For your ears only
High-tech hearing aids offer everything from app control to GPS.
IT usually begins with not being able to hear what your friends are saying at a loud party. Amid the din of clinking glasses and blaring music, you find yourself repeatedly saying to them: “Excuse me? What did you say? It’s really, really loud in here!”
But situations like these may be a first indication that your hearing is slowly deteriorating, says Dr Michael Deeg, from the German association of ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctors.
Many people don’t want to accept that they’re losing their hearing.
According to a Europe-wide survey, 72 out of 100 people who believe they’re experiencing hearing loss go see a doctor and 51 get a hearing aid prescription – but only 39 actually go to a hearing aid acoustician and have one fitted there.
Hearing aids, it seems, still don’t have a particularly good reputation.
“Many people believe they’ll have a huge, skin-coloured thing dangling from their ears,” says Stefan Zimmer, chairman of the German Association of the Hearing Aid Industry (BVHI).
But a glance at modern equipment shows that this is simply no longer the case.
“The devices have become much smaller,” Dr Deeg says.
“They have also become much more comfortable.”
Those who have overcome their doubts can choose between two types of hearing aids: so-called in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, where the equipment is lodged in the ear canal, and behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids.
With BTEs, which are what most people think of when it comes to hearing aids, the sound is picked up behind the ear and transported into the ear through a sound tube.
There are also versions where the loudspeaker is located in the ear canal, known as receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aids.
“They are popular because they are a little smaller,” explains Anna Burkert, a hearing care professional.
The most visually inconspicuous hearing aids are custommade ITEs.
However, they are not suitable for everyone – in some cases, the ear may be too small.
The best way to find out which device is right for you is to work with a hearing aid acoustician.
Ideally, you should try on several devices and wear them for a few days.
“But that certainly doesn’t mean the acoustician’s work is done,” says Burkert. He or she adjusts and calibrates the device to match the needs of the customer during the test phase.
Hearing loss is a gradual process. That’s why the acoustician usually avoids turning the devices all the way up right from the start. This is to help customers gradually get used to hearing better.
If you have a prescription from your doctor, you may not even have to pay for the device yourself. Depending on where you live, it may be worth checking if your health insurance company will cover the costs.
Many modern devices use GPS data to detect where the wearer is – and make automatic adjustments accordingly.
Hearing aids with a Bluetooth interface can also be connected to smartphones and managed through an app.
They can also relay phone conversations, the sound of a TV set or the beeping of a washing machine directly to the ear.
Another thing to look out for is so-called remote service.
During the test phase, the acoustician can access the hearing aid remotely and carry out fine adjustments. However, this may come at a steep price. – dpa