When I was young, I recall older men wearing thick hearing aids that were attached to their eyeglasses. The oversized apparatus attached to the back of each earpiece. These were big, thick attachments that went behind men’s ears, substantially increasing the weight and thickness of glasses. Times have changed and technology has allowed hearing devices to become much smaller. The Wall Street Journal reports Nuance Audio – the company that owns Ray-Bans and LensCrafters – recently rolled out a new product that combines prescription eyeglasses with built-in OTC hearing aids. The photo of me is from Nuance Audio’s website, which allows consumers to try on their glasses virtually.
The $1,200 Nuance Audio frames, which launched in the U.S. in April, join Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 as an auditory option for people who don’t want traditional hearing aids. Some find hearing aids uncomfortable, or even stigmatizing. In this eyewear, made by Ray-Ban parent EssilorLuxottica the tech is practically invisible.
The glasses connect wirelessly to a mobile app where you can tweak volume and choose from four presets that amplify different frequencies. You can also toggle between picking up sounds from the direction you’re facing or sounds from all around your head. Tapping the right temple in different ways can adjust the settings, but Yauman found the actions hard to memorize. She would prefer a set-it-and-forget-it approach.
The lightweight Nuance Audio frames have open-ear speakers, rather than bone conduction like some prescription aid/glasses combos. Standing a few feet from Yauman, I couldn’t hear audio from the speakers. She said they sounded a little more “echoey” than her traditional hearing aids. But my speaking voice was “clear and smooth” with her preferred frequency settings.
Congress had to force the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve over-the-counter hearing aids (i.e. requiring no prescription). Congress passed the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act of 2017 setting in motion the process of allowing OTC access to hearing aid devices for people with low to moderate hearing loss. Even then, it took the FDA more than five years to finalize the rules. Congress wanted to allow tech companies, such as those who make ear buds and iPods, to see if they couldn’t get the prices down and access up. I’ve written about OTC hearing aids in the past.
Figures vary but only around one-third of people who could benefit from hearing aids wear them. Cost is an issue, as is convenience. Over the years I’ve heard of people paying anywhere from $1,600 at Costco to $8,000 in an audiologist’s office for a pair of prescription hearing aids. Studies have found that untreated hearing loss is correlated with dementia. Some doctors theorize that the social isolation can lead to memory loss and dementia. Even with access to OTC hearing devices sales are off to a slow start.
The Nuance Audio frames sound like a convenient way for people with low to moderate hearing loss, who also wear glasses. A retired doctor WSJ talked to said they were more convenient than other OTC hearing aids he has tried. He liked that he could turn the hearing boost off to conserve batteries when he’s not engaged in a conversation and turn it on when needed. He could also adjust the settings from his phone as needed, including during conversations with groups of people.
An important takeaway from the WSJ article is that, given the opportunity, tech firms will compete to design more convenient devices people need. Restricting such devices to FDA regulated firms and requiring a prescription stifles innovation rather than ensuring quality. Apple makes an iPod that magnifies sound like a hearing aid. Other firms are working on their own versions of hearing aids. Allowing OTC access to more drugs, diagnostic testing and medical devices boosts access to care.
Fun fact: audiologists say it is quite common for dogs to eat their owners’ hearing aids. Dentists say the same about dental nightguards. My wife had a nightguard go missing and no amount of searching through sheets, covers, the floor under the bed, the bathroom floor and even in the vacuum cleaner bag located it. The dental staff assured us our dog Clementine ate it, a common occurrence they said.
Read more at WSJ: Eyeglasses With Built-In Hearing Aids: This Just Makes Sense