By Katherine Bouton
Mine are getting a workout. And the batteries are showing it…
I have an Oticon Made for iPhone hearing aid, which means that whatever I hear via the phone is channeled by Bluetooth to my hearing aid. This is wonderful! I can hear phone conversations, I can listen to podcasts, I can watch and hear online classes, I can watch a YouTube video with sound. Recorded books go through the Bluetooth to my hearing aid as does the audio of a meditation app like Calm.
I also use the phone and bluetooth when I am following an online exercise class. I use my laptop for visuals my phone for audibles. I connect to the class on both devices and then press “play” on both simultaneously. That way the video is on my laptop and the audio is in my ear.
The main problem is that all this use drains the hearing aid battery at a significantly faster rate than if I weren’t using Bluetooth. This is the case with standard disposable batteries as well as rechargeable ones. (You can find a fairly technical discussion of both disposable and rechargeable battery capacity on the HearingReview.com website.)
I actually have only one hearing aid, and it’s doing all the work. Because I have a cochlear implant in my other ear, if I wanted to connect directly to the implant as well as my hearing aid, I’d need to stream through a second device like a Roger Pen. If anyone has tried this, I’d love to hear if it works. Do the two assistive devices sync properly? The four steps it would take to sign on to yoga class on both phone and laptop, using both Roger and Oticon bluetooth, does seem a little absurd. One ear is fine.
I also use a clip-on mini mike for a socially distanced conversation with a masked companion on a park bench, and this also drains the battery. I just ordered another ten-pack of batteries.
My hearing aid itself is suffering wear and tear for other reasons…
I always wear a mask when I go out, which is frequently, because I live in an apartment (no back yard) and I have a dog who needs to go out at least a couple of times a day. The mask loops fit over my ears but it’s already crowded back there with my hearing aid earpiece in one and my CI earpiece in the other. I also wear glasses, which take up even more behind-the-ear space. The mask tends to dislodge the CI earpiece, so I have to wear a hat or a wide headband to keep it in place. Somehow the hearing aid manages to get tangled in the mask.
A second damaging element is dirt. I make sure the wax guards are clean but the vent – a tiny duct that lets in just enough air to make the aid more comfortable – is clogged with wax. I can’t remember how I used to keep it clean but now the audiologist says the only solution is denture floss. She’s mailing me some. If I were able to go into her office, she told me, she could vacuum it out. I wonder if I can get a special hearing-aid attachment for my Electrolux.
At first I wasn’t sure how to reach the audiologist but I finally emailed her. It turns out she can do much of her work through telemedicine. And good news from the CMS: Medicare and Medicaid will now cover any tele-audiology visits that would ordinarily be covered by an office visit. I’ll write about this on my website when I know more about how it works.
Katherine Bouton is the author of the memoir Shouting Won’t Help and of Smart Hearing. a guide to living with hearing loss. Both are available at Amazon.com in paperback or ebook format. Katherine currently serves as vice president of HLAA-NYC Chapter. Check out her Smart Hearing website at katherinebouton.com.
