Hearing Aids Moving Into the Age Of Technology

Steve Boyce suspected he might have some hearing loss for a few years. Family members had “mentioned” he didn’t seem to be listening and Boyce wondered why his wife and daughters were always mumbling. 

He also found himself watching people’s lips when they spoke, something that didn’t always work out so well.

“I thought a co-worker commented that I was a dummy in a meeting and I asked him about it in front of the group,” said Boyce. “They all told me that he said the subject we were discussing was dumb!”

According to the National Institute of Health, only one-fifth of people who could benefit from a hearing aid seek intervention. Boyce was almost part of that statistic, but luckily a severe dizzy spell sent him the emergency room where the doctor referred him to Utah Valley’s Hearing and Balance Center.

Audiologist Jess Moulton, AuD, said technology is changing hearing aids almost as much as it has changed the movie and music industry. “Hearing aids have a bad reputation. People think of the older hearing aids that squealed and had trouble with background noise and volume control, but that’s all changed,” he said.

New digital technologies allow a hearing aid to mimic the clarity provided by the inner ear. A directional microphone in the device identifies where speech is coming from so a person only hears who is speaking and not the background noise.

“Most people are shocked at the ease of use and the immediate improvement to their hearing,” said Moulton.

Some of that ease comes from the Bluetooth streaming that is synched with the hearing aid. Boyce enjoys the fact that anything with Bluetooth — a phone, television or radio — can send sound directly to his hearing aid. 

Moulton said small microphones are also available so people can talk easily in the car or at home. Many older travelers don’t have conversations while driving because they have to turn their head to hear their passenger(s), which can be dangerous.

People with questions about their hearing should talk to their doctors and ask for a referral to a qualified audiologist. “Not everyone will need a hearing aid, but for those who do, there are amazing options and technologies,” said Moulton.