In today’s busy world, conversations are at the core of human interaction. We share stories, exchange ideas and connect with each other through the art of communication. However, for those with hearing loss, this simple act can become a formidable challenge, jeopardizing social connections and overall well-being.
Imagine a restaurant filled with cutlery, laughter and lively conversation. Amidst this sound, a group of friends gather for a meal. Everyone is engaged, except for one person who struggles to catch every word. This scenario is all too familiar to many with hearing loss.
Studies have shown that people with hearing loss often have difficulty following group conversations. And even those who have already adopted hearing aids report frustration when trying to communicate with several people at once, especially in noisy conditions. As a result, they get tired. Some withdraw from social situations, putting their physical and cognitive health at risk.
Today’s hearing technology can absolutely help — up to a point.
Hearing aid technology has come a long way in addressing the ability to receive and enhance the voice of someone across from us while reducing the noise around us. The next step—and one that will really help support healthy engagement for people with hearing loss—is to broaden the focus. It is to improve the hearing aid user’s ability to converse with the person across from them and with others around them. Because it’s one thing to hear better. It is one thing to listen in a group, understand what is being said and actively contribute.
Strengthening Communication with Technology
Facilitating listening involves more than just hearing words better. It also means understanding who is speaking, when they are speaking and where their voice is coming from. It’s like feeling the sounds around you change as people come and go or move around the room. People with hearing loss need a smarter way to process these sounds.
Enter split processing, a technology that separates the sounds you hear into two parts: one is the main focus, such as someone’s voice, and the other is background noise. Hearing aid innovator Signia has applied split processing to its unique Enhanced Focus technology to determine what is important for a hearing aid user to hear, such as a friend’s voice, what is important for understanding the situation, and what is just noise that can to be suppressed. These hearing aids process these different parts separately so that the wearer has much greater speech clarity despite the surrounding noise.
These hearing aids also have sensors and directional microphones to adjust as needed. Based on this capability and the ability to separate audio inputs into separate channels, hearing aid technology can do what has not yet been possible: improve the participation of hearing aid wearers in group conversations.
This new generation of hearing technology enables a listening experience that adapts to the conversation itself, as well as the surrounding environment – ensuring users remain fully engaged and ready to contribute.
Listening Care as Health
Ultimately, clearer conversation benefits everyone involved because it minimizes the gaps that occur when people with hearing loss contribute. Researchers in The Journal of Cognition appreciate that the “turn” in a conversation happens in milliseconds, a process that can be stressful for people with hearing loss, especially in noisy situations. Hearing aids help improve these “turn starts”, thereby improving healthy, conversational dynamics. In this way, the hearing aid becomes a real hearing aid.
Research continues to find that hearing loss can lead to Social isolation and cognitive impairment because sufferers struggle to communicate with others in everyday, immersive auditory environments. Aid is not enough to overcome this challenge.
We’ve seen scientific evidence that split processing improves hearing in background noise, setting the stage for healthier overall communication and the future of hearing technology. At Signia, we are working hard to introduce the next generation of split-processing technology that will ultimately enhance social connections and relationships.
Brian Taylor, AuD, is the Senior Director of Audiology at Signia, a division of WS Audiology.
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