Hearing Aid News Today!

The initial MarkeTrak VIII survey, by Sergei Kochkin, PhD, results have been released.

“The key findings in this 25 year look at the hearing health market are as follows:

• The hearing loss population has grown to 34.5 million over the last generation.
• The prevalence of hearing loss has grown from 266 to 295 people per thousand households in the last 20 years.
• 61% of people with hearing loss are males (virtually unchanged over the past generation.60% of people with hearing loss are below retirement age.
• The incidence of hearing loss in the U.S. is 11.3%.
• Over the last quarter century, the hearing loss population grew at the rate of 1.6 times the population growth primarily due to the aging of America.
• Hearing aid adoption continues to increase slowly to one in four.
  –4 in 10 people with moderate to severe hearing loss use amplification for their hearing loss.
  –While 1 in 10 people with mild hearing loss use amplification
• Binaural fittings continue to grow and now 90% of people with bilateral loss use binaural hearing aids.
• Hearing screenings by physicians increased to nearly 15%.
• The first time hearing user profile is virtually unchanged probably meaning that open-fit hearing aids did not tap any new market segments.
  –37% of hearing aids fit are to new users
  –Their average age is 68.8
  –And their average household income is $54k
• Hearing aid owners on average wait 7 years before purchasing a hearing aid after they learn of their hearing loss; while non-adopters have known about their hearing loss on average for about 12 years.
• In terms of life-stage the key market segments for hearing aids are: Retired couples, older singles, working older couples and older parents.”

This study states that of the 34.5 million people in the U.S. with hearing loss, approximately 26 million of them have taken no action to improve their hearing. Sergei Kochkin summarizes that of those 26 million who have taken no action, 11 million of them should be in hearing care offices today taking corrective action. The remaining 15 million with uncorrected hearing loss should continue to be educated on hearing loss, prevention, and treatment.

How can you tell if you are one of the 11 million or the 15 million? Ron Perry of Preferred Hearing Solutions says that a reputable hearing care practitioner, with proper testing procedures, will tell you in which category you will fall. If you fall in the 15 million category, he will recommend periodic follow-up hearing tests to keep a watchful eye on any potential increase in hearing loss. If you fall into the 11 million category, he will make an appropriate recommendation for hearing devices that will provide better hearing of speech in all situations. Be certain to ask the practitioner to explain his findings.

A full pdf version of the study may be read or downloaded here: http://www.betterhearing.org/pdfs/Kochkin_MarkeTrak8_OctHR09_hr.pdf

Sergei Kochkin, Ph.D. – Better Hearing Institute, Washington, DC

It would seem that hearing is a second-rate sense when compared to vision in our visually oriented modern society. People with hearing loss delay a decision to get hearing help because they are unaware of the fact that receiving early treatment for hearing loss has the potential to literally transform their lives. Research by the National Council on the Aging on more than 2,000 people with hearing loss as well as their significant others demonstrated that hearing aids clearly are associated with impressive improvements in the social, emotional, psychological, and physical well-being of people with hearing loss in all hearing loss categories from mild to severe. Specifically, hearing aid usage is positively related to the following quality of life issues. Hearing loss treatment was shown to improve:

• Earning power
• Communication in relationships
• Intimacy and warmth in family relationships
• Ease in communication
• Emotional stability
• Sense of control over life events
• Perception of mental functioning
• Physical health
• Group social participation

And just as importantly hearing loss treatment was shown to reduce:

• Discrimination toward the person with the hearing loss
• Hearing loss compensation behaviors (i.e. pretending you hear)
• Anger and frustration in relationships
• Depression and depressive symptoms
• Feelings of paranoia
• Anxiety
• Social phobias
• Self-criticism

If you are one of those people with a mild, moderate or severe hearing loss, who is sitting on the fence, consider all the benefits of hearing aids described above. Hearing aids hold such great potential to positively change so many lives.

You Should Hear What You Are Missing!

Detailed Discussion on The Impact of Treated Hearing Loss on Quality of Life

Oticon Vigo Connect, a new family of high performing hearing devices in the mid-price range opens an exciting world of wireless freedom to people with mild to severe-to-profound hearing loss. A rare combination of small size and amazing performance, new Vigo Pro Connect and Vigo Connect take the benefits of the popular Vigo family to the next level with intuitive and easy-to-use wireless connectivity for a closer-to-natural listening experience.  In combination with the Oticon ConnectLine system, Vigo Connect’s Bluetooth capabilities allow seamless, direct access to an array of modern communication and entertainment devices.

“Vigo Connect offers more value than any hearing instrument in its price category,” says Oticon, Inc. President Peer Lauritsen. “Vigo Connect builds on the strengths of the Vigo family — including great sound quality, high-end performance, and a wide range of small, discreet styles that are almost invisible in the ear.  In addition, Vigo Connect provides direct, wireless access to the communication and entertainment devices that are essential ‘links’ to modern everyday life.”

With a fitting range of up to 110dB, Vigo Connect is based on Oticon’s ultra-fast RISE platform that delivers more bandwidth (8 kHz) and significantly higher levels of processing power. Vigo Connect’s features include advanced noise management and directionality for a richer, more natural sound picture and best-in-class intelligibility.

Wireless connectivity adds an extra dimension to the performance of the Vigo family. In combination with Oticon’s state-of-the-art ConnectLine system, Vigo Pro Connect and Vigo Connect directly access a complete array of everyday communication and entertainment devices including landline and mobile phones, televisions, stereos, PCs and MP3 players. Users simply touch a button on the small, sleek Streamer accessory to seamlessly transition from one communication device to another. Users enjoy high quality audio streaming binaurally through their hearing devices – listening at their own preferred volume.

The Vigo Connect family is designed to provide hearing care professionals and users with more choices. With a fitting range of up to 110dB HL, choices include the exceptional comfort, discreteness and sound quality of the slim and elegant RITE style and a full selection of custom instruments including ITE, ITC, MIC and CIC. The RITE Power and BTE Power style address the needs of Power users for superior performance, wireless connectivity and discreet modern design.

“With its unmatched sound quality, wireless connectivity, full spectrum of style options and value-pricing, the Vigo Connect family has the potential to provide more people with the benefits of modern hearing care,” states Lauritsen.

The new Vigo Connect family is available as of Nov. 9, 2009.

http://www.oticonusa.com/Oticon/News/VigoConnect_11_09.html

SOMERSET, NJ
August 6, 2009

As one of Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 greatest guitarist of all times,” Stephen Stills contributed vision and musical genius as a founding member of Crosby, Stills and Nash.  Despite hits that still rank among the best loved songs of a generation – Suite: Judy Blue Eyes, Teach Your Children, Woodstock, Long Time Gone –  Stills continues to work at his craft, creating and playing music designed to entertain and inspire audiences.  His own history is closely entwined with the history of rock and roll and surprisingly, with the hearing loss that he first experienced as a child.

“My hearing loss was first spotted when I was nine years old and living in Louisiana.  This was in 1954 and a little truck came to the school to give the children physicals.  The doctor noticed a hearing loss in my right ear and told my parents to ‘keep an eye on it’,” says Stills.

Over the years, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer had difficulty in conversations, especially with soft spoken people, but did little to address his hearing loss or prevent further damage.  “My hearing grew worse as I was subjected to high decibels on tour shows,” he states. “In my 30’s, I began making records in a way that would expose me to hours and hours of loud sounds in the recording studio.”

Even with the increased loss he experienced, Stills was reluctant to commit to wearing hearing aids.  “As my hearing loss increased, I experimented with hearing aids but they were so cumbersome, I hated the feeling of having a big piece of plastic in my ear,” he explains. “I also thought they would block up my ears and cause me to miss the ambiance of the room and the crowds.”

It was guitarist Neil Young who suggested Stills try a new modern-design, behind-the-ear hearing solution called Dual.  “I fell in love with them immediately.  They were so light, they enhanced the frequencies I needed and let the ambient sound come in,” states Stills.

Importantly, his new Duals enabled Stills to hear his own voice more clearly.  “My Duals certainly allow me to sing in tune – something that has been very difficult for me in recent years.  In performances, the sound from my acoustic guitar is so big, it wiped out what I was singing.  I would go out of tune and not realize it,” he explains.  “Now when I perform, I am able to hear the top end of the music and get back in tune.”  His new hearing solutions have also benefited his guitar playing, “Now I can hear the subtleties of the music. This has improved my playing and my singing.”

Wearing his Duals on stage allows Stills to turn down his monitors so that he can sing, play and hear the band.   “They also allow me to get back to mixing records in the studio,” he reports. “I’m still recording. I’m doing an acoustic album with Crosby and Nash and also a solo album.”  Stills also regularly tours with Crosby and Nash and performs with his own solo blues band.

Conversation is now clearer and more comfortable for Stills. “”I can understand my children much better and I can understand everyone better.  When I go down to the dinner table, my wife will say to me, ‘Honey, do you have your hearing gear on?’ before she starts a conversation with me,” he laughs.  “I can hear people behind me when they call to me, something I could never do before.  It’s made a great difference in my life.”

“When you don’t take care of your hearing loss, you can get isolated, fall into depression and it’s a domino effect.  You are cut off so you fall into depressive cycles and don’t know why you feel so bad but you do,” explains Stills.  “And it has so much to do with the fact that you can’t participate.  There are a myriad of reasons to take steps to address hearing loss sooner rather than later.  Nobody should wait to take the steps you can take to improve your life.  If I was 50 and had just discovered the difference my hearing solutions could make, I would have improved my circumstances and my shows and would have saved myself a lot of troubles over the last 10 years.”

Stills recommends Dual to anyone who is experiencing hearing loss. His advice:  ”I would recommend that people go as fast as they can and try Dual because they’ll never go back to their old hearing aids.”

http://www.oticonusa.com/Oticon/News/StephenStills.html

Somerset, NJ
April 21, 2009

Joe Frazier, Olympic and former World Heavy Weight Champion, isn’t about to let any thing slow him down – including hearing loss.  The 65-year-old boxing icon recently upgraded his hearing solutions to Oticon Dual.  The sleek, state-of-the-art hearing devices proved a good match for the busy boxing entrepreneur and charitable foundation founder, who continues to skillfully bob and weave his way through days full of community, business and social engagements.

Frazier is the newest in a growing list of celebrities who are up-trading to Dual, a new high tech hearing device that offers a unique synergy of high performance technology and aesthetic appeal.   Designed inside and out to deliver spatial sound and wireless connectivity in a sleek, small shell,

Dual solves the “beauty or brains” dilemma that has long challenged hearing care professionals, and frustrated individuals with hearing loss looking for ideal solutions.  For “Smokin’ Joe” Frazier, who pulls no punches, the bottom line has always been a hearing solution that delivers superior sound quality.

“When I work with the young boxing hopefuls, I need to be able to hold up my end of the conversation,” states Frazier.  “The noise in the gym can create problems for me.  Hearing clearly in social and business situations is also important to me.  Dual’s excellent sound quality gives me the fighting edge I need.”

Oticon Vice President of Marketing Gordon Wilson met with Frazier in his adopted hometown of Philadelphia to talk about his experiences with Dual.  “True to his reputation, Mr. Frazier is a person who doesn’t pull any punches,” states Wilson.  “As an experienced hearing device user, he had very clear requirements for his upgraded hearing but he also wanted style and a discreet look.  Dual offers him the performance he needs and the stylish, modern design he wants.”

Known for his dapper appearance and personal charisma in and out of the ring, Frazier praises Dual for enabling him to zero in on the softer, high pitched voices of his female fans.  “Hearing the ladies at social gatherings was a problem for me,” notes Frasier.  “Now I can join in the conversations without struggling to understand what is being said.”  Frasier plans to recommend Dual to his friends who can also use a hearing boost.  “If you can’t hear, you can’t stay in the match,” he says.

Wilson noted that “Smokin’ Joe” is an excellent endorsement for Dual’s ability to deliver sound quality unmatched by any other hearing device.  “At age 65, Mr. Frazier is a commanding figure who clearly wouldn’t be satisfied with any ‘light weight’ solution,” notes Wilson. “He expects a lot of himself and his hearing solutions need to measure up to the demands of his busy lifestyle.”

http://www.oticonusa.com/Oticon/News/Joe_Frazier.html