Jeanie Morrison-Low from Kāpiti Hearing
The 1960s and 70s were a time of cultural revolution. Clothing, attitudes and music were outrageous and we loved every minute of it. The music was also pretty loud.
Now there are many back in the sixties and seventies (this time age) and the music may sound a bit more thuddish than it did back in the day.
Hearing loss, which is a natural part of the aging process can be sorted and what is happening in the field is again quite revolutionary.
Jeanie Morrison-Low is an expert independent audiologist and she recently gave a talk on the huge technological advances in hearing aids.
“Hearing aids can literally transform your life. The sound quality available now was unimaginable even ten years ago. People can actually download music from their phone directly to their hearing aid. There are many different languages available. It really is stunning what a difference hearing aids can make,” says Jeanie.
Artificial Intelligence in now part of the technology and one example is the Livio Edge AI which is said to provide industry-leading sound quality and sound processing for challenging listening environments. And with a simple double tap, Edge Mode helps bring “the power of artificial intelligence to a patient’s fingertips, by instantaneously conducting an AI-based analysis of the acoustic environment and making immediate adjustments.”
Starkey CEO Bill Austin says “By using artificial intelligence, we’ve transformed the hearing aid into a tool that can unlock the ear’s ability to be a source of complex biological information. In doing so, we’re bridging the gap between a patient’s hearing health and their overall health and wellness.”
Jeanie says keeping pace with the new technology is a rewarding challenge and the response of patients has been very encouraging.
“If you have hearing loss or know someone who does, give us a call and we will be happy to provide advice. The fact is there are lots of social costs in not having hearing loss treated and we see huge changes over time as patients’ hearing ability is recovered.
“There are still some barriers for people getting hearing aids,” says Jeanie. “People have traditionally thought of hearing aids as a sign of aging and they often remember the large clunky aids their parents used. The new technology is amazing and there is no need for anyone to suffer the reduced lifestyle that hearing loss can cause.”
At Kāpiti Hearing, which is an independent audiology clinic, Jeanie works alongside Dr John Dobbs, Au.D, AAA, ASHA in clinics based in Waikanae and Raumati.
