The Truth About Lyric Hearing Aids

With the exception of audiologists and the rare hearing enthusiast, most people don't find the topic of hearing aids of much interest. So when a hearing aid gets as much buzz as Lyric has, it's hard to ignore. The Lyric hearing aid has been covered by the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Good Morning America, The Doctors, and Dr. Oz. It's also been written about by bloggers and forum members throughout the world. As with anything that receives this much attention, some of the information out there is accurate, while much of it isn't. As an independent audiologist, and one of a couple hundred clinicians actually fitting Lyric on patients, I offer you my perspective.

THE CLAIMS ABOUT LYRIC:

"Lyric is completely invisible." - MOSTLY TRUE - Over the years, the term "invisible" has been used quite liberally to describe certain styles of hearing aids, when in reality the terms "very small" and "less noticeable than other hearing aids" should have probably been used. But for the first time in history, the term "invisible" can be used without reservation. In the majority of patients, the device is placed so far into the ear canal that you really can't see it, even if you look for it. However, in patients with shallow ear canals, you can clearly see a portion of it (if you look for it).

"Lyric devices are replaced every 3-4 months." - SOMETIMES TRUE - The device has been approved by the FDA for patient use for a period of up to 4 months. But most devices die prior to reaching their 4-month birthday. The cause of death is usually related to moisture reaching the power source and shorting out the aid, or corrosion/blockage caused by excessive earwax. In some patients, that occurs between the 3rd and 4th months. In others, it may occur significantly earlier.

"Lyric has no battery" - FALSE - All hearing devices use power and therefore, use a battery. The power has to come from somewhere, and most hearing aid users don't want to be tied to a wall outlet. The difference is that Lyric doesn't use a typical hearing aid battery, and there are no batteries for the wearer to change. It has a built-in power source that cannot be replaced. When the battery dies - the device is no longer usable. So instead of changing a battery every week or so, the whole device is changed every couple months.

"Lyric is an analog hearing aid." - ABSOLUTELY TRUE - While most modern hearing aids use digital circuitry, Lyric uses an analog amplification circuit. Digital technology consumes more power than analog. It would take a gigantic battery to power a digital hearing aid circuit for as long as 3-4 months, Lyric needs to be small to actually fit into the ear canal, so there's not room for a gigantic battery - hence the analog circuit.

"Lyric is old/inferior technology." - FALSE - This claim is often made by audiologists and hearing aid dispensers who don't have access to Lyric. They hear the term "analog" and equate it to hearing aids from the 1970s. It doesn't work that way. Many digital features used in modern hearing devices are required to compensate for the unnatural placement of a hearing aid. With Lyric being placed 4mm from the eardrum, the natural acoustics and resonance of the ear are maintained, allowing it to compete with and often out-perform top-of-the-line digital hearing aids.

"Lyric's subscription model is a product of corporate greed." - FALSE - Some critics, mostly outside the hearing industry, look at Lyric's subscription model as a blatant attempt to acquire more money. While the intent of any business is to make money, I present that the subscription model is the only practical method of purchase in this case. Lyric actually offers a non-subscription/per-device payment option. If you want to pay $300-$400 for a single device, you can. But you're not going to be happy if that device dies in three weeks instead of three months. The subscription model eliminates the financial frustration associated with premature device failure.

"Lyric does not work for a lot of people." - TRUE - InSound Medical, the manufacturer of Lyric, claims that approximately 50% of all hearing aid candidates are not good Lyric candidates. This may be due to ear anatomy, degree of hearing loss, lifestyle, or general health conditions. I have also found that a patient may start out as a good Lyric candidate, only to find out that they have a type of earwax (liquid cerumen) that consistently destroys the device prematurely. That's one reason the 30-day trial period is important. In my experience, Lyric may not be for everyone (or even most people), but most of the people who try it - love it.

Matt Perry, Au.D. is an independent audiologist and Lyric provider. He owns Harmony Hearing & Audiology, located in the Festival at Bel Air in Harford County, Maryland. He specializes in hearing aid technology and programming, including the use of real-ear technology in a real-world simulation environment.

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Why Don't People Like Hearing Aids?

Is it because of what they look like?
Hearing aids look like hearing aids because they ARE hearing aids. Unfortunately, despite some very novel designs - some have even won design awards - they still don't have the cachet of "designer" glasses. I know. One venue I visit - an optical outlet - was ram-raided and the thieves took all the designer sunglasses but completely ignored the digital hearing aids on view, which were actually worth a lot more than the specs.

In fact, many hearing aids today DON'T look like hearing aids [at least not the traditional NHS behind the ear type] but still don't make people want to whip them out of their ear and say "Take a butchers'* at that!" Yet they are technologically far more advanced than many consumer items (generally considered prized possessions to be paraded) and frequently more costly.

Is it because of the colour?
As in "we don't like flesh colour"? Well, I say flesh colour but if you encountered anyone looking the same colour you'd either flee screaming or summon an emergency paramedic from the tropical disease hospitals. And that is also making a mighty big presumption that everyone in the world has identical flesh colour, which the last time I looked....

Mind, there are still some who manufacture hearing aids who aren't too sure of what flesh colour does mean. A few years ago I was trying to find a custom-fit tiny aid for a lady who had quite a big loss in quite a small ear - she also had very dark skin. They came back from the chosen supplier [no names I'm afraid] with a beautifully snug fit in a wonderfully tiny aid enabling her to hear really well and a really superb matching "plain chocolate" faceplate [the bit you can see in the ear]. So what was the problem with this high-tech digital hearing aid? It still had a conventional "flesh" colour body. This meant that when viewed in the ear it had a kind of halo effect around it and, "angelic" though that woman might have been, she did not want it attracting the attention of her toddler - the whole reason for getting them in the first place. There is another, humourous, aspect to this particular experience, which I might recount at a later date.

Is it because of what they feel like?
Well, naturally, some people don't like the feel of "plastic" things and a few unfortunate souls actually suffer extreme sensitivity in their ear canals. Then there are those whose ears are "too close to their head" and really don't have room for a traditional hearing aid fitting, especially if they also need to wear specs. And there will always be some who just don't like having anything in their ear at all - not even "sweet nothings". But for the vast majority they are no worse than a pair of glasses perched on the bridge of the nose - and for those who would prefer the little luxury of paying for custom made items to fit discreetly into the ear canal, it is really no different from the contact lens wearer sticking their fingers in their eyes once a day.

Or is it because of what they suggest?
This is, in my humble[?] opinion, the clincher. Hearing aids = deaf. And deaf = daft... and old! This, I hasten to add, is not my opinion but that of many people conveniently unaffected by hearing loss and unfortunately thus, by osmosis, the [often] sub-conscious opinion of many who do need to wear hearing aids.

But, hold on there, have they got a point? Well, in reverse order, let's have a quick peek at the argument: OLD? Well, although it is a fact that as we age the incidence of some measurable hearing loss does indeed increase, it also remains that 50% of people with hearing loss in the UK are actually under the age of 55. DAFT? Well, most certainly not, if one encounters some of the wonderful people who have varying degrees of hearing loss [and use a variety of methods to combat their particular malfunction] that I have had the pleasure and honour of meeting. But, could this particular soubriquet be awarded to the millions [estimated by many, including the RNID,] out there. In the UK alone, it is thought there are up to 6,000,000 [yep SIX MILLION] who are thought to have a measurable hearing loss yet do nothing about it.

Please, if you know [or indeed are] one of these people, all that anyone in my field [NHS or Private audiologists; ENT consultants & charities] would request - please ask us the following:

"Tell, show & demonstrate the options available to me" and then, maybe, some of the 5-6 million UK residents currently with hearing loss but without hearing help would benefit.

*Butchers = butchers' hook = look =Rhyming slang from England for our overseas visitors.

My name is Ian Croft. I am a Hearing Aid Audiologist or, put another way, a Hearing Aid Specialist. I can impartially answer your questions about hearing problems and supply tremendous value solutions in all styles, colours, shapes and sizes from all of the manufacturers in the UK - unlike the NHS. But as usual in life you normally only get what you pay for. I have advised and assisted people from 5 to a 105 from all walks of life; some well-known with others more retiring. But most importantly I helped them overcome their problem.

I am passionate about helping people with their hearing, whether it is to enhance or protect. Please contact me to see how I could help in your life.

Formerly a teacher, I earned Fellowship status from my professional body in 2001, and have sat on their Council since being elected in 2003. I enjoy giving talks on hearing so please contact me if you need a speaker.

http://www.easi-ear.com

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Behind the Ear Hearing Aid - Are They the Best Choice?

Hearing Aids have now been available for many years to help the hearing impaired overcome their hearing loss.

Before any Hearing Aid is used the sufferer should initially ensure that it is what is required and the hearing loss is not due to some other factor such as infection in the ear or even just ear wax.

Visiting a GP initially is most important as he will confirm whether the loss of hearing is permanent or just temporary.

If it is decided that a Hearing Aid is required to help overcome the hearing loss, a hearing test is the next step to ascertain at what audio frequencies and level of sound the hearing loss occurs. When this has been decided the type of Aid to be used by the sufferer is very important.

There are various types of Aids available including BTE (Behind the Ear) ITE (In the Ear) ITC (In the Channel), CIC (Completely in the Channel).

The Behind the Ear (BTE) Behind the Ear Aid has been around for a great many years and is the one with the least disadvantages compared with the other types.

The main disadvantage is that it is not as cosmetically pleasing as other types which fit inside the ear, but with new designs and advances in technology the size has reduced considerably making them almost invisible behind the ear. Other technical developments, namely Open Fit Hearing Aids, have also greatly reduced the diameter of the tube that carries the sound to the ear channel, so that it can hardly be seen. Open Fit Aids also allow for the ear mould to be dispensed with which has overcome the problem of occlusions - a feeling of the ear being blocked causing a hollow effect when speaking.

So now we have answered most of the disadvantages of the BTE Hearing Aid, what are the advantages?

Because the BTE Digital Aid is generally larger than the Hearing Aids situated within the ear channel, it can hold considerably more electronic features including volume controls for a wide range of frequencies, directional microphones etc. They can usually give greater amplification to sounds where hearing loss is acute, therefore of greater advantage for those with more profound hearing loss.

They are usually cheaper because the electronics within the Aid does not have to be so small, cutting costs in manufacturing.

They are much easier to handle especially for those with dexterity problems such as the elderly or people with arthritis; they can house a larger battery giving a longer battery life.

They are ideal for children with some hearing loss as the aid will continue to fit them as they grow older whereas In the Ear type would have to be changed as the ear channel develops.

Although BTE Digital Hearing Aids do not solve all the problems associated with hearing loss, they will be the best choice for many. With the introduction of Open Fit types it has now made the BTE Digital Hearing Aids the right choice for more and more sufferers.

Mike Roberts has bee advising suffers, with Hearing Loss, for some time. If you want to know more about Behind the Ear Hearing ids Visit Digital Hearing Aids

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