From the Ear Trumpets to Today's Digital Devices: History of Hearing Aids Posted By : Daniel Beasley

Unless you need one (or know someone who needs one), hearing aids are typically not something that a lot of people think about. However, hearing aids are a vital part of the lives of many people and they have an interesting history.

Today, hearing aids vary in size and can help more hearing problems than they could in the past. In many cases, modern hearing aids are so small and easy to conceal that you may not realize that someone is using one. However, this was not always the case. Take a look at the history of hearing aids.

The first record of a device to assist with hearing is the single ear trumpet. The device, which basically looked like a trumpet that was held to the ear to amplify sound, was first mentioned in the 1700s, although hearing devices like the ear trumpet were most likely used prior to that century.

In the early part of the 19th century, the ear trumpet was updated with the introduction of the Calrvox Lorgnette Trumpet. Similar in design to the original trumpet, it was refined to include a pair of glasses and a slightly less conspicuous form.

The London Dome, which appeared in the 1850s, offered a more-detailed alternative. The London Dome also came in various sizes, allowing someone with mild hearing loss to use a smaller device than someone with a more severe hearing loss.

The next step to modern hearing aids came in 1887 in the form of the ear tube. This device worked by putting one end into the ear of the person with hearing loss, while someone spoke into the other end of the device.

The 20th century renovated the hearing aid, relying on electronics to help those with hearing loss. The desktop hearing aid surfaced in the 1930s. The bulky hearing aid was electric but looked more like a radio than a hearing aid and it needed to sit on a desk because of its size. During the next decade, however, the next step was made with carbon microphone. Still a bit large, this device, which consisted of a microphone and hearing aid, was a popular choice for its day.

The Oticon Pocket Model hearing aid was released in 1953 and gave people with hearing aids more freedom. Unlike previous bulky models, this hearing aid fit easily into the wearer's pocket, making it much easier to use wherever it was needed.

Following the Oticon Pocket Model, over-the-ear hearing aids surfaced in the later 1950s and 1960s, dramatically changing the hearing aid industry. These smaller devices attached directly to the ear and opened the door to the modern-day hearing aid. By the 1970s, manufacturers created hearing aids that fit into the ear canal, concealing them even more. In the 1990s, the digital hearing aids that we have today were first released, allowing for smaller devices with greater clarity.

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