upon a time! Relatively smaller hearing aids that were the size of a backpack were now possible. New technologies also allowed better amplification and slightly clearer sound.
- 1940s: Pocket-Sized Hearing Aids: From fitting a hearing aid in a backpack to being able to put one in your purse or pocket, it’s a significant leap! This was due to the invention of the transistor, which meant you needed less technological bulk to accomplish the same effect. It became a huge advantage, as a result of this technology, to take your hearing aid with you wherever you went.
- 1970s and 1980s: Hearing Aids Get Smaller: As technologies got better, hearing aids got smaller. Hearing aids got substantially smaller in the 1970s and 80s. This made them simpler to use, and more prevalent. The amplification, unfortunately, was still very basic. These hearing aids basically just made everything louder. Most people 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 unveiled in 1982, though it was not commercially available until 1996. Digital hearing aids were a game changer, they provided improved quality of sound, more ways to personalize amplification, and the ability to package everything into a more discrete package. Treatment for hearing loss has become more effective since the evolution of digital hearing aid.
- 2000s (and Beyond): Hearing Aids Get Wireless and Smart: An increasing amount of sophisticated technology has been put into these digital hearing aids since they were developed. This began with Bluetooth wireless connectivity. Today, contemporary 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
Humanity 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 modern hearing aids. And because they’re so beneficial, these little devices are also more popular than ever before. They can help with a wider range of hearing problems.
So hearing aids can help you if you want to develop a better connection with your friends, loved ones, or the clerk at your local pharmacy. (See? No aliens involved.)
Learn how hearing aids can improve your life. Give us a call for an appointment.
References
https://hearinghealthfoundation.org/blogs/hearing-aid-history-ear-trumpets-european-royalty-earbuds
