It is a dreaded sign of aging for some, a shock for others. But most new candidates for a hearing aid share one thing in common: the fear that everyone around them will know they are wearing one.
Now, thanks to microprocessing, aids are far more powerful, more finely tuned and more unobtrusive than ever. And one device new to the market, the Lyric, is made to fit deep in the ear and thus is invisible.
"This ain't your mother's hearing aid," said Robert Zelski, an audiologist and instructor at USF's Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.
Or his father's. Zelski says his dad was a pioneer in the industry in the 1940s. The instructor jokes that "I broke my first hearing aid when I was 2" by knocking a clunky device off a table.
In sharp contrast to that one, most of today's aids are tiny computers that can be customized to best help with many but not all types of hearing loss.
The technology isn't cheap. Most people need an aid in each ear, and they cost from $1,500 to $7,000 for a pair, Zelski said. The expected life span is six to seven years, possibly less in Florida's salty, humid air.
Medicare does not cover the cost of a hearing aid.
What the devices do is help counter the hearing loss resulting from damage to the 15,000 or so tiny hairs that line the inside of the ear canal.
"Different frequencies are located at different places'' along that pathway, Zelski said. Modern hearing aids can be better customized because they are programmable and adjustable.
All aids have a microphone, an amplifier, a speaker and a battery. They collect sound through the microphone, amplify it and direct it through the speaker.
But styles vary widely. Fit, price, comfort, aesthetics and type of hearing loss all are factors when choosing among aids.
Some are meant to fit in the ear canal, others in the outer opening to the ear, and others fully outside.
In recent years, so-called "open fit" hearing aids have surged in popularity, said Tampa audiologist Jeff Clark. These are very small, behind-the-ear devices that send the collected sounds through a small tube or wire into a speaker in the ear canal.
Current models "are extremely good in noisy environments,'' Clark said. "They're lightweight and leave the ear open."
Other companies are taking a different approach and are "marketing to the idea that people are used to having high-tech devices (such as a Bluetooth headset) showing at their ear," Zelski said. These larger, behind-the-ear devices are among the most powerful. The cases are being manufactured in colors and patterns.
Then there is the invisible Lyric, made by InSound Medical of Newark, Calif., and the "closest thing to contact lenses that I've seen for the ears," Clark said.
The Lyric fits entirely in the canal, which Clark believes allows for more natural sound.
Though typical hearing aids must be removed for showering or sleeping, the Lyric can stay in the canal for up to 120 days. When its battery dies, usually between one and four months, it is removed (with a magnet) and patients get a new device.
The Lyric is sold by subscription, at a cost of about $3,000 annually per pair.
Zelski, a hearing aid user himself, said having a device implanted so close to the eardrum can lead to infection or produce discomfort. But he plans to try the Lyric.
Florida law mandates that every hearing aid has a 30-day, money-back guarantee. Zelski noted most professionals will extend that period if a patient is having difficulty adjusting.
Sharon Ginn can be reached at sharonlginn@yahoo.com.
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