TNN & Agencies
Hearing loss is more common than you think, with the World Health Organisation saying around 63 million Indians are afflicted by the sensory deficit. And the stigma surrounding it is even more common. Which is why the recent approval of Apple Airpods Pro 2 as over-the-counter hearing aids by the US FDA is welcome news. At about $250 dollars in the US (it hasn’t launched in India), not only are they a cheaper and better alternative to traditional hearing aids but they also look way cooler than what grandpa wore, taking away the embarrassment of using a hearing aid.
The new Apple ‘hearing aid’ feature, available through a free software update is for Pro 2 earbuds and iOS 18-compatible iPhones or iPads, is for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. There is a five-minute test that will help users assess their hearing and adjust their sound settings. The Airpods boost ambient sounds keeping in mind the environment the user is in, making real-time adjustments. There is also a more personalised setting option with the help of an audiogram provided by a health professional.
Other brands like Sony, Jabra, Sennheiser, Bose and HP have also launched OTC hearing aids, but the AirPods Pro 2 have an edge in terms of reach. “Devices like Airpods have the major advantage of being not only ubiquitous in our society but actually desired, which helps these devices address the big issue of stigma plaguing the hearing aid market,” audiologist Kathleen Wallace told Healthline, explaining that these “can help you hear better in background noise, the number [one] complaint of people with hearing loss.”
Stigma apart, analogue hearing aids have a bulky appearance and fixed calibration. “People who use analogue aids always complain that they hear the ceiling fan just as loudly as the person talking to them. A smart hearing aid amplifies only those sound frequencies which the wearer cannot hear clearly,” explains Dr Someshwar Singh, a consultant ENT surgeon in Delhi who prescribes 20 to 30 smart digital hearing aids in a month. In India, there is a choice of brands like Widex, Siemens, Starkey and GN ReSound.
Smart hearing aids can simultaneously calibrate multiple sound frequencies — human speech, a running motor, a screaming child — and are aesthetically appealing. They lack the usual shortcomings of analogue aids — not being able to listen in a group situation, lag in transmission of sound, echo and so on. Some models can even enable the user to hear in very noisy ambiences like a cricket match or a crowded restaurant. The biggest advantage is that one can take calls, listen to music and watch movies with them. Those with analogue devices always struggled with that.
Brigadier Sivinder Singh, a retired army officer in Chandigarh, uses Starkey Surflink, a ‘bluetooth’ kind of device that connects his Starkey hearing aid with his Android phone. “When my phone rings, Surflink transmits the sound directly to my hearing aid via a phone app. Nobody else hears it ringing,” says Singh, who has medium-to-severe hearing loss owing to years of flying helicopters and firing guns in the army.
Surflink transmits sound via FM spectrum or Bluetooth to digital hearing aids placed either inside or behind the ear — connecting them to the radio, TV, mobile phones, cordless phones and other electronic devices. With Siemens’ ePen, users can change the volume, flip programmes or turn the aid off and on. GN Resound’s Remote Control 2 has bigger display so that the user doesn’t fumble while adjusting the controls.
But while analogue hearing aids come cheap, the catch with smart hearing aids is the big dent in your pocket (some models can cost as much as Rs 3 lakh). That’s where OTC versions can help, especially since hearing loss is striking younger people. Studies have also shown wearing aids can slow cognitive decline.
However, audiologists caution that these aids are only for those with mild to moderate hearing loss. For those with severe hearing impairment, custom-fitted prescription hearing aids work the best.
