Question
I have a patient who struggles in noise but is not open to a hearing aid for his mild high-frequency hearing loss. Is there a discreet option the market that I can recommend that will help with noise?
Answer
Background noise is one of the main complaints of our hearing aid patients, and even in those with normal hearing, that impedes speech understanding.
At Comfort Audio, we designed our HearYou to be a simple and intuitive device. We also wanted it to be discrete and capture individuals that were hesitant to wear a hearing aid because of the stigma associated with it. With that in mind, our engineers designed it to look more like a Bluetooth headset, although it does not have Bluetooth capability. We thought that individuals may be more open to wearing a device to help their hearing and get them on the path of thinking about hearing aids in the future if it looked like a recognizable tech device. This is a bridge to get them used to having something on their ear, as well as getting used to advocating for their own hearing health.
This wireless, ear-level product features digital modulation, which is a superior signal than the traditional analog transmission. With our SecureStream Technology, we are able to overcome low-level device noise and the effects of compression that limit the dynamic range of the signal. It has a dynamic range of up to 60 dB with a bandwidth from 100 to 7000 Hz. Because of the digital transmission, the transmission time is less than 0.3 msec. Because it is digitally encrypted, it is secure against eavesdropping.
This device was designed with the patient you are describing in mind. It can be fit on either ear with an ear hook, and it has simple functionality for the user, such as volume control. We have shown that the HearYou successfully overcomes the complaints associated with noise, distance and reverberation.
For more information on HearYou, view the recorded webinar HearYou with Comfort Audio. You may also learn more on the Comfort Audio Expo Page on AudiologyOnline.
