[Reflections about the present and future of hearing aids].

For a long time hearing aids were the only solution for the deaf to perceive speech and sounds. Today, among the new deaf-aids, acoustic amplification still offers the easiest and most versatile means of combatting the majority of such handicaps. However, due to the fundamental inadequacy of amplification in compensating frequency selectivity, audiologist are obliged to pay particular attention to the improvement of the signal/noise ratio and to observe a rigourous procedure in choosing and fittings hearing aids to the user. In the future, signal processing in digital devices should contribute to enhancing the efficacy of the prosthesis.