This is a great episode on how hearing works, cochlear implants, the cognitive changes and social isolation effects of hearing loss, why people don’t seek hearing aids, the history of hearing aids, and clinical trials of gene therapy and pharmaceuticals. (I’m glad that Ruth Bentler points out that their research findings apply only to hearing aids that are “appropriately” fit. Appropriate fitting takes probe microphone testing, speech discrimination testing, and a lot of visits.)
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“What?”
A lot of people bring me their hearing test records in a folder, but I’ve never seen a folder like this:
I love it. Communication is a challenge even without a hearing loss. Best to have a sense of humor about it.
Crunch
I get my lunch next door at Trader Joe’s, probably a little too often. They know me really well. I’ve been known to run next door to get one “Opal” apple. Just one. For a snack. They teased me. Loren says, “Hmmm. You really wanted an apple, eh?” I mentioned that one of my patients raises 52 different apple varieties and so Loren told me about an article in The New Yorker called “Crunch”. Apparently the sound an apple makes when you bite into it is more important than taste.
PCAST Report
The Presidential Council of Advisors on Science and Technology dates back to FDR. It was disbanded by Nixon, brought back in a minor form by Reagan, and renewed by George W Bush, who redesigned it to report directly to the president. The council’s job is to report new developments, research priorities, science education, and policy recommendations.
In 2015 PCAST delivered a report to president Obama on the hearing aid industry. The intent was to reduce cost, increase access, and spur innovation and competition. It’s a complicated topic and, for such a brief report, they did a great job covering it. The PCAST presentation and discussion was led by Christine K. Cassel, MD, an expert on geriatric medicine, medical ethics, and quality of care.
Here’s the link to her presentation and the following Council discussion:
Dr Cassel’s presentation on Aging America and Hearing Loss
A few thoughts:
Cassel says that a pair of hearing aids can be as much as $8000. I’d expect hearing aids to cost not much more than $7000 for a pair. The important thing you need to realize is that you don’t have to spend that much. There are a lot of other excellent hearing aids that are lower, down to $2000 a pair. The difference is the quality of speech in a background of noise.
Eric Lander said that hearing aid technology is “dramatically less sophisticated” than a smart phone. I beg to differ. Correcting one of the 5 senses, especially treating losses, is more complicated that an operating system or app. The labor involved in fitting hearing aid is more like fitting braces than fitting glasses. Think about what it takes to get a phone. You walk in , buy it, and walk out. The level of expertise when you return for troubleshooting isn’t equivalent to a master’s degree or PhD – because it doesn’t need to be.
The final written PCAST report itself is here:
Shouting Won’t Help
Katherine Bouton’s new book is called Shouting Won’t Help. Here is Ira Flatow interviewing her on NPR’s Science Friday. She has some great advice.
Vistas Life Long Learning
A patient of mine recommended this non-profit group that offers a continuing adult education program where the courses are presented by the members. It is modeled after a similar program at Dartmouth College.
Vistas Life Long Learning
Hearing Aid Lost and Found
Lately I’ve had a few patients lose their hearing aids. Luckily, they ended up finding them.
Hearing aids typically have a 1-3 year loss and accidental damage warranty.
These days you can get hearing aids that link to your phone and that can be found by GPS. The phone app shows a map of where the aid is, and when you go to the location it shows you when you’re getting closer and farther away.
If you ever find a lost hearing aid, you can easily find its owner. Every hearing aid has a serial number and an audiologist can call the manufacturer to find out whose it is and where it was purchased. I’ve had patients receive a package in the mail from some kind soul who found their lost hearing aid.