Photo illustration by Paul Campbell/Getty Images
For Barbara Pulleyblank the decision to finally purchase a hearing aid came down to one thing: being able to communicate with loved ones. “My daughter’s frustration was a pivotal point,” says the 77-year-old.
Like many of the 4.6 million Canadians who struggle with at least mild hearing loss, Pulleyblank, a Toronto resident, had spent three years failing to catch sentences and feeling largely shut out of conversations. But she didn’t want to spend hours looking for a hearing aid provider, only to be aggressively sold one particular brand.
In the end, she purchased a higher-end model from a reputable, hospital-affiliated audiology centre. The hearing aid has nine listening settings, including scanning surroundings to adjust sounds as she moves from room to room and focusing on the voice of the person speaking directly in front of her while filtering out backrgound noise.
With Bluetooth connectivity, it can also stream phone calls and music directly from her cellphone to the hearing aid, without acoustic distortion.
“I am pretty happy with it,” says Pulleyblank. “I look at it as a long-term investment.”
Devices now highly advanced, but many people still delay treatment
Hearing aids have never been more sophisticated, with multiple settings, programmable apps and discreet designs that can be worn externally or within the ear. Generally priced from several hundred to $10,000 – and often partially or fully covered through provincial or federal assistance programs – they can be customized to the wearer’s ear and adjusted to their preferences. Yet many Canadians still put off buying hearing aids, worried about how they’ll be perceived, concerned about cost or afraid they’ll be unable to operate the device.
“People commonly wait seven to 10 years before addressing hearing loss,” says Erin Davis, doctor of audiology at the Hearing Place in Calgary. But untreated hearing loss is a risk factor for dementia so dealing with it can help protect brain health. “When you have untreated hearing loss, people aren’t getting stimulation,” Davis explains. “They may start isolating themselves, not going to dinner or a book club because ‘I don’t hear anyway.’ When they treat their hearing loss, they stay connected.”
As hearing aid technology improves, issues of accessibility and stigma persist
Get tested and ask for a free trial
At the bustling Munk Hearing Centre in downtown Toronto, Carolyn Falls, director of audiology services, sees a lot of patients who’ve experienced the often-insidious onset of hearing loss. She says most patients are 60 and older, with an average age of approximately 75 to 80. But she recommends people who suspect an issue get their hearing tested at age 50 to 60 and then every three years.
If a hearing aid is needed, she suggests a visit to an audiology centre that offers a free trial.
“Every clinic should give a trial period,” she says, adding that the Munk Centre offers 90 days. “If you’re not happy, you should return the device until you get to a point where you’re happy.” Never settle for a hearing aid that falls out, doesn’t meaningfully improve hearing or makes hearing worse, she says.
Falls also warns against being deterred by hearings aids’ myriad offerings. An audiologist can assess a client’s lifestyle, technological abilities and specific needs. They can also limit the number of features a device offers or reset it for the client during each visit if they’re unable to adjust it themselves.
Older wearers who may not have the manual dexterity to handle batteries can opt for models that can be recharged. “You put the hearing aids in this little case, and when you shake the case the magnets pull the hearing aids onto the charger,” says Davis. Or, for clients who use wheelchairs, the hearing aid can be set up to pick up noise from behind as well as in front of the wearer.
Game-changing technology may be on the horizon for children with disabling hearing loss
Give it time
Roman Pankiw knows how long it can take to find a hearing aid that works. The 74-year-old Toronto resident suffered from tinnitus, which led to hearing loss, and spent several years trialing devices with the help of an audiologist before discovering one that suited him. He now wears a completely in-canal model that allows him to socialize in crowded conversations, chat on a windy golf course and set the TV volume at a more comfortable level for his wife.
“There’s a high degree of personal feeling,” he says. “It’s not just a thing you can buy, stick it in your ear and it’s going to be perfect. It all boils down to customization.”
Regular servicing is also important, says Falls. “There might be some wax blocking the component and stopping the sound.”
Once you find the right model, adds Davis, the key is to wear the hearing aid as much as possible. “Our brain is a muscle, so wearing the hearing aids constantly, it’s exercising the nerve that connects to your brain,” she says. Over time, the brain learns to interpret sounds delivered by the hearing aid more effectively.
Now that she’s found a device she loves, Pulleyblank is happy she finally decided to address her hearing loss. And she urges those sitting on the fence to do the same.
“I think that it’s important that other people think that you’re doing your best to hear them whatever the constraints of your physical, mental and economic states,” she says. “It’s very easy to say, ‘I’m not even going to try – everything else is more important.’ But I think that showing evidence of trying is valuable in terms of family politics.”