Mild-Gain Hearing Aids as a Treatment for Adults with Self-Reported Hearing Difficulties

Abstract

The results from the present study suggest that adults who present with complaints of HD even in the presence of normal hearing sensitivity represent a unique population that warrants further evaluation beyond the standard hearing test. Furthermore, results from the hearing aid trial suggest that mild-gain amplification is a viable treatment option for at least some individuals with HD.

An Approach to Self-Assessed Auditory Wellness in Older Adults

“…Individual studies and several literature reviews have repeatedly identified perceived hearing difficulties as the key factor for hearing aid uptake and use (e.g., Knudsen et al 2010 ; Laplante-Levesque et al 2012 ; Hickson et al 2014; Pronk et al 2017 ; Ratanjee-Vanmali et al 2019 ; Sawyer et al 2019 ; Simpson et al 2019 ). Many older adults with slight amounts of pure-tone hearing loss, well within the WHO-new HI range of “normal” hearing, seek hearing aids and obtain positive outcomes ( Roup et al 2018 ; Humes 2020a ; Singh & Doherty 2020 ). These individuals are already well motivated as they have perceived hearing needs that compromise their auditory wellness.…”

Amplification for adults with hearing difficulty, speech in noise problems - and normal thresholds

“…They reported that statistically significant improvements were obtained with MSAT, which improved SIN scores and SNRs (6.3 dB on average). 22 described results for 20 normal-hearing adults (19-27 years of age) with no self-reported HDs and 19 normal-hearing adults (18-58 years of age) with self-reported HDs. All were fitted binaurally with mild-gain, receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids for a four-week trial with directional and noise reduction algorithms engaged.…”

Speech in noise: hearing loss, neurocognitive disorders, aging, traumatic brain injury and more

“…Roup, Post, and Lewis 9 note mild gain hearing aids (with noise reduction and directional microphones) are a viable option for people with normal hearing and subjective hearing difficulties. 9 Post, Roup, and Lewis 10 reported an increasing body of evidence demonstrating that adults with normal hearing sensitivity may report substantial difficulty understanding speech in complex listening situations. They report some hearing care professionals have fitted personal mild-gain amplification as an option to help these adults.…”