What is a Directional Microphone?

The directional microphone within a hearing aid focuses the sound reception or pick up of the speech signal from in  front of the hearing aid wearer.

Advantages

The directional microphone coupled with the program switch usually provides excellent results in hearing the speech signal in background noise.  By activating one switch the signal is heard far more clearly through the surrounding background noise.  It is relied on the fact that when faced with background noise people normally face each other, thus the directional microphone will pick up a clear speech signal.

Disadvantages

The client must learn to use the switch appropriately.  It sometimes is of no advantage in areas of high ambient noise where there are a number of different speech signals from all directions.  For example, at a wedding reception with loud music and a number of different guests speaking from different directions to the client.  In essence many people with normal hearing would have difficulty in this situation as well.  Some directional microphones are not as good as others.

Who would benefit?

In order of decreasing benefit clients with moderate hearing loss and clients with a severe flat hearing loss would receive the most benefit clients with mild loss and clients with profound loss then receiving the next level of benefit.

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