April Showers
April Showers
Bring May Hearing Aids?
Gusty winds, warm sun, and those famous Texas thunderstorms and mean that it is springtime in North Texas. And we all know that quickly following spring are the dog days of summer. From June through September you can hardly make it from the parking lot to the grocery store without breaking a sweat, and the only true relief from a 100 degree day is to lounge in the shady end of the swimming pool.
Water is something we have always tried to keep away from hearing aids. Sweat, rain, swimming pools, and especially washing machines have caused many hearing aids to corrode or short out completely. Patients know this shortfall all too well and have voiced their concerns…and the manufacturers listened!
As I walked around the displays at the American Academy of Audiology meeting in Chicago last week, it was obvious that several hearing aid labs have made it their mission to develop better technologies for water resistant hearing aids. Hooray!
Here are a couple of products that made a “big splash”:
Siemens Aquaris
Aquaris is a waterproof hearing aid. Yes. Waterproof. Crazy. This inventive device is approved for up to 30 minutes of submersion in up to three feet of water. It is available in a mini-behind the ear style either with an open-fit tube or with an earmold. This is by far the most waterproof option available and would be great for patients with very active lifestyles.
ReSound Alera
The iSolate nanotech coating standard on this product is designed to prevent moisture-related repairs. Alera is ReSound’s latest receiver-in-the-ear (open fit) hearing aid. This hearing aid can be programmed for most levels of hearing loss and also has wireless streaming capabilities to use with a cell phone or television. The water resistance in this hearing aid is appropriate for sweat and occasional splashes, but is not designed to be submerged (although there are some reports of them surviving the washing machine!).
Phonak NaidaS
Naida is a very powerful behind-the-ear hearing aid with some water resistant properties. A former generation of Naida maintained some water resistant claims (their previous marketing campaign featured a mermaid), and the current generation continues the trend while improving the processor putting it right on par with the rest of Phonak’s current technologically advanced line. For patients who love and need lots of power and speech clarity, this is a proven option with some water resistance.
There are many other innovations from the conference I’m excited to share with you over the next couple of weeks, but because so many have voiced your concerns about moisture damage I thought this would be a great place to start…especially since we are gearing up for another big storm this weekend!
