See Hearing Aid Compatible.
Hair Cells
Sensory cells in the inner ear where nerve endings attach to the auditory or vestibular nerves. Hair cells within the cochlea convert sound waves into electrical (nerve) impulses that are carried by the brain. Hair cells in the vestibular labyrinth respond to motion.
Half-shell Hearing Aid
A style of hearing aid that is a bit larger than a canal aid, but is smaller than an ITE aid.
Hammer
The first, and largest, of the three tiny middle ear bones. It is the bone touching the eardrum. Technically called the Malleus.
Hard of Hearing
A term used to describe people with hearing loss. Their losses can range from slight to profound. Hard of hearing people understand some speech with or without hearing aids.
Harmony
A cochlear implant sound processor model from Advanced Bionics. It is a BTE style. It works together with the HiRes 90K implant and with the earlier CII Bionic Ear implant, and can use high resolution sound processing strategies such as the Fidelity 120. The Harmony processor includes a built-in telecoil.