Join us as we celebrate 25 years of excellence with audiologist Doug Leonard! In a rapidly evolving world of hearing technology, Doug discusses the fascinating transition we're witnessing with over-the-counter hearing aids and Apple's innovative approach using their AirPods. With technology that tugs at the heartstrings, listeners are invited to explore how these devices can aid those with mild to moderate hearing loss. However, Doug emphasizes the irreplaceable value of professional audiological evaluations in ensuring accurate diagnoses and effective solutions. Dive into this engaging conversation as we discuss the blending of cutting-edge technology and professional insights in the pursuit of better hearing.
This is Sound Advice with audiologist Doug Leonard is celebrating 25 great years in business here in Carroll. So Doug, congratulations on that. We enter the year 2025 and the world of hearing has changed over those 25 years. Now there are over-the-counter hearing aids and last week we talked about a great ad that Apple put out about their AirPod 2 earbuds that can actually kind of be used as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Is that correct?
Yeah, I mean, they're touting them as a way for people with mild or moderate hearing loss to try to improve their communication ability. And the ad, again, really tugged at the heartstrings. I mean, the ad was awesome. Apple does advertisement and marketing very well. I'm disappointed that some more of the national audiology organizations haven't ever done something like that. I think Apple's budget's a little higher than ours. But, you know, they were featuring the AirPod Pro two, I guess, is the is the model. And they have the ability somehow with your iPhone to go in and do kind of a hearing screening, basically. And then you can upload that information into the AirPods to try to improve your communication ability.
The technology is very interesting, as we mentioned, but they do have an online version of a hearing test. And let's talk about that for a minute because it can't be as comprehensive as what you do.
Well, of course it isn't, and I'm biased, but no, it isn't. I mean, I think anybody that's suffering from communication issues should go see an audiologist, have a diagnostic evaluation, not just a screening test. You know, and there are studies that show that it can be as accurate, whatever, but they don't do bone conduction. They don't look in a person's ears. There's a lot of tricky things that are involved with making sure that we have an accurate diagnosis for patients, you know, making sure that there's not a medical condition that they need to have evaluated. So even with that, you know, you can use the screening version or you could have an audiology exam and then upload those results. So I, of course, would encourage people to see an audiologist.
Yeah, I kind of liken this to like cheater glasses you can buy in any store. You can buy, oh, that's this prescription. It might help you in the short term. It's not a long-term solution.
No, it isn't. But there are use cases. I had a patient recently came in, college-age gal, who had had hearing loss due to some childhood illness factors. And so she was really noticing, not so much in her social activities and day-to-day life, but in the classroom. She was really struggling in some of the bigger lecture halls and hearing the professor and being involved in classroom activities. And for someone like that, who's number one, she's young, she's tech savvy, she understands way more about phones than I do, and AirPods and all those things. And she also has a mild hearing loss that isn't affecting her day-to-day activities, but she needed some help in the classroom. And she would be a great person for something like this to use those AirPods.
Yeah, and it also kind of underlines the fact that your patients have been getting younger and younger through the years. And, you know, this just kind of underlines that fact.
Well, yeah, I mean, you know, and again, it's for mild hearing loss. If a person has a very negligible hearing loss, probably not going to invest a few thousand dollars in a set of hearing aids. This would be a great thing for them to use, especially if they already have AirPods.
Exactly. So if anybody's got questions about anything to do with the screenings or the hearing aids or anything that might be right for them, Doug, what's your number here at ASI so they can come in and talk to you, the expert?
Yeah, we'd love to talk to them at 792-5933. Give them a call.
ASI, Audiological Services of Iowa, going to help you communicate and listen better in the year 2025.
