In the previous column I wrote about my initial steps in dealing with age-related hearing loss (presbycusis). This time I take a look at a second test and a first-time trial with hearing aids.
I decided to try another avenue, this time with a clinic that did not feature a hearing aid brand in its name. It was a newer clinic run by staff who have a master of science in audiology. Mind you, I did have to pay $150 for the hearing test. It was more comprehensive and took substantially longer than the previous test. Moderate hearing loss in both ears and a strong recommendation for hearing assistance was the outcome.
A follow-up visit was scheduled for a trial use of a hearing aid, a so-called behind-the-ear (BTE) device. Before fitting the aids there were additional tests, including one to measure pain thresholds for each ear. To me this was an important aspect. It meant that the potential hearing aids would be set so that the maximum sound output could not exceed 90 per cent of the pain threshold.
Price? Well, not much different from the first clinic. $6,000+ for a different brand. I was shown how to fit the aids and various additional testing was done for the initial programming of each earpiece to fit them to my hearing profile, as based on the sound booth testing. This took some time and this visit was not without cost: $300. However it was deductible against a possible future purchase after a trial period of up to three months.
Immediately I was amazed. I was then shown how to pair the devices to a smartphone app. Although this app caused me subsequent problems, which I think the manufacturer needs to rectify, it will likely be the clincher if it comes to a deal to purchase these aids I am presently testing. The default state essentially acted only as an amplifier, affecting all sounds equally. That would be pretty much unusable from my perspective. Through the app I quickly figured out how to create a custom program that blocked most background sounds.
As I write this, I’m only three weeks into my test period. I’ve tested a wide variety of situations and device settings (for example, music, TV, restaurant, car, calm, phone calls) and am at a point where I would be reluctant to be without the aids. Today I tested them at church, always a tricky environment for sound, with various microphones and speakers in use, different voices, and a choir with a large pipe organ. Not to mention sound reflected off various surfaces in the church. Again, I was impressed. Where previously I missed much of what was said, I now found I was registering pretty much everything.
What will I do? I’m not completely sure yet. It’s a lot of money, and my extended health plan only makes a token contribution of $500. The rest is a medical expense to file on the tax return.
The life expectancy of these devices is just five to seven years. The warranty ranges from one to three years. It’s possible that some “big box” store may carry the same brand with a different wrapper and longer warranty. These sorts of issues need to be sorted out.
Unfortunately, it seems that the hearing aid manufacturers have for the most part built their devices around the iPhone ecosystem. Android support is an afterthought and, almost universally, online reviews show problems with Android integration. I’m a longtime Samsung Note Android user, and I’ve had continuous problems with the app that manages my trial hearing aids.
However, as long as I avoid the integration for the making and receiving of phone calls via the hearing aids, the app is fairly well-behaved. I did run one lengthy Google Meet video session using the aids. It worked beautifully for more than an hour and a half when the audio suddenly stopped. All my attempts to restart it were in vain. That was frustrating.
Have hearing aids come a long way? Yes, that they have. They are pretty much invisible nowadays. Should they be costing in the several thousands of dollars range? Highly questionable. Actually, to put it more plainly, no, they shouldn’t.
In a subsequent column we will take a look at how the big box retailers have developed a means of selling hearing aids at steep discounts compared to storefront clinics, albeit mostly with simpler models and slightly reduced feature sets.
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