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Would you believe us if we said there are a total of 335 different Phonak Lumity hearing aids to choose from?

That can feel slightly overwhelming when it comes to finding the right fit for you, but fear not. Whether you’re just starting to explore the option of hearing aids and want to be armed with information before going to an audiology appointment, or perhaps you’ve already had your hearing tested and have been recommended Phonak Lumity hearing aids, by the end of this article, you should have a great understanding of which Phonak Lumity hearing aid is right for you.

Five different styles of Phonak Lumity hearing aids

Phonak has typically used the same names for their different styles of hearing aids:

• Slim – their receiver-in-canal slimline hearing aid
• CROS – their receiver-in-canal hearing aid designed to manage single-sided deafness
• Audéo – their standard receiver-in-canal model
• Naida– their power behind-the-ear hearing aid
• Sky – their behind-the-ear paediatric hearing aids

Within each of these styles, there can be various models too. For example, while there’s only one version of both the Slim and CROS, there are three different Audéo Lumitys – including the Audéo Lumity R, the Audéo Lumity RT, and the Audéo Lumity RL. Within the Naida style, we have the Naida Lumity PR and the Naida Lumity UP. Finally, the Sky Lumity also has two different models, which are also named the PR and UP.

So, the big question is, what do these letters mean after the different hearing aid models? It’s all about rechargeability, CROS systems, telecoil, and waterproof ratings.

Rechargeability

Most of the hearing aids we’re discussing today are rechargeable, which means that for a 3-hour charge when you go to bed, you’ll get a full day of use the following day. From a rechargeability point of view, one of these hearing aids stands head and shoulders above the rest, which is the Lumity Life.

To maintain the highest possible waterproof rating out of all of the hearing aids discussed today, Phonak has removed its titanium charging contacts and instead installed an inductive charging system. This requires a completely different charger, which happens to a) be easier to remove the hearing aids from and b) also contains a standalone battery, storing up to three full days of charge within the charger itself. So, your hearing aids can be charged on the go without always needing to be plugged into the mains.

This is great if you are someone who likes to go travelling when you may not have access to a power source. You can keep the hearing aids stored in the case, and they’ll be constantly charging. Both the Naida and Sky UP, however, are the only models which use a disposable 675 battery, and this only needs changing roughly once every one to two weeks.

CROS/BICROS

The Phonak CROS system is Phonak Lumity CROS/BICROS specifically designed for somebody with an unaidable hearing loss in one ear, i.e., no hearing at all, and either normal hearing or a hearing loss that requires a hearing aid in the other.

This receiver-in-canal style device is essentially a transmitter that detects any sound that arrives on your poorer hearing side and then wirelessly transmits the sound that reaches it to your better hearing ear, giving you access to the world of sound around you in 360°.

This kind of technology can make a huge difference when it comes to managing single-sided deafness. For example, if you’re a passenger in a car with your unaidable ear towards the driver, a cross-system would transmit their voice to a hearing aid in your better hearing ear, allowing you to hear them.

Now, not all of today’s hearing aids will work with the cros-system, so if you’re looking at wearing hearing aids to manage single-sided deafness, then you need to choose either the Audéo R or RT receiver-in-canal hearing aids or the Naida or Sky PR behind-the-ear hearing aids.

Telecoil

If you’re not completely familiar with a telecoil, you may, however, have seen this sign at various public venues such as the likes of a supermarket, lecture hall, church, or theatre.

This shows that the venue has a built-in loop system to work with a telecoil built into various types of hearing aids. When configured, this setup allows you to wirelessly connect your hearing aids with a click of a button to a microphone set at a distance, and you should be able to hear the person speaking into that microphone just as if you were standing next to them. It will completely transform your ability to hear speech at a distance.

Now, of all the Lumity hearing aids discussed today, the Audéo RT, Naida UP, and Sky UP all have a built-in telecoil, which means that Phonak has provided a wide range of styles to choose from. So as long as you can forgo the waterproof version, having the telecoil built-in is an invaluable option.

Waterproofing

Whilst we’re on the subject of how waterproof and how robust the Lumity family of hearing aids is, every model that we’re covering today has a minimum standard of an IP68 rating. This means that they can technically be submerged in a metre and a half of water for 30 minutes, and they should still function afterwards.

The IP68 rating isn’t just reserved for hearing aids. You’ll find it built into a lot of the technology that you use daily, such as your phone. Unlike other manufacturers, the IP68 rating is the minimum standard that Phonak has set for their hearing aids. This means that they’ve set the bar even higher than that.

So if you’re someone who spends a lot of time in or near water, or perhaps you sweat a lot
when you’re doing exercise, or maybe you’re just concerned about the reliability of hearing aids, then there’s one hearing aid from today’s list which has been tested to its limits.

The letters in the Audeo Lumity RL stand for rechargeable and life, which Phonak boasts as being their “Life Proof” hearing aid. It’s their most robust hearing aid to date. With this model, they’ve added additional microphone protection, sealed the seams with silicone, coated the components with a Paraline coating (which is the same protection system that NASA uses on their spacecraft), and there’s a different charging system too.

With all of that done, they have brutally tested this technology in the lab to ensure that it does what they promise. This robustness testing includes a simulated sweat test, representing two workouts a week for a 5-year period, a seawater test, a saltwater test, a chlorinated water test (simulating two swims per week over a 5-year period), and finally freshwater testing, which is performed in a pressurised container testing down to a depth of 50 cm, 520 times.

So if you’re someone who’s had issues with either moisture or reliability in the past, then the Audeo Lumity Life may well be the right hearing aid for you from today’s list. But remember, this does come at a cost, and you’ll have to sacrifice both a telecoil and CROS compatibility.

Phonak Lumity colour options

Another thing that we’re spoiled for choice with is the different colours of the hearing aids, which vary depending on the style that you’re choosing.

The Slim is available in these four different colours.

All of the Audéos, so the R, RT, and L, including the CROS, are now available in 11 different colours, including some new, more vibrant colour options too.

The Naida PR and UP are available in eight different colours, and then finally, whether you’re a child or not, you may well be interested in these incredible colours for the Sky family.

Which is the most suitable for your hearing loss?

Each style of hearing aid also has its very own fitting range, which is the degree of hearing loss that it’s capable of dealing with. Press play on the video below to find out more about the suitability of each device:

Which one uses ActiveVent?

ActiveVent is a feature unique to Phonak’s receiver-in-canal styles of hearing aids. It’s compatible with both Slim, Audéo R, RT, and then the Life models.

ActiveVent is a specific type of receiver with a built-in moving piston that changes its position depending on your listening environment, and it can either divert more or less sound naturally down your ear canal or, on the contrary, via the hearing aids. This, in turn, will change a few different things, such as:

• how well you hear in noise
• how your own voice sounds
• how clearly you hear
• how music sounds when it’s being streamed from your phone

There are both positives and negatives to having your ear canals either open or closed, and depending on your hearing loss, sometimes it’s beneficial to have a hearing aid that can do both on different occasions, which until ActiveVent was released, wasn’t possible. For example, in a quiet environment, you may well want the vent to be open, allowing natural sound in and out, giving you a nice, natural feeling connecting you with your environment. Yet when in noise, it’s better to have your ears completely closed so that all of the sound that you hear is via your hearing aids, having been cleaned of background noise. And the same thing goes for music and streaming.

So when you’re streaming from your phone, the ActiveVent would close, both blocking sound in and also blocking sound out, which would enhance music further still, giving you greater fullness, richness, and depth with any sound being streamed from your phone.

Bluetooth compatibility

All of the Phonak Lumity hearing aids have classic Bluetooth built-in, no matter what the style, and they can be paired with your phone, and not just an Android or iPhone device, but in fact, any Bluetooth device whatsoever.

In fact, you can pair with up to eight Bluetooth devices at one time, with two of them being able to be connected simultaneously. This means that you can stream phone calls, music, and the radio or podcasts directly to both of your ears. Plus, there’s even an app called the MyPhonak app, which allows you to make manual adjustments to the settings on your hearing aids. Not only that, but if you can’t make it to the clinic one day, your audiologist can dial into your hearing aids via your phone and make adjustments while you’re sat in the comfort of your own home. Pretty clever, eh?

Technology levels

So that pretty much covers all of the feature differences between the various styles of Phonak Lumity hearing aids. Yet, what it doesn’t cover are all of the features built into the different technology levels too. Each style is available in different technology levels too, which are represented by the number that you can see after the style of the hearing aid.

So, all Lumity hearing aids are available as either a 90, 70, 50, or 30, with the 90 being Phonak’s premium technology, the 70 the advanced, the 50 is the standard technology level, and then the 30 is Phonak’s essential technology level.

Building on that, let’s explain how these different technology levels affect your ability to hear. Every hearing aid manufacturer tends to do something, and this isn’t just limited to Phonak: they create the best possible hearing aids they can with the technology and the research and development that’s available at that particular moment in time. Then, they’ll brand this as their premium hearing aid, which in this instance is the Lumity 90. There are various technology levels beneath that, with certain features stripped away. So, let’s cover which technology levels have which features.

AutoSense 5.0

This is Phonak’s artificial intelligence, machine learning feature that scans your environment 700 times per second and then calculates the most appropriate setting for your hearing aid to switch over to. With the premium technology level, the L90s will choose between the following different settings based on the environment it detects you’re in. Once the hearing aids have recognized the environment, they’ll then choose from over 200 different setting combinations in order to optimise your hearing in that situation.

You can see here that as the technology levels decrease, the options that the AutoSense setting is able to switch over to also decrease.

If you’re looking for the most appropriate technology level for you, you’ve got to think about not just your hearing test results but also your lifestyle. If you’re somebody who interacts with other people in varied environments, then the premium technology level may well be the most appropriate for you and your hearing loss.

Speech technology

Phonak’s Smart Speech technology is their built-in system designed to optimise hearing speech in all listening situations, from quietly spoken people to those in a noisy environment. The Lumity hearing aids have a few different impressive features that make this work.

Again, with the premium technology level, the L90s run all of these features, and we’ll show you which are stripped away depending on the technology you step down to.

First, we have their clever built-in Speech Sensor feature which will enhance your hearing in background noise and is designed to improve your hearing of conversations from the right, left, or behind you. Phonak states that while the majority of conversations generally come from in front of us, around 20% come from either the side or from behind. One downside of older directional microphone technology is that it can focus so aggressively in front of you that it may miss somebody speaking to you from other angles.

This new Speech Sensor feature is designed to identify those conversations happening close by and then open up that beamformer to a more omnidirectional setting, allowing you to pick up that speech without necessarily needing to turn your head and face the person speaking to you. We all know that person in our lives who speaks incredibly softly, and even with normal hearing, it’s not easy to catch what they’re saying.

The Speech Enhancer feature very simply looks out for those softly spoken people and gives them the boost they need to bring them within your audible range.

So, of those two features, both the Speech Sensor and Speech Enhancer are only available in the L90 premium technology level.

Stereozoom 2.0

The next two features are built into both the L90 premium technology level and the L70 advanced technology level.

Starting with Stereo Zoom 2.0, this is Phonak’s directional microphone technology. Stereo Zoom 2.0 is very simply designed to focus the microphones of your hearing aids forward when you’re in a noisy environment, such as a restaurant for example.

This is all with the hope that you want to hear whatever you’re looking at. Phonak boasts that this should give you a better signal-to-noise ratio by up to 2.5 dB, resulting in a 16% better speech understanding compared to fixed directional settings of previous versions of their Stereo Zoom.

Secondly, with Dynamic Noise Cancellation, you have the ability to set the strength of the noise reduction settings in real-time based on your personal preferences. This is all done using the MyPhonak app, which means you can set this feature to your preference of comfort or audibility in a particularly challenging and noisy environment.

Motion Sensors

Phonak has included the motion sensors in the premium, advanced, and standard technology levels respectively: the L90s, L70s, and L50s.

It allows AutoSense 5.0 to calculate the direction that you most likely want to be hearing from. So in practice, if you’re sat down at a table, you’d normally want to hear the sound in front of you. However, if you think about it, as soon as you stand up and start walking away, you’d want to be able to hear the person by your side. The motion sensors help the hearing aids recognise this and adjust the directionality of the microphones accordingly.

This is all happening automatically, without you needing to make any adjustments to the settings.

Compatible accessories

Phonak has been great at recognising where hearing aid technology alone will struggle to overcome certain hearing challenges. As a result, they have a wide range of different accessories from the TV connector to their Roger range, which includes the Roger On Version 2, Table Mic 2, Touchscreen Mic, Roger Select, and Roger Neckloop.

If you’re interested in more details on Phonak’s accessories, watch this video. You’ll be pleased to know that all of these accessories will work with all technology levels discussed today.

Tinnitus Balance Feature

If you’re one of the 10% or 25 million people in the US that suffers with tinnitus, then you may also benefit from Phonak’s Tinnitus Balance feature, which is also available across all technology levels. These are a selection of noises ranging from being tailored to your hearing loss to white noise and pink noise, which can be further adjusted to help you overcome your tinnitus.

So, as you can see, there are a wide range of options to choose from when it comes to the Phonak Lumity family of hearing aids, with various advantages to different styles and
different technology levels.

Phonak Lumity feature review

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing, and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinion on all new hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can view his video where he shares his opinions on the Phonak Lumity features below.

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This may well surprise you. Until the release of the Signia Silk Charging Go IX, the only rechargeable hearing aids on the market were the ReSound Omnia and the Phonak Lumity Receiver in Canal hearing aid.

So if you wanted a more invisible option, then the only technology available used a disposable battery, and this needs changing roughly once a week.

The good news is that this is all about to change as Signia has just released the world’s first rechargeable CIC hearing aids, introducing the Signia Charge&Go IX.

Signia Charge&Go IX technology & features

Now, rechargeability is one of the many unique features built into this incredibly small new technology from Signia.

Released this autumn, the Signia Silk IX has superseded the Signia Silk X, which is now 3 years old and long overdue for an update. So let’s look at the physical side of things and show you how they look in the ear. Then, we’ll take a good look at how clever the technology is that’s working inside these hearing aids.

This new family of hearing aids doesn’t look any different in shape and size to the previous model. We’re amazed that they’ve been able to make this new rechargeable version with the same physical specifications as the battery version, and for the battery to perform as well as it does. The only difference that you’ll spot between the two of them is that there’s no longer an openable battery door on the rechargeable version.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Signia Silks, they’re shaped in this torpedo way and ergonomically designed to mirror the shape of an average ear canal, measuring 50 mm long, 10 mm tall, and only 4 mm in diameter.

Quite differently to other CIC hearing aids, these are ready-to-wear devices and therefore, they don’t require an impression to be taken of your ear by your audiologist. Instead, they have a semi-customisable design with interchangeable domes for the end to suit the shape and size of your ear canal. The dome selection isn’t something that you need to worry about as your audiologist would measure and select the most appropriate fitting for your anatomy and your hearing loss, with plenty of options to choose from.

It’s important to note that the tip on the end of a hearing aid isn’t solely designed for comfort. It plays an incredibly important role in the way that a hearing aid sounds, influencing factors such as the hearing aid’s clarity and its ability to cope with background noise, and it also has an impact on the way that your own voice sounds. Therefore, it’s incredibly important to get the correct setup for you.

Colour options

The devices themselves come with two different colours to choose from, with the bodies of the shell always being either red or blue for easy identification of which is the left or the right.
The outward-facing part, the faceplate, is available in either a mocha or a black matte surface. The majority of our patients at Harley Street Hearing prefer the black colour, as it looks like the shadow of the ear canal and just makes them that little bit more inconspicuous than trying to match your skin tone.

Battery life & wireless charging abilities

With the Signia Charge&Go IX, a single 3-hour charge will give you 24 hours of life. So, each charge will last you for a full day. The case itself is neat and pocket-sized, and rather impressively, given its size, has a built-in battery which provides you with an additional 3 days’ worth of charge before it needs charging again.

This is particularly useful if you happen to go away for a long weekend somewhere and power isn’t easily accessible, say for example a camping trip for 3 days, then all you need is the case and you can charge on the go.

As these hearing aids are the gift that keeps on giving, in another world first, the case itself has Qi charging. This essentially means that you don’t need to plug it in to charge it but instead can place it on a wireless charging pad for inductive charging. Or, if you prefer, you can still use the USB-C port on the back of the case.

A new world of hearing aid technology

As with all hearing aids, the Signia Silk IX isn’t suitable for all degrees of hearing loss. However, it does have a pretty broad fitting range, meaning that it’s designed for those with mild to moderate sensorineural hearing loss. In some cases, it could be pushed to compensate for those with severe hearing loss in some of those higher frequencies.

In practical terms, that means that if your hearing loss falls within the shaded area on this image, then technically they could be suitable for you.

They’re available in three different technology levels: the 7IX, 5IX, and 3IX, with the former being the most advanced of the three. The more advanced the hearing aid, the greater the number of features and automation that you have access to.

The new IX chip runs all of the same features as the Silk’s predecessor, the X chip. However, along with a few key developments such as Signia’s Dynamic Soundscape Processing 3.0.

This feature integrates various processes within the IX chip for hearing aid optimisation based on your surrounding environment, analysing 192,000 data points per second relating to your specific situation, and then deciding on the most appropriate way for this hearing aid to react.

This feature, combined with Signia’s Ear-to-Ear Wireless 4.0 and their binaural one-mic directionality, means that these hearing aids are working together rather than as two individual units, which is quite unique to Signia.

For their in-the-ear hearing aids, this feature is beneficial for two different reasons:

1. For identifying the direction of those speaking to you and focusing the microphones in the correct position.
2. It employs their speech stabiliser feature which targets speech in a noisy environment and preserves the acoustic cues that are important for you to be able to follow and understand speech clarity and distinction. This can be helpful in a few situations such as dining in a restaurant, driving in a car or walking down a busy street.

Another feature unique to the Signia Silks is their wireless functionality. Now, we’ll preface this by saying that wireless functionalities are of course not exclusive to Signia. However, it is certainly a unique feature for hearing aids of this size and discretion.

This gives you access to the Signia app and the mini pocket remote control to make basic adjustments to the settings and also to access their tinnitus features, which is a nice feature.

Signia’s tinnitus management features

When it comes to tinnitus management, Signia offers three different strategies against tinnitus, depending on what’s the most appropriate for you: static noise therapy, ocean wave therapy, and Signia’s unique Tinnitus Notch Therapy.

Both the static noise and ocean wave therapies are different types of noise to mask your tinnitus, all with different characteristics, and different frequency responses which means some of them are more likely to be effective than others in drowning out your tinnitus.

Finally, Signia’s Tinnitus Notch Therapy is specifically designed for those experiencing tonal tinnitus such as ringing, buzzing, or whistling. This approach is quite different from using a masking sound. Signia claims that the concept behind Notch therapy isn’t to drown out tinnitus but to teach the brain how to ignore it completely. Unlike both the ocean wave and static noise sound therapies, this method is presented at an inaudible level, so you won’t even be aware of the tinnitus sound therapy that you’re being exposed to – it’s pretty clever.

Signia Silk Charge& Go IX CROS/BICROS

CROS or BICROS systems are designed for individuals with an unaidable hearing loss in one ear, i.e., no hearing at all and either normal hearing or a hearing loss that requires a hearing aid in the other.

A CROS system is essentially a transmitter that detects any sound that arrives on the poorer hearing side, and then it wirelessly transmits the sound to your better-hearing ear, giving you access to the world of sound in 360°. For example, if you’re sitting on a bus with your unaidable ear towards a friend, a CROS system would transmit their voice to a hearing aid in the better hearing ear, allowing you to be able to hear them clearly and comfortably.

The Silk wins another point here for not only being the only CIC CROS system that’s out there but also the world’s first rechargeable CIC CROS hearing aid.

What to know before buying

The Signia Silks have a lot of positive features, but in order to give a balanced review it’s important to share our thoughts on what’s missing from the devices.

There are three features that other hearing aids offer, which the Signia Silk IXs don’t which are worth considering before buying.

Let’s start with how they function in background noise. Signia utilizes its One Mic directionality technology and the Pinna effect, which is the part of the ear that gathers sound from in front and behind and determines what’s in front of you versus what’s behind you. Despite this, the Silks won’t cope as well as a receiver in canal BTE hearing aid which has multiple microphones built into it, which can help you identify whether you’re in background noise or not and the direction that sounds will be coming from. If background noise is one of your biggest challenges, then we would recommend looking at the Pure Charge&Go IX.

Secondly, yes, the Signia Silks do have wireless connectivity, but they don’t have Bluetooth built into them. So the discretion of the Silk IX does come at a cost. And again, if you’re interested in streaming phone calls or media, such as the radio, music, or podcasts to your hearing aids directly from your phone, then the Pure Charge&Go receiver in the ear canal version may be more appropriate for you.

The third thing that’s important to consider when looking at these hearing aids is that while it is a positive to be able to customise these hearing aids by changing the tips on the end rather than going through the process of having an impression taken of your ear as you would do with a conventional set of CIC hearing aids, at the same time, this also does mean in reality that they don’t fit quite as well as a custom-made set of hearing aids.

This is not an issue for the majority of ears. However, there are instances that we, as audiologists, may want to have things made in a very specific way for example, with venting to allow your ears to breathe and to prevent what we call the occlusion effect. And we don’t have that same degree of control as we would do with a hearing aid specifically tailored to the shape and size of your ear canals.

If you’re somebody with a hearing loss and you’re conscious of cosmetics, ask your audiologist for advice on whether these hearing aids are good for you. If you’d like to book a hearing consultation at Harley Street Hearing – London’s leading independent hearing clinic, please call 020 7486 1053 or complete the form below.

Signia Silk Charge&Go Review

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing, and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinion on all new hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can view his video where he shares his opinions on the Signia Silk Charge&Go below.

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Protect your hearing – it’s precious!

Our ears and our hearing are precious. They help us to stay in touch with friends and family, enjoy music, warn us of danger and allow us to participate in life. Harley Street Hearing are committed to promoting hearing health and conservation.

Here are a few tips to help keep your ears and your hearing healthy.

1. Avoid noise exposure

The modern world is a very noisy place. Remember, any loud sounds can cause irreversible damage to your hearing, even sounds that we enjoy listening to like music. That’s not all, noise can also cause a ringing in the ears, called tinnitus and can make us very sensitive to everyday sounds. The only way to prevent noise damage is to keep the volume down.

2. Wear hearing protection when you are in loud noise

Modern custom made hearing protection allows you to discreetly protect your hearing, while not compromising the sound quality. You can even hear clearly enough to have a normal conversation when you are wearing them.

3. Take regular breaks

If you have to be in noise for long periods take regular breaks to ensure that you allow your hearing time to recover.

4. Have a hearing test

If you are concerned about your hearing, come and have a hearing test. It is better to know if there is a problem, and with modern technology, there is almost always something to help you.

Use it or lose it

Research shows that if you have a hearing problem, it is better to get started with amplification early rather than waiting until you can’t manage any more. It also shows that most people wait up to ten years before they seek professional advice, preferring to “soldier on” rather than doing something about it.

Recent research however, shows that if we ignore a hearing problem the hearing mechanism suffers from lack of stimulation, rather like an underused muscle that wastes away. Keeping your ears stimulated with sound helps to maintain a healthy auditory (hearing) pathway to the brain and helps you understand speech as clearly as possible.

If you are experiencing any issues with your hearing, such as problems communicating in background noise or needing to turn up the volume on the television set, come and see us. Our audiologists will perform some accurate but easy tests, which will identify any problems quickly. Then, if your hearing is not as it should be, we will carefully explain the results and provide clear, independent advice about the options available to get you back on track and participating fully in life.

Let your ears look after themselves

The ears have a natural cleansing mechanism to ensure that cerumen (or wax) does not build up. Earwax is a good thing, as it helps to keep the ear canals healthy and prevents debris from reaching the eardrum. Never be tempted to put anything into the ear such as cotton buds. The skin in the ear canal is fine and sensitive and is easily grazed, so putting cotton buds into the ear simply pushes any wax closer to the eardrum and can also result in infections.

If you would like your ears checked or you think you may need to have wax removed, make an appointment to see one of our highly qualified ear care practitioners. They will provide advice on ear care and can remove wax and other obstructions safely – don’t worry it doesn’t hurt a bit!

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Hearing loss is a prevalent condition that affects over 5% of the world’s population, yet its impact on an individual’s quality of life is often underestimated.

Hearing is a crucial sense that we can easily take for granted. It helps us to effectively communicate, work, engage in social activities and generally navigate day-to-day life. When a hearing impairment occurs, all of these can be heavily affected.

At Harley Street Hearing, we recognise the need for education on hearing loss so that we can all be more aware of the implications the condition could have for our loved ones or ourselves. In this blog, we’ll provide a comprehensive overview of hearing loss, discussing its various aspects, from its causes and types to its connection with one’s balance and the brain.

What constitutes hearing loss?

Hearing loss is also known as deafness or hearing impairment, and it occurs when a person’s ability to hear sounds diminishes. It’s important to note that this can happen at varying degrees, and hearing loss can vary greatly from person to person.

The severity of hearing loss is typically categorised into four main types:

1. Mild hearing loss (20-40 decibels): Individuals with mild hearing loss may have difficulty hearing quiet sounds and may occasionally be unable to hear softer speech. Noisy environments can pose challenges, but they can typically hear well in quiet, more intimate settings.
2. Moderate hearing loss (41-70 decibels): Those with moderate hearing loss can often struggle to hear normal speech, even in relatively quiet situations. Hearing aids may be required to help them communicate effectively.
3. Severe hearing loss (71-90 decibels): When hearing loss is categorised as severe, an individual may only be able to hear loud speech or sounds when it is shouted directly into their ears. Without the use of hearing aids, severe hearing loss will be incredibly debilitating.
4. Profound hearing loss (90+ decibels): Profound hearing loss leaves individuals unable to hear any sounds without the assistance of cochlear implants or other devices.

A common misconception is that hearing loss is only caused by ageing, but whilst this can be a major contributing factor for many, there are various different causes of hearing loss. These causes can be broadly categorised into two categories:

• Conductive hearing loss: This type of hearing loss occurs through the blockage of the natural movement of sound within the outer ear or middle ear. This can develop at any point in life due to many different factors such as excess wax, ear infections, injury or health conditions.
• Sensorineural hearing loss: This type of hearing loss is caused by damage to the sensitive hair cells inside the inner ear or damage to the auditory nerve. This may happen naturally due to ageing, noise exposure, ototoxic drugs or as a result of injury.
• Mixed hearing loss: If both types (conductive and sensorineural) occur together, the condition is called mixed hearing loss.

Severe vs. mild hearing loss

To better understand the impact of hearing loss on an individual’s daily life, it’s essential to differentiate between severe and mild hearing loss. As mentioned above, hearing loss impacts people differently, and a lot of this comes down to the severity of their condition.

Those suffering from severe hearing loss will notice a far greater impact on the quality of their life, compared to those with mild or moderate hearing loss. Severe hearing loss can lead to a range of daily challenges including communication difficulties, performance at work and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression and loneliness.

In comparison, whilst mild hearing loss still poses its own challenges it may not have such a severe impact. Those with mild hearing loss can typically adapt by employing strategies like using hearing aids and positioning themselves in quieter environments when communicating.

Recognising the difference is crucial when it comes to better understanding an individual’s needs and helping them to communicate. However, without proper management, even mild hearing loss can progress and worsen over time which is why it’s crucial to undergo routine hearing tests to monitor the condition.

How is hearing loss linked to balance?

Hearing loss doesn’t just affect our ability to hear sounds and communicate, it can also have a knock-on effect on other aspects of our lives, such as our balance.

Both hearing loss and balance are interconnected through the vestibular system, which is responsible for our sense of balance and spatial orientation. This is located directly in the inner ear and works by detecting motion and gravitational forces, sending signals to the brain to help us maintain balance.

If our hearing becomes impaired, this can disrupt the signals sent to the brain and in turn affect our sense of balance. Additionally, certain inner ear conditions, like Meniere’s disease, can lead to both hearing loss and vertigo (a type of dizziness) which can have an even greater impact on balance.

The connection between hearing loss and balance overall can affect how well we perceive our surroundings and reduce our spatial awareness, leading to a greater risk of falling or stumbling which can be a major concern, particularly for those with severe hearing loss. Again, this is why it’s so important to book regular hearing tests and seek the most suitable treatment for any type of hearing loss.

Hearing loss and the brain

One of the lesser-known symptoms of hearing loss is that it can have a profound impact on the brain. As the brain is responsible for processing auditory information, when our hearing is compromised the brain is forced to adapt.

This can lead to a series of other issues, such as:

• Increased cognitive load: As those suffering from hearing loss have to exert more energy in an attempt to process speech and sounds, this increased cognitive load can lead to mental fatigue and a reduction in cognitive reserves for other important tasks such as memory. This added stress on the brain can lead to an increased chance of developing dementia.
• Auditory deprivation: This occurs when the brain’s auditory pathways become less active as a result of prolonged hearing loss. Over time, this can lead to a decreased ability to understand speech and sounds even with the use of hearing aids.
• Social isolation: This is a major and concerning symptom of hearing loss which isn’t often realised. However, those suffering from the condition can often find themselves withdrawing from social interactions due to the difficulties communication poses.

How to diagnose and treat hearing loss

As we’ve discussed, hearing loss is a complex and multifaceted condition that extends far beyond the inability to hear. It can affect individuals profoundly in many different ways, and untreated hearing loss can worsen over time, which is why early diagnosis and treatment is crucial.

Whilst there is no cure for hearing loss and the damage is irreversible, the symptoms can be lessened with the use of hearing aids. They can be configured to suit the severity and type of hearing impairment, helping to improve the areas where an individual struggles the most. By reducing the amount of stress on the brain and body, hearing aids can also work to prevent some of the related health concerns and conditions that may arise without treatment.

Booking a hearing test is the first step that should be taken in order to detect hearing loss and devise a suitable treatment plan.

If you are experiencing any balance issues we also offer a comprehensive audio vestibular (balance) diagnostic service at our Balance Centre at 127 Harley Street.

Harley Street Hearing is London’s leading independent audiology clinic, offering private hearing consultations and expert advice from a team of highly qualified clinical audiologists. If you suspect that you or a friend or family member may be experiencing hearing loss, contact us to book an appointment.

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At Harley Street Hearing we prioritise ensuring that our patients are hearing to the very best of their abilities in all environments, especially public spaces.

For hearing aid users, improving their hearing in public spaces will often begin with making adjustments to the hearing aid to improve the quality of sound, alongside utilising good communication tactics. However, we recognise that in some cases, this might not be enough and further assistance may be required.

Hearing loop systems

You may have seen the hearing loop (also known as the telecoil) symbol in many public places which instructs customers that there is an assistive listening system available. In settings such as banks, supermarkets and places of worship, you’re required to own an assistive hearing device such as a hearing aid to be able to access the hearing loop for better quality sound.

However, in theatres and other performance spaces, there are ways for non-hearing aid users to benefit from the assistive listening devices during the performance (such as devices on loan with headphones, or the ability to connect your mobile to the system to use your own headphones).

We realise that this may not be common knowledge for everyone with hearing loss, so we have put together a comprehensive theatre hearing guide to share accessibility information on all London theatres.

Assistive listening devices in London Theatres

Due to the upgrade in technology since the hearing loop was first designed, we will be using the term assistive listening devices to allow us to include a whole variety of technology (and ensure we can include any changes we might see in the future) rather than focusing on the traditional hearing loop alone.

The set-up of the assistive listening devices can be slightly different for each theatre, so in our London Theatre Hearing Guide we’ve created a space where you can search through theatres to see what options are available, and how you should access it.

We hope that this resource can be used by our patients and anyone with hearing difficulties who wishes to attend performances in London theatres. From experience, we know that these systems are not always perfectly functional; the technology is often restricted by being retrofitted to listed buildings instead of being included in the initial design stages.

By ensuring you have the easiest access to the information in one place, we hope to highlight to theatres how important it is to have fully functioning equipment and are happy to collaborate with them to ensure everyone is appropriately catered for.

The exciting development and future roll-out of Auracast LE Audio (a design of new low-energy audio connectivity), should further enhance the quality of assistive listening devices for hearing aid users attending theatre performances.

If you have any feedback or updated information based on your experience at a London theatre, please do get in touch so we can update the details accordingly. Call 020 7486 1053 or complete the form below.

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If you’d like to understand more about what a telecoil is please see this video below, as explained by Matthew Allsop, Partner at Harley Street Hearing. Matthew is the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinion on everything to do with hearing technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly-independent resource for hearing aid customers.