New Hearing Aids, iPhone Apps and Tech Mean More Hearing-Loss Options -- But Also New Struggles

People with hearing loss have a wealth of assistive options to choose from thanks to technical innovations, which also are compounding their difficulties, reports the Wall Street Journal . The advancements themselves will not eliminate tech-support issues, especially for people who are not technically inclined. Britta Swedenborg at Massachusetts Eye and Ear said people have to feel motivated to get a hearing aid. Moreover, a person's needs may not necessitate a hearing aid, particularly if hearing assistance is only required part of the time rather than constantly. Apple's AirPods Pro, for example, can amplify the quiet sounds without making loud sounds any louder, while apps also can work with existing devices to separate speech from noise. "If an individual owns a smartphone, and the majority of adults do, they have a non-custom hearing aid right in their hand," said Catherine Palmer at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.