Hate Your Hearing Aids? Maybe They’re Hopelessly Out Of Date

Almost 50 million Americans suffer from some level of hearing loss. The majority of them are adults older than 65. I know quite a number of people who have hearing aids; some wear them religiously, some do not. The non-wearers claim they don’t really work for them, they’re cumbersome, they are visible and some people are embarrassed by having to wear them; they consider it a stigma. That is unfortunate because untreated hearing loss has been connected to serious health problems, including dementia. It can also be a strong contributor to depression, especially when diminished hearing reduces a person’s ability to maintain friendships and participate in conversations.  However, it’s quite possible that some of these unhappy hearing aid owners are still encumbered by old technology. Much has changed in the industry in the last five years.

Every couple of years, I like to report on advances in hearing aids and opportunities to save money when purchasing them. One of the biggest hindrances to purchasing hearing aids is the cost. Most health insurance policies, including Medicare, simply do not cover hearing devices (or eyeglasses, for that matter).  That always makes me shake my head in wonder. I guess our eyes and ears are just not seen as parts of our bodies. Be that as it may, as we get older, most of us need one or more appliances that help us see or hear more effectively, so we need to budget for replacements every few years and choose wisely when we purchase them.  

Another part of the problem with hearing aids is lack of information about what they can and cannot do. Even today, with modern digital technology to filter out background noises, most hearing aids will not allow the user to hear only the person talking. Some background noise will still be present, so if a user expects their hearing to return to “normal” when they insert the device, they will be disappointed. That may be the fault of an audiologist who did not properly set expectations for their client–or a client who refused to hear that message. 

In addition to my research this year, I also conferred with clinical audiologist, Amber Powner, Au.D. whose clientele is through a medical setting in northern California.  Dr. Powner shared some excellent recommendations and advice on what to look for and how to think about your investment in your hearing:

• Get a hearing test. Whether or not you ultimately choose to purchase a hearing aid, it is a good idea to have your hearing tested in person by an audiologist to make sure there are no medical issues limiting your ability to hear adequately. She stresses that “not all people with hearing loss need hearing aids, and not all hearing losses do well with the same hearing aid.”
• Work with a professional. One of the biggest reasons for the high price tag on hearing aids is that you are paying for the professional as well as the device. Most audiologists are familiar with a great variety of devices. The technology changes every six months, and manufacturers tend to vie with one another for the latest advances. Audiologists have to track those changes and fit each client with the optimal device for their needs and a trustworthy provider.
•  Exercise your rights. Consider your first wearing as a trial. You have a right to return a device that doesn’t meet your expectations. An “adjustment period” is the law in most states and that covers online sales as well as in-person transactions. Sometimes it takes several tries to find a good match between a person and a device and there are myriad adjustments that can be made to almost any of today’s higher-quality devices, so don’t settle for almostright.
• Consider cost over the lifetime of the device.  Factor the longevity of the device into the price tag. When you purchase a hearing aid from an in-house audiology service, you can expect it to last 5-7 years. The price you pay covers service over the lifetime of the product.  When you amortize it over that time period, it becomes less expensive than many other types of medical care. 

Dr. Powner mentioned that the “big six” in hearing aid technology currently are Widex, Phonak, ReSound, Starkey, Oticon, and Signia. Some of these companies also manufacture private label devices. For example, Phonak and ReSound both manufacture the Kirkland (Costco) brand. These devices often look exactly the same, but the higher end, more expensive devices have more features than the low-cost lines. 

Widex is one manufacturer who does not operate as an umbrella company. All of their devices are sold as Widex and they are the leader in tinnitus suppression technology with their program called “Zen.” For tinnitus sufferers, it is the most sophisticated product on the market today, Dr. Powner also would recommend Widex to first-time users, hypersensitive clients, and possibly musicians because the Widex product offers to opportunity to manipulate the input level of the microphones–a function unique to Widex. Their newest product, the Widex MOMENT, also offers one of the fastest sound processing speeds in the industry at 0.5 milliseconds.

Phonak is currently the only manufacturer on the market to offer “true Bluetooth,” meaning it can connect to any Bluetooth receiver, which means it is not tied to a specific phone product, like Apple

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Most of the cutting-edge products on the market today come with rechargeable batteries, which is a huge improvement over traditional devices that needed new batteries quite frequently.  No longer do users have to stockpile and carry around those tiny little disc batteries. They were difficult to install, especially for large hands, arthritis sufferers, and anyone with a tremor.