Innovative hearing aids can now interact online

Hearing aid manufacturer Oticon introduces the first hearing aid that connects to and interacts with door bells, smoke detectors and baby alarms using the internet.

It is now possible to program hearing aids to talk directly with door bells, smoke detectors and baby alarms. Hearing aid manufacturer Oticon introduces the first hearing aid that connects to and interacts with the internet.

The Internet of Things (IoT) has been around since 1999, and a growing number of devices are now connected and able to interact with each other. The most popular IoT devices today include “mood lighting” systems, home thermostats and smoke detectors, and wearable devices offering consumer-grade fitness-tracking and health-monitoring.

Oticon wants to see this first phase of the Internet of Things give way to a more meaningful phase – an Internet of Things that matter – where devices and services people depend on for their health and safety join today’s more entertainment and convenience-oriented offerings.

That’s why the company is launching project ON, a new technology that makes the company’s latest-generation hearing aids Oticon Opn™ part of the Internet of Things through the online service IfThisThenThat.

“Why does an IoT hearing aid matter more than, say, a garage door that opens automatically when you approach home in your car?,” asks Michael Porsbo, Project Manager, Project ON. “For example, children with a hearing loss depend on their hearing aid. A dead battery is much more than an inconvenience. An IoT hearing aid can address this issue by sending a text message to a parent when the battery is running low. A mother with a hearing loss hears can also benefit with an alert to her hearing aids from the baby alarm when her baby is crying.”

Project ON also provides the convenience people love about the Internet of Things. A gentle ping in your hearing aid when the doorbell rings, or having your hearing aid know to automatically turn off the lights and turn down the heat when you leave the house can make life easier and safer for people with hearing aids.

Beyond the practical advantages, Oticon sees IoT-enablement as helping to redefine hearing aids as more broadly functional wearables - a perception that can help chip away at the stigma still attached to hearing aids. “We don’t expect to see people wearing hearing aids just to get these extra functions,” says Porsbo. “But with IoT functionality, the difference between an IoT hearing aid and a connected wireless headset isn’t very great.”

By allowing hearing aid users to choose and even create their own services, project ON gives people the freedom and excitement they expect from the Internet of Things. “Who are we to decide what services people can access, or to stop people from inventing their own combinations of trigger events and responses?” says Porsbo. “The IoT model enables us to give people possibilities – and let them decide where to go with them.”

With the launch of rechargeable hearing aids later this year also, it is exciting times for the hearing aid industry.

To find out more about Oticon Opn watch our video by clicking here.

Is hearing loss affecting your relationship?

One in six people in the UK experience some form of hearing loss. Your wife, husband or partner may be one of them.

Untreated hearing loss does not only affect an individual's quality of life - it also has an impact on his or her relationships, especially the most important ones. This is because hearing loss affects one's ability to communicate, and by definition, communication involves a least one other person.

Let’s talk about what this means in practical terms. Some or all of the below scenarios might sound familiar to you if you are living with somebody with hearing loss...

• Telephone conversations between you turn into arguments and shouting because they cannot hear you properly. You: “Please pick up some milk tonight” Partner: “What about tonight?” You: MILK, I said can you get some milk”. You may revert to texting one another rather than talking.
  
• You may have to watch TV in separate rooms because your loved one has to have the volume up too loud.
  
• Parties and social gatherings may be avoided because they think they not be able to hear what people are saying to don’t want to look silly when they respond to a question with the wrong response. It’s becomes easier just to stay at home and your social life suffers.
  
• You may now have to pick restaurants based on their noise level over where you actually might like to go. If the ceilings are too high or the music is too loud it will make it impossible for your loved one to hear.
  
• You are always being accused of mumbling and the frustration of them not being able to hear can lead to arguments.

My advice to you would be to start having the conversation about what could be done to resolve the problem, and the first step would be to book a hearing assessment.

Assessments begin with a discussion on loved one’s hearing and any impact it may have on their daily life and then a variety of tests are carried out in a sound proof environment. Having you along as well for support really helps. It can also help the audiologist gain a different person’s perspective on how the hearing loss affects you both.

The Effects of Untreated Hearing Loss

“What?”, “Huh?”, “Pardon me?”, “Would you mind repeating what you said? I couldn’t understand you.”

If you or one of your friends or family members has a hearing loss, then these phrases will be very familiar to you!

Many hearing impaired people are aware that their hearing has deteriorated but are reluctant to seek help. Maybe it’s just that they don't want to acknowledge the problem, are embarrassed by what they see as a weakness, or believe that they can "get by" without using a hearing aid. According to hearing loss charity Action on Hearing Loss, people take on average 10 years to address the effects of hearing loss before getting seeking help.

But time and again, research shows us that untreated hearing loss can have a negative impact on social life, psychological well-being, cognitive ability and our overall health. Each can have far-reaching implications that go well beyond hearing alone. In fact, those who have difficulty hearing can experience such distorted and incomplete communication that it seriously impacts their professional and personal lives, at times leading to isolation and withdrawal.

Studies have linked untreated hearing loss effects to:

• fatigue, tension, stress and depression
• irritability, negativism and anger
• social rejection and loneliness
• avoidance or withdrawal from social situations
• reduced alertness and increased risk to personal safety
• impaired memory and ability to learn new tasks
• reduced job performance and earning power
• diminished psychological and overall health 

Fortunately, hearing loss is treatable.  Hearing aids are currently the best option for individuals suffering from hearing loss, allowing them to hear many of the sounds they have been missing. Many different types of hearing aid are available, packed full of fantastic features and paying a visit to your local audiologist would allow you to better understand what options are available.