{"id":11585,"date":"2021-08-31T16:28:51","date_gmt":"2021-08-31T23:28:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mayosis.com\/zipold\/?p=11585"},"modified":"2023-06-30T17:48:42","modified_gmt":"2023-06-30T17:48:42","slug":"hearing-health-news-august-21","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ziphearing.com\/blog\/hearing-health-news-august-21\/","title":{"rendered":"Hearing Health News – August ’21"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Phonak announces 3 new releases<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

New waterproof Aud\u00e9o Life hearing aid<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s been a decade since a hearing aid manufacturer was bold enough to release a hearing aid and market it as \u201cwaterproof.\u201d Lately, manufacturers have taken the more cautious route of calling their hearing aids \u201cwater-resistant.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That changed on August 30th, when Phonak announced<\/a> their new Aud\u00e9o Life waterproof hearing aids. These devices are showerproof and splash proof and can even be submerged up to 50 cm (19.6 in) and still function normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While this hearing aid has the same IP68 rating of existing Phonak Paradise hearing aids, it does appear to have some additional protection against water not available in the standard Paradise lineup.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Pictured above, Aud\u00e9o Life is the first hearing aid to be marketed as waterproof in over a decade.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

How well they\u2019ll hold up in water remains to be seen, and we\u2019d still recommend exercising caution around water- these probably aren\u2019t for doing laps in the pool. But if you sail, row or do stand up paddleboarding as part of your healthy lifestyle, not worrying if your hearing aids get wet is a huge relief. Existing water-resistant hearing aids are already very durable, as evidenced in this cheeky video<\/a>, so we have high hopes for a hearing aid actually marketed as waterproof.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under the hood, the Aud\u00e9o Life is powered by the same Paradise technology that allows for direct connectivity to any Bluetooth device- which is part of what\u2019s made it our most popular Bluetooth hearing aid<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aud\u00e9o Life is a limited-release product that is not yet available nationwide. We anticipate being able to offer this hearing aid to ZipHearing customers in the coming months.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aud\u00e9o Paradise is now CROS-compatible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The wait is over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phonak finally announced the release of their long-awaited CROS P<\/a> device, compatible with select Aud\u00e9o Paradise models: Aud\u00e9o P-13T, Aud\u00e9o P-R, and Aud\u00e9o P-RT.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you have single-sided deafness, or very poor word understanding in one ear, you probably wear a CROS or BiCROS hearing aid. As a member of a relatively small club, you\u2019ve usually had to settle for older technology until your hearing aid manufacturer offered a CROS. Not anymore! The CROS P-R gives you all the newest Paradise features like direct Bluetooth connectivity and lithium ion rechargeability, while still accommodating your unique CROS needs. If you prefer, it\u2019s also available with a size 312 disposable battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Innovative ActiveVent receivers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Available for receiver-in-canal style hearing aids, ActiveVent receivers are a creative solution to a problem that has plagued this style of hearing aid for as long as it\u2019s been around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The primary benefit of wearing open-fit receiver-in-canal (RIC) style hearing aids is the natural sound quality they allow, since this hearing aid allows the ear canal to remain open, allowing sound to pass through the ear canal normally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The downside to that, is sometimes too much <\/em> sound enters the ear canal, which can make it even more difficult to hear, particularly in noisy environments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the past, the only tool hearing providers have had to address this issue is to partially \u201cclose-off\u201d the ear canal, by fitting the hearing aid with a custom ear mold, or using a \u201cclosed\u201d dome which created a better seal in the ear canal, as opposed to the more popular and desirable \u201copen\u201d dome. The problem with that, is a closed dome or custom mold isn\u2019t ideal in many situations- so hearing providers were essentially fixing one problem, but causing another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phonak says they\u2019ve solved this problem, with their new and aptly named, ActiveVent<\/a> receivers.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Compatible with all Paradise rechargeable models, and all performance levels, ActiveVent receivers work with Phonak’s Universal Slim Tip, or Slim Tip Titanium earmolds.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

ActiveVent is a new receiver (speaker) that automatically changes the size of the vent based on what\u2019s happening in the environment. Doing this seamlessly optimizes hearing in noise and when streaming Bluetooth signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

ActiveVent receivers can be swapped out on any Paradise rechargeable hearing aid by your hearing care provider. We don\u2019t yet know the price for these receivers, and they\u2019re not yet available nationwide. We anticipate being able to offer this receiver to ZipHearing customers in the coming months. ActiveVent receivers also won\u2019t be appropriate for all hearing aid wearers- talk to your hearing provider about whether this may be a good solution for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another study links untreated hearing loss to depression<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A recent publication<\/a> of results from a University of Manchester longitudinal study of depression in seniors found a positive link between untreated hearing loss and depression. This has long been talked about in relation to the social isolation many with hearing loss exhibit. The results are a culmination of data collected from 74,908 people aged 50 to 89 years old between 2002 and 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The study not only showed that wearing hearing aids decreased depressive symptoms, but that wearing hearing aids \u201cmost of the time\u201d had a markedly larger improvement in depressive symptoms than those wearing them \u201csome of the time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starkey Hearing Technology unveils new evolv AI hearing aids<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In recent weeks Starkey has been teasing<\/a> a new release, and on August 31st we found out what it was.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a live-streamed event, top Starkey executives announced and detailed their new evolve AI hearing aids<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The new evolvAI is complete family of hearing aids, from Starkey’s smallest invisible-in-canal style, to powerful behind-the-ear devices.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Highlights of this release<\/h3>\n\n\n\n