Fortunately, help was on the way. Starkey led the move to help by quickly introducing “Mask Mode” to help compensate for the muffling created by the masks.  Additionally, when noise is present, there is “Livio Edge AI” that assesses the acoustic scene and adapts to the conditions of the location and moment to offer changes in the sound from the hearing aids to meet our comfort and clarity needs. Limitations in face-to-face visits for hearing aid fittings, adjustments and repairs led to “Hearing Care Anywhere” that allows Live Sessions and Remote Adjustments using the user’s Thrive App on a smart phone to connect with their hearing professional.

2021 is also the year of convenience in the way of rechargeability and connectivity.  The Livio AI custom devices offer both with a sealed rechargeable battery that provides a full day of better hearing and enough additional streaming to last a full day for most users.  The exclusive custom rechargeable device eliminates the need for any hardware behind the ear keeping the devices safe when donning or removing masks.

Innovators continue to push the limits of technology

Innovative technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are changing the course of what engineers and developers can do with hearing aids. Smart devices and wearable technology are allowing for advanced control of hearing devices and a breadth of new customization options. Innovations in sound quality have also created new possibilities for clarity and amplification. On board sensors in the hearing aids can detect motion and monitor health indicators, even summoning help if the user has suffered a fall.

Hearing aid users have more options than ever.

With all these changes, people who have difficulty hearing now have more power and choices in the marketplace than ever before. The explosion of options on the market means that buying choices have an even greater impact. Furthermore, buyers have a say in what they want and expect from their hearing technology like never before.

Whether you are seeing a hearing specialist for the first time or you have worn a hearing aid for years, staying on top of the industry trends can help you improve your hearing aid experience. Contact us today to schedule a consultation at one of our conveniently-located hearing centers, and learn more about the most innovative hearing aids on the market today.

The post Hearing Aids Trends in 2021 appeared first on Good Sound Audiology.

• About 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the United States are born with a detectable level of hearing loss in one or both ears.¹
• More than 90 percent of deaf children are born to hearing parents.²
• Approximately 15% of American adults (37.5 million) aged 18 and over report some trouble hearing.³
• Among adults aged 20-69, the overall annual prevalence of hearing loss dropped slightly from 16 percent (28.0 million) in the 1999-2004 period to 14 percent (27.7 million) in the 2011–2012 period.⁴
• Age is the strongest predictor of hearing loss among adults aged 20-69, with the greatest amount of hearing loss in the 60 to 69 age group.⁴
• Men are almost twice as likely as women to have hearing loss among adults aged 20-69.⁴
• Non-Hispanic white adults are more likely than adults in other racial/ethnic groups to have hearing loss; non-Hispanic black adults have the lowest prevalence of hearing loss among adults aged 20-69.⁴
• About 18 percent of adults aged 20-69 have speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears from among those who report 5 or more years of exposure to very loud noise at work, as compared to 5.5 percent of adults with speech-frequency hearing loss in both ears who report no occupational noise exposure.⁴
• One in eight people in the United States (13 percent, or 30 million) aged 12 years or older has hearing loss in both ears, based on standard hearing examinations.⁵
• About 2 percent of adults aged 45 to 54 have disabling hearing loss. The rate increases to 8.5 percent for adults aged 55 to 64. Nearly 25 percent of those aged 65 to 74 and 50 percent of those who are 75 and older have disabling hearing loss.⁶
• Roughly 10 percent of the U.S. adult population, or about 25 million Americans, has experienced tinnitus lasting at least five minutes in the past year.⁷
• About 28.8 million U.S. adults could benefit from using hearing aids.⁸
• Among adults aged 70 and older with hearing loss who could benefit from hearing aids, fewer than one in three (30 percent) has ever used them. Even fewer adults aged 20 to 69 (approximately 16 percent) who could benefit from wearing hearing aids have ever used them.⁹
• As of December 2012, approximately 324,200 cochlear implants have been implanted worldwide. In the United States, roughly 58,000 devices have been implanted in adults and 38,000 in children.¹⁰
• Five out of 6 children experience ear infection (otitis media) by the time they are 3 years old.¹

(from https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing)

Although hearing loss can be a frustrating experience for the affected person and loved ones, it’s important to know you’re not alone. Hearing loss is becoming more prevalent in the United States and all over the world. The good news is that the world is also becoming more accommodating, with management options expanding all the time.

What options do hearing-impaired people have? Certainly, reading and writing are both viable, but more and more people are now choosing to interact with smart phones, the Internet or TV to acquire their information. Experts also predict a growing number of people will be turning to American Sign Language.

Hearing Aids

Hearing aids are becoming increasingly popular as many people turn to the more modern, streamlined devices. However, due to physical aspect, cost, or stigma, it is estimated only about 30% of people over 70 who could benefit from the devices will actually use them. According to NIDCD, the percentage drops even more dramatically for younger adults. Statistics show this means literally tens of millions of American adults will not adequately address their hearing problems. Hearing aids, however, are becoming more and more available and subtle, so there’s a lot of progress to be made in the future.

Closed Captioning

Although closed captioning is still unavailable for many programs, the prevalence of online streaming has begun to turn the tide on providing this resource. In fact, all services streaming video across the Internet in the U.S. are now mandated to provide closed captioning services if the original broadcast was provided with closed captioning. As more and more people turn to digital media to meet their needs for news and information, the need hearing-impaired accessibility is obvious.

In addition, YouTube has released their new Closed Captioning Project – an entire channel dedicated to improving accessibility for the hearing impaired. The program is made up of visual artists, technicians, and engineers looking to revamp the closed captioning process from varied perspectives and seeking research and experimentation within the closed captioning system.

Contact us today to schedule an appointment and learn about your options.

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Identifying infants with hearing loss – United States, 1999-2007. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 59(8): 220-223.
   Vohr B. Overview: infants and children with hearing loss—part I. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2003;9:62–64.
2. Mitchell RE, Karchmer MA. Chasing the mythical ten percent: Parental hearing status of deaf and hard of hearing students in the United States.(link is external) (PDF) Sign Language Studies. 2004;4(2):138-163.
3. Blackwell DL, Lucas JW, Clarke TC. Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2012 (PDF). National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10(260). 2014.
4. Hoffman HJ, Dobie RA, Losonczy KG, Themann CL, Flamme GA. Declining Prevalence of Hearing Loss in US Adults Aged 20 to 69 Years(link is external). JAMA Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery. December 2016 online.
5. Lin FR, Niparko JK, Ferrucci L.  Hearing loss prevalence in the United States.(link is external) [Letter] Arch Intern Med. 2011 Nov 14; 171(20): 1851-1852.
6. Based on calculations performed by NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program staff:  (1) using data from the 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES); (2) applying the definition of disabling hearing loss used by the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Expert Hearing Loss Team (hearing loss of 35 decibels or more in the better ear, the level at which adults could generally benefit from hearing aids).
7. Based on calculations performed by NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program staff: (1) tinnitus prevalence was obtained from the 2008 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS); (2) the estimated number of American adults reporting tinnitus was calculated by multiplying the prevalence of tinnitus by the 2013 U.S. Census population estimate for the number of adults (18+ years of age).
8. NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program, based on December 2015 Census Bureau estimates of the noninstitutionalized U.S. population, personal communication; May 2016.
9. Based on calculations by NIDCD Epidemiology and Statistics Program staff using data collected by (1) the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) annually for number of persons who have ever used a hearing aid [numerator], and (2) periodic NHANES hearing exams for representative samples of the U.S. adult and older adult population [denominator]; these statistics are also used for tracking Healthy People 2010 and 2020 objectives. See also Use of Hearing Aids by Adults with Hearing Loss (chart).
10. Estimates based on manufacturers’ voluntary reports of registered devices to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, December 2012.
11. Teele DW, Klein JO, Rosner B. Epidemiology of otitis media during the first seven years of life in children in greater Boston: a prospective, cohort study. J Infect Dis. 1989 Jul;160(1):83-94.

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First, let’s look into the problem that those with hearing difficulties face.  A common contributor to hearing difficulties is age-related hearing loss.  Factors that contribute to the problem include heredity, and life experiences such as noise exposure and a variety of diseases. Age-related hearing loss affects the sensory receptors and connections in the inner ear as well as the brain’s ability to process the rapid nature of spontaneous speech.  As a result, not only is the ear less sensitive to sound, but the reception of sound is the distorted, making it more difficult to separate out speech from noise in the environment.  It is relatively simple to make sounds louder with hearing aids but compensating for the distortion and loss of resolution of the speech we want to hear is much more difficult.

The application of technology helps with the problem of hearing and understanding in the presence of noise.  Technological features to address this problem in today’s hearing aids include:

• Directional microphones which are directed by logic systems in the hearing aid or by switching by the user to focus the sensitivity of the hearing aid toward the desired conversation.
• Digital noise reduction which uses advanced techniques to identify bothersome noise and reduce it while attempting to preserve desired speech.
• Accessories that put the desired conversation closer to a microphone to increase the emphasis on the desired conversation.
• Rechargeable options for all day use without running short of power
• Artificial Intelligence to help classify noise and apply stored proven techniques to reduce the effects of noise and enhance desired speech.
• Direct blue tooth connectivity with telephones and accessories.

Hearing aids come in different styles or “Form factors” which are selected by the prospective user and the hearing professional.  All hearing aids include some or all of the features noted above.

What about medicine or surgery to correct for hearing loss?  It is less common today than it was a half-century ago, but there are some conditions that respond to medical treatment.  Your hearing specialist is trained to identify any medical issues and refer to specialists as necessary.

There are special purpose “Bone Anchored” hearing aids for some applications when the more common air conduction hearing aids are inappropriate.  The primary use of these surgically implanted devices is to overcome the loss of hearing due to a malformation of the ear canal or similar anatomic limitation.  Other surgically implanted devices are being developed but have not been adopted by the broader market.

Cochlear implants were introduced in the 1970s and have steadily improved since then.  Originally only for those who could not benefit from hearing aids, they are now a much more common treatment for severe hearing loss.  Cochlear implants involve surgically implanting an electrode in the inner ear to provide electrical signals that the brain can learn to interpret as meaningful sound.  Those with severe to profound hearing loss who are struggling with traditional hearing aids often find that the invasive surgery and cost is well worth the investment.  

Technology used in hearing aids follows the development of electronic devices and components used for many communication products.  Hearing aids differ because they need to be very small and cannot fit the typical battery and circuitry used in consumer devices such as cell phones.  Every year, hearing aid manufacturers spend millions of dollars to develop technically advanced, small hearing aids that can be comfortably worn by those needing them.  Today, hearing aids are better performing, more weatherproof, and more reliable than those made just five years ago.  At our clinics, our hearing loss experts can find the right technological solutions to fit your needs. If you are concerned about hearing loss, or are exhibiting any of the symptoms or risk factors associated with it, schedule an appointment with one of our hearing specialists today.

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Considering style.

In addition to the more traditional behind-the-ear styles, some hearing aids are designed to be worn in the ear canal, making them virtually invisible while they’re being worn. Several canal-style hearing aids are available, including models that fit nearly invisibly in the ear canal. Canal-style hearing aids use a mold of your ear canal to ensure the very best fit and highest sound quality.  One myth of hearing aids is that the different types of styles are simply based on preference or budget, but in fact, different types and styles of hearing aids better for some types of hearing loss. It is important to make sure you consult with a hearing professional when considering purchasing a hearing aid for advice on the best type of device for your needs.

Think about your lifestyle and hobbies.

Do you spend a lot of time outside? Then wind reduction features could be important to you. Do you have a cell phone or like to listen to music? Look for a hearing aid that offers streaming from your TV, phone or audio device directly to your hearing aid. Prefer hands-free adjustments? Then a hearing aid with a remote-control option could be ideal.

Ask your friends and family.

Hearing loss is very common, so it’s a good bet someone you know wears a hearing aid. Asking them for their advice can provide you with opinions you can trust. However, it’s important to remember everyone’s hearing experience is unique, so what works for your friends may not be the best choice for your needs.

Ask for a demonstration.

“Test-driving” a hearing aid before you commit to your purchase is one of the best ways to truly “hear” what you can expect from your device. We provide hearing aid demonstrations to let each person “try before they buy” so they can feel confident in their choice. Plus, we offer hearing aid adjustments for an optimal hearing experience.

Schedule a free hearing test today.

Take control of your hearing loss – and your health. Schedule a free hearing test today. Visit our locations page to find the center nearest you or fill out our contact form to find out more.

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