Author: pixelkicks

Did you know, there are two different types of tinnitus? One of them originates from your ear, and the other one doesn’t.

In this blog, you’ll learn everything about both of them, along with the best tinnitus treatments for each.

Understanding tinnitus

So, what exactly is tinnitus? In its most basic form, tinnitus is the perception of sound or various sounds in one or both of your ears or even from somewhere within your head, which isn’t being produced by something present in the environment around you.

It is way more common than you realise, with 10 to 15% of the US population alone reporting that they have some form of tinnitus.

Whilst there are many different layers to tinnitus, if we break it down, it can be categorised as originating from one of two main places: either peripherally or centrally.

Peripheral tinnitus and its causes

Peripheral tinnitus originates in your ear and is specifically caused by issues within your auditory system, as far as the cochlea. It’s typically caused by issues that directly affect your ears, and there are four pretty common conditions that can cause it.

Ear wax

First of all, earwax. Yes, as ridiculous as it sounds, I regularly see a ton of patients who are experiencing tinnitus. Of course, the first thing that any audiologist will do when someone sits down in their room is thoroughly examine their ears. And you know what? I love it when I come across an ear full of wax with someone worried about tinnitus because it’s the easiest form of tinnitus to treat. A few minutes of performing either microsuction or irrigation and voila, this may well eliminate your tinnitus.

Ear infections

The second cause of peripheral tinnitus is infections in the outer or the middle ear, also known respectively as otitis externa and otitis media. It is possible, but not always the case, that they’ll cause pain, inflammation, and/or a fluid buildup behind your eardrum. As a result, this can also interfere with your hearing in either your outer or middle ear, which can again lead to tinnitus.

Hearing loss

This leads me to the most common cause of peripheral tinnitus, which is hearing loss. Other than hearing loss caused by infections, there are other causes too, such as age-related hearing loss, which is just general wear and tear known as presbycusis, or even noise-induced hearing loss, which, believe it or not, is 100% avoidable.

This is caused when you’re exposed to loud sounds and don’t wear any hearing protection, whether you’re partying, doing some shooting, or working in a particularly noisy environment.

Meniere’s Disease

For those of you who haven’t come across the condition before, it is a pretty horrible thing to experience. You’ll know if you’ve got it due to the very specific symptoms, which include vertigo and dizziness, hearing loss, and then the subject of today’s video, which is obviously tinnitus. It’s caused by endolymphatic hydrops, an abnormal buildup of fluid pressure within your ear.

Central tinnitus and its causes

Quite differently from peripheral tinnitus, central tinnitus is thought to originate from within the auditory centres when the tinnitus-related activity does not pre-exist within the cochlear nerve. These different types of tinnitus require different types of treatment, which I’ll come on to shortly.

One thought behind central tinnitus is that it appears due to the lack of stimulation that presents with hearing loss. The theory is that if the auditory system is deprived of normal input, the central auditory pathways undergo changes, with neurons in the auditory cortex becoming hyperactive and hypersensitive, leading to the perception of tinnitus.

Emotional impact on tinnitus perception

One of the fascinating things about this is that this hyperactivity is often exacerbated, making your tinnitus worse if you (A) focus on your tinnitus or (B) experience anxiety or stress. This demonstrates that tinnitus is worsened by your emotional state, with studies showing that the areas of the brain involved in emotion, such as the amygdala and also the limbic system, play a crucial role in central tinnitus.

This explains fully why stress and anxiety can intensify your perception of your tinnitus. There is some incredible research in this field demonstrating that central tinnitus can involve changes in the spontaneous firing rate and synchrony of neurons in the auditory pathways. This has been demonstrated using functional MRI and PET scans, showing increased activity in the auditory cortex and limbic system for those with tinnitus, again fully supporting the idea that tinnitus is not just an ear issue but also a brain issue.

Tinnitus treatment

Of course, when thinking about the best treatment for your tinnitus, it’s important to understand where yours originates from: is it central, or is it peripheral? For peripheral tinnitus, you have to start by treating your ear condition. For central tinnitus, it’s important to focus on managing your stress, anxiety, and cognitive response to the tinnitus, along with any other elements that contribute towards it in your life.

Now, that isn’t to say that this is a one-size-fits-all approach, and I will say that there’s definitely a crossover between these treatments too.

Treating peripheral tinnitus

It’s safe to say that these are the easiest issues to treat. For example, removing earwax if you have an earwax buildup, taking antibiotics or antifungal medication, or sometimes surgery if you have an ear infection, being fitted with hearing aids if you have a hearing loss, or managing a vestibular disorder with the most appropriate treatment for your particular condition.

Central tinnitus treatment

In my opinion, treating central tinnitus can be far more complex and may often involve a multidisciplinary approach. I personally have a team of audiologists specifically trained in this form of hearing therapy, and they focus on three key areas.

Stress management techniques

First of all, they start by focusing on stress management techniques, using cognitive behavioural therapy, mindfulness meditation, relaxation exercises, or even a combination of all of these. They are well-researched as being the most effective treatment for tinnitus, helping you manage the emotional aspects of your tinnitus.

Sound therapy treatment

The second area of focus involves sound therapy treatment, which can be done using different types of noises, whether that be white, brown, or pink noise, nature sounds, or even wearing hearing aids to fill the void associated with the hearing loss. All of these should technically help to mask the sound of your tinnitus.

Medication

Finally, in cases where the first two phases haven’t helped, medication may be necessary to treat your anxiety or depression and can help to suppress the negative impact that your tinnitus is having on you on a daily basis.

If you are experiencing tinnitus, it’s crucial to get a proper diagnosis to determine whether it is central or peripheral. Harley Street Hearing’s team of clinical audiologists can help, contact us online for an appointment or call us on 020 7486 1053.

Central vs Peripheral Tinnitus: What You NEED to Know Video

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on central and peripheral tinnitus below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• What is pulsatile tinnitus? Why you should seek immediate treatment
• Gamers, the tinnitus ringing in your ears is permanent damage
• Most Effective Ways to Reduce Your Tinnitus

Here is a story on how one hearing aid manufacturer has changed the world forever. Phonak’s latest technology launch for the new Infinio family of hearing aids includes 16 new hearing aids in total, and that figure doesn’t include the plethora of colours and power levels available.

In this blog, we’ll break down the barriers and decipher this unnecessarily complicated world of hearing aids. So whether you’re just starting to explore the world of hearing aids, or perhaps you’ve had your hearing tested already and have been recommended the Phonak Infinio – or maybe you’ve had them fitted and you’re making sure they’re the right technology for you.

By the end of this article, you should have a better understanding of which Phonak Infinio hearing aid is the best one for you.

Deciphering the Infinio hearing aid range

For years now, Phonak used the same names for their different styles of hearing aids:

• Audeo – the receiver-in-canal model
• Virto – their custom in-the-ear hearing aids
• Slim – their receiver-in-canal slimline hearing aid
• CROS – their receiver-in-canal model designed to manage single-sided deafness
• Naida – their power behind-the-ear hearing aid
• Sky – their behind-the-ear paediatric hearing aid

Currently, the Infinio is currently only available in three of these styles: that’s the Audeo, the Virto, and the CROS. Within each of these styles, there are various models too.

So, for example, whilst there is only one version of the CROS available, there are two different versions of the Audeo Infinio: from the standard Audeo Infinio to the Audeo Infinio Sphere. And then the Virto models are available as the Virto R, Virto NW O, and the Virto Titanium.

Rechargeable vs. disposable hearing aids

Let’s take a deep dive into the letters next to each of the various hearing aid models, such as “R”, “O” or “NW.” Starting with the “R,” which stands for rechargeable.

In practice, a rechargeable hearing aid from Phonak means that with a 3-hour charge overnight, this should give you a full day of battery life the following day. You’ll see that the majority of Phonak’s latest hearing aid technology is rechargeable, which includes both the Audeo Infinio, the Audeo Infinio Sphere, the Audeo CROS, and the Virto R.

Some of the Virto models are available with a disposable battery, and this is mainly due to these hearing aids being so small that it wouldn’t be possible for them to fit a large enough lithium-ion battery inside for it to be able to last a full day. With the size 10 batteries that they do take, you’ll need to replace them once every three to five days, which is pretty much the industry standard with any invisible-in-the-ear style of hearing aid.

CROS System for single-sided deafness

For those of you out there with single-sided deafness, this next model of hearing aid will make a huge difference. When, for example, if you’re a passenger in a car with your “unable ear” next to the driver, or if a waiter in a restaurant approaches you from one side and that’s the poor hearing side, then a CROS system would deliver their voice to a hearing aid in your better hearing ear, still allowing you to hear them.

This type of hearing aid is specifically designed for those with an unaidable hearing loss in one ear – i.e., no hearing at all – and either normal hearing or a hearing loss that requires a hearing aid in the other ear. Now, it’s worth noting that not all of today’s hearing aids work with a CROS device, so if you were looking at this solution to manage your single-sided deafness, then you’ll need to be fitted with an Audeo Infinio in your better hearing ear, not the Audeo Sphere or the Virto models.

Hearing in background noise

The number of microphones on a hearing aid should be a factor when it comes to choosing the right hearing aid for you. Very simply put, more is better.

Essentially, multiple microphones allow the hearing aid to utilise directional microphone technology, which can significantly improve your ability to hear speech in the presence of background noise. Unlike omnidirectional microphones, which pick up sound equally from all directions, directional microphones tend to focus on sounds coming from a specific direction, which would typically be in front of you.

In turn, this focus helps to reduce background noise, making it easier to hear conversations in noisy settings, such as restaurants.

All of the Audeo models plus the Virto R have dual microphones, and they will give you access to this directional microphone technology. However, the smaller custom hearing aids with the “O” next to them have a single omnidirectional microphone. Therefore, the discretion of these hearing aids does come at a cost, and if hearing in background noise is an area that you struggle with, you should be loading yourself with as many microphones as possible—well, okay, two microphones—but that’s the max that you can get from any manufacturer with 2024’s technology.

Phonak Infinio Bluetooth capabilities

This is a massive area to cover, with some of today’s models having Bluetooth and others not. And I can think of four major benefits of having hearing aids paired to your phone.

First of all, you can stream phone calls, music, and the radio or podcasts directly to both of your ears via your hearing aids.

Secondly, you’ll have access to the MyPhonak app, which allows you to make manual adjustments to the settings on your hearing aids if you want to override the automatic settings set by your audiologist. This can involve things such as increasing or decreasing the volume, changing the noise reduction settings, or making other minor adjustments.

The third benefit of Bluetooth is the remote care feature, which essentially means that if one day you can’t make it to the clinic, your audiologist can connect to your hearing aids via your phone when you’re sat in the comfort of your own home and make adjustments to the settings.

The final benefit of having Bluetooth enabled in your hearing aids is the introduction of the revolutionary LE Audio, meaning that some of today’s hearing aids are Auracast-ready and will be compatible with the pending Auracast transmitters that we’re likely to see rolled out in public venues over the next few years.

Of those listed earlier today, both the Audeo and Virto R hearing aids all have access to these incredible features. However, any model that you see that has “NW” next to it stands for non-wireless, and this means that they won’t have access to these Bluetooth connectivity features.

Understanding the Audeo Infinio Sphere

This particular hearing aid has got the world of audiology excited over the last few months. Why? Well, it’s the world’s first hearing aid to be powered by a dedicated real-time AI chip for speech-from-noise separation, with the main focus of this hearing aid being a better understanding of speech in background noise.

This noise cleanup is all performed by Phonak’s new Deep Sonic chip, which powers the artificial intelligence responsible for this improvement in speech understanding in noise, alongside their new ERA chip, which provides 21 times more memory and four times more power efficiency, in turn leading to 53 times more processing power than any existing industry chip.

All in all, this means that it’s capable of performing 7,700 million operations per second and achieves an unparalleled improvement in signal-to-noise ratio of up to 10 decibels. Now, whilst 10 dB doesn’t sound like a huge number, in relative terms it is massive and essentially means that you’re three times more likely to understand speech when you’re in a noisy environment compared to any other hearing aid out there to date.

As far as the models that have this feature, you have to go with the Sphere for the full benefit. There are, of course, improvements in the noise reduction settings for all of the hearing aids that I’m discussing today over and above Phonak’s previous family of hearing aids, the Lumity, yet in my opinion, if background noise is your biggest challenge, then the Sphere model is the one that you want to be trying.

Features

There are a few features that aren’t obvious from looking at the model of the hearing aid, which it’s still important that you’re aware of when choosing the right hearing aid for you.

Waterproof rating

Every model meets the industry standard of an IP68 rating. Now, to quickly bring you up to speed on waterproof ratings, because I know you’re interested in this, this technically means that they can be submerged in a meter and a half of water for 30 minutes, and they should still function afterwards.

Now, I have to share that, other than Starkey, Phonak are the only manufacturers where the IP68 rating is the minimum standard for protecting their hearing aids, meaning that they’ve set an even higher bar with one style of hearing aid that I’m reviewing today.

If you’re somebody who spends a lot of time in or near water, or perhaps you sweat a lot during exercise, or maybe you’re even just concerned about the reliability of your hearing aids, then there’s one style that’s been tested to the limits. This applies to all of the Audeo models.

They have added additional microphone protection, they have sealed the seams with silicone, they have coated the components with a Parylene coating and then they have brutally tested this technology in the lab to ensure that it works as promised.

So if you’re somebody who’s had moisture issues in the past or reliability issues, then the Audeo style may be right for you. While all this technology that I’ve covered today does have an IP68 rating (that you’ll find in the likes of your phone or your headphones), you might want to consider taking the most robust option based on your lifestyle.

Durability

Moving on to the Virto models, you’ll notice that some models have titanium in the model name, which means they’re made of the hard metal itself. And they’re not just titanium by name but they’re titanium by nature too. Phonak have uniquely gone down this manufacturing path because titanium is incredibly strong; in fact, these hearing aids are 15 times stronger than their acrylic counterparts.

This particular way of manufacturing hearing aids is beneficial for two different reasons. Firstly, they’re a lot tougher and they’re less likely to get damaged through being dropped or trodden on, and then secondly, it allows the hearing aid to be made smaller because the titanium is so strong that these shells can be made thinner than with their acrylic counterparts. Acrylic is the industry standard across all other hearing aid manufacturers so if you want the smallest, most invisible hearing aid possible, then titanium is the option that I would recommend that you choose.

Colour options

All the Audeo models are available in pretty much every colour that you could hope for, and they’re mostly matte nowadays, so they don’t tend to catch the light. Most of my patients tend to request a colour that matches their hair, and the most popular colour is champagne.

If, however, you’re looking at the in-the-ear hearing aids, as far as the acrylic Virto models go, my recommendation is to choose a colour that’s similar to your skin tone because of where the actual hearing aid sits. Unless you’re interested in the IIC models, of which I would recommend a black colour so that it looks like the shadow of your ear canal; then, if you choose the wrong colour, it can look like you’ve got a piece of chewing gum in your ear.

On top of that, I find my patients tend to love the Virto R style of hearing aid in black because they look like a cool set of headphones and nothing like a hearing aid. That is, however, all personal preference, and your audiologist should be able to show this to you in the clinic to help you make the right decision.

Suitability

As far as suitability goes, the degree of your hearing loss will also have an impact on which model of hearing aid is the most suitable for you, with each hearing aid having its own fitting range, which is the degree of hearing loss that it’s capable of dealing with. Each model has its own fitting range, starting with the Audeo models.

Your audiologist would recommend the most appropriate power of receiver based on your audiogram, choosing from either a standard, moderate power, ultra power, or active vent receiver.

So, if your hearing test results fall within the grey-shaded area on these audiograms, then they’re technically suitable for you.

The Virto R models, are available in moderate power, superpower, and ultra power receiver.

And then finally, we have the non-rechargeable Virto models, which can be built with a moderate power or superpower receiver. Each model has a pretty broad fitting range, so there should be something from this family of hearing aids that’s suitable for most people.

Technology levels explained

Each style is available in different technology levels too, which are represented by the number that you can see after the style of hearing aid.

Phonak’s grading of technology uses the numbers 90, 70, 50, or 30, with 90 being Phonak’s premium technology level, 70 is advanced, 50 is standard, and then the 30s are their essential tech.

So building on that, let me expand on how these different technology levels can affect your ability to hear. What every hearing aid manufacturer does (so this isn’t just limited to Phonak) is create the best possible hearing aid that they can with the latest research and development that’s available for that moment in time, and they brand this as their premium hearing aid, which in this instance is the Infinio Sphere 90.

This hearing aid tends to have the most automation, the most clarity, and then the best ability to cope in noisy environments. There are then various other technology levels beneath this with certain features stripped away, which happens in pretty much every industry.

Accessory options for Phonak hearing aids

Coming on to accessories, Phonak have been great at recognising where hearing aid technology alone will struggle to overcome hearing challenges, and as a result, they have
a huge range of accessories.

For example, their TV connector and their Roger range, such as the Roger On version 3, Table Mic 2, Touchscreen Mic, their Roger Select, and their Roger neck Loop. If you’re interested in more detail on Phonak’s accessories, then check out this video, which covers what I consider to be the best.

Historically, hearing aid manufacturers have needed an additional accessory attached to the hearing aids to allow streaming from microphones. However, Phonak have found a clever way to integrate this into the hearing aids themselves, and this can be programmed by your audiologist in clinic without the need for any additional components having to be physically attached to these hearing aids.

Whilst these accessories will work with all technology levels, it’s worth noting that they’ll only work with the hearing aids that have wireless connectivity, such as the Audeo and the Virto R models. So you’ll have to forgo all accessories if you opt for an IIC hearing aid.

Tinnitus Management Features

It’s worth noting that if you’re one of the 10% (or 25 million people in the US) that suffers from tinnitus, then you may also benefit from Phonak’s Tinnitus Balance feature, which is also available across all technology levels.

These are a selection of noises, ranging from being tailored to your hearing loss to white noise or pink noise, which can be further adjusted to help you overcome your tinnitus. In order to access these features, you’ll need to have an IIC hearing aid that has a program button or one of the behind-the-ear Audeo or Virto R hearing aids.

Which Phonak Infinio is the BEST Hearing Aid for You in 2024: Full Feature Review Video

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the Phonak Infinio family of hearing aids below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere Review: 5 Pros & 5 Cons
• Reviewing the Phonak Infinio family of hearing aids
• Oticon Intent hearing aids review: The pros & cons

Harley Street Hearing is excited to offer Lenire, a revolutionary at-home device designed to help treat tinnitus. Our expert clinical audiologists specialise in diagnosing and managing tinnitus, and we now have a new tool aiming to provide effective tinnitus relief for our patients.

What is Lenire?

Lenire is an FDA-approved tinnitus treatment that combines two therapies: sound stimulation and mild electrical stimulation on the tongue. This bimodal neuromodulation approach works by retraining the brain to manage tinnitus symptoms.

By targeting the auditory and neural pathways, Lenire helps reduce the perception of tinnitus over time. The treatment is personalised to your unique hearing profile, and its effectiveness is backed by clinical trials involving over 600 participants who showed significant improvements in their symptoms.

How Does Lenire work?

Lenire uses a combination of sound therapy and electrical stimulation to retrain the brain aiming to alleviate tinnitus perception.

1. Sound Therapy: Lenire provides personalised soundscapes through wireless headphones that are tailored to your hearing profile. These calming sounds help distract the brain from tinnitus by focusing on external stimuli.
2. Tongue Stimulation: The Tonguetip® device gently stimulates the tongue with mild electrical pulses. This stimulation activates nerves that support brain plasticity, helping to retrain the auditory and sensory systems.

For optimal results, you need to use Lenire for two 30-minute sessions each day of your treatment period. During each session, you will wear the wireless headphones and use the Tonguetip® device while following the guidance of the handheld controller.

Trial Lenire at Harley Street Hearing

During your initial Hearing Therapy consultation, we will assess your tinnitus and if Lenire is an appropriate form of management our audiologists will provide professional guidance to ensure that Lenire is used effectively and tailored to your individual needs.

If you’re interested in finding out more about Lenire and seeing if it’s the right fit for you, get in touch with us online or call us on 020 7486 1053 to book an appointment.

Watch our exclusive Lenire intervew with Neuromod CEO Ross O’Neill

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• What is tinnitus?
• Gamers, the tinnitus ringing in your ears is permanent damage
• What is pulsatile tinnitus? Why you should seek immediate treatment

We have some exciting news to share, we have officially launched our brand new online booking system for ear wax removal appointments.

Harley Street Hearing has been offering professional ear wax removal services to the London community for over 25 years and now we’ve made it easier than ever to book an appointment at a time that is convenient for you.

Why use our online booking system?

We understand that not all of our patients are able to get in touch with us during office hours, so we wanted to make it accessible to anyone at any time. Our booking system is available 24/7, so you can book at your leisure in just a few clicks – whether that’s early in the morning or late at night.

Similarly, we know that not all of our patients can be fully flexible with their appointment times. Now, you’ll be able to see a detailed calendar showing all of the dates and times we’re available so you can work your appointment around all of your other commitments.

What appointments can I book?

Our online booking system is currently only available for patients looking to book an ear wax removal appointment. Other appointments may require more information from our highly qualified staff who can advise on the best course of action.

We offer microsuction or if preferred ear irrigation. Your audiologist will assess your ears when you arrive and advise on the most suitable treatment.

Find out more about our ear wax removal services here.

How to use our new online booking system

Just visit our ear wax removal booking calendar, book your appointment and get instant confirmation.

Why choose Harley Street Hearing?

As London’s largest independent audiology clinic, we take great pride in delivering the highest standard of patient care. We have a team of highly skilled clinical audiologists who specialise in all areas of hearing care.

We have four clinics across London and are normally able to cater to same-day appointments. If you’d like to make an ear wax removal appointment, book online now or give us a call on 020 7486 1053.

Hearing loss may be a physical condition, but its impact on mental health is profound. Hearing is one of our most essential senses, and losing it can create a ripple effect, impacting many areas of life. This often leads to significant emotional challenges and can deeply affect overall well-being.

One of the most prevalent of these issues is social isolation, and many studies have found that hearing loss is associated with a higher risk of social isolation and loneliness. In this blog, we’ll explore the strong connection between hearing loss and isolation, and, more importantly, how to prevent this from happening to you or a loved one.

How hearing loss leads to social isolation

If we think about our interactions with others, these connections are built on communication and when our ability to hear is impaired, so is our ability to interact and communicate.

It’s not uncommon for those with a hearing impairment to notice that their relationships start to weaken as this level of communication begins to break down, and this can bring with it a whole host of challenges.

1. Struggles with communication

Struggling to follow conversations is one of the most common and frustrating challenges that many people with hearing loss face. Having a simple discussion requires more mental effort and can often result in misunderstandings or miscommunication which can be incredibly frustrating for everyone involved. Put this conversation in a noisy environment and this is heightened even more.

Over time, having a conversation can eventually lead hearing loss sufferers to experience communication fatigue, where talking with others becomes exhausting. It goes without saying that the natural response to this is to start avoiding social situations altogether so they can protect themselves from the frustration and stop the communication difficulties altogether.

2. Withdrawing from social activities

When communication becomes a struggle, this doesn’t just impact one-on-one relationships but can also take its toll on the social activities that an individual enjoyed pre-hearing loss.

Whether it’s a social event, family gathering, hobby or activity, it’s not uncommon for hearing loss sufferers to start skipping these events until they slowly phase themselves out of them altogether. This all stems back to the communication difficulties and the effort required to engage in these types of situations.

It’s a natural response and is generally the individual trying to save themselves from the embarrassment, frustration, or discomfort of not being able to keep up with conversations and those around them.

3. Impact on emotions

The emotional toll that hearing loss has on an individual can often be dismissed or simply misunderstood, but it’s really quite significant.

Combining communication difficulties and a general lack of social engagement can often lead to feelings of loneliness, as people become more isolated from their social circles. Loneliness can make people scared to engage in social situations and if this happens for long enough they can eventually feel completely disconnected from their surroundings, loved ones, and things they love the most.

Being lonely for a long time can lead to a negative spiral and have profound impacts on an individual’s mental health, sometimes escalating into feelings of depression or anxiety.

4. Hearing loss is invisible

Unlike visible disabilities, hearing loss is often unseen and can go unnoticed which can further complicate relationships. This is particularly true if an individual is suffering from undiagnosed and untreated hearing loss, as friends and family around them might not realise they are struggling to hear or understand them and may mistake this for simply being uninterested or disengaged.

This can cause further strain on relationships and the lack of awareness can make it even more difficult for those with hearing loss to stay socially connected, as they may feel misunderstood or isolated.

All of these things combined – communication struggles, social withdrawal, emotional impact and lack of awareness can ultimately drive an individual towards social isolation.

The science behind hearing loss and isolation

The link between hearing loss and isolation doesn’t just come from how a person processes their emotions, it’s backed by scientific evidence and is deeply rooted in the way our brains process information.

There is plenty of research showing that untreated hearing loss doesn’t just isolate individuals from their environment, but can also trigger a series of negative physiological effects.

Understanding cognitive load and brain health

When we experience a decline in hearing, our brain has to work harder to interpret speech and sounds which is known as an increased cognitive load.

In individuals with full hearing, their brain filters and interprets sounds effortlessly. However, when hearing is compromised, the brain is forced to dedicate more resources to understanding sounds leaving fewer resources available for other cognitive functions like memory, attention, and problem-solving.

Over the years, research has shown a strong correlation between untreated hearing loss and cognitive decline, especially in older adults. This study by Johns Hopkins Medicine concluded that older adults with hearing loss were at higher risk of developing cognitive issues, including dementia, compared to those with normal hearing.

So, how does this relate to isolation? Well, the constant effort to process sound and the stress on our cognitive function can make it harder for individuals to socially engage and eventually lead to withdrawal from these types of situations.

How the brain processes sound

Our brain’s auditory system processes a wide range of sounds but for those with hearing loss, these auditory signals sent to the brain are compromised. This means the brain receives less information than it needs to properly understand speech, especially in noisy environments.

When the brain has to fill in these gaps, it increases mental workload which ultimately leads to frustration and fatigue. Over time, this can lead to auditory deprivation where the brain’s sound-processing parts become less active, making it even more taxing and difficult to engage in conversations, forcing individuals to avoid them altogether.

How to avoid isolation from hearing loss

With all of the above information taken into account, the connection between hearing loss and isolation is very clear but it doesn’t have to be permanent.

It’s important to understand that many of these complications arise when hearing loss is undiagnosed and untreated, so recognising the problem and seeking help is the first step.

Why early detection of hearing loss is crucial

With hearing loss, it doesn’t have to be too late to take action. Regular hearing tests are essential for early diagnosis, especially for individuals who are at a higher risk such as older adults or those frequently exposed to loud noise.

For many people, hearing loss can develop gradually which can make it easy to adapt to decreased hearing without even realising it. However, hearing loss can worsen over time so the earlier it is detected, the better the outcomes.

Untreated hearing loss can cause further damage down the line, as it only continues to place further strain on the brain and auditory system, ultimately leading to a higher degree of hearing loss and a greater chance of experiencing associated issues.

This is why we are so passionate about undergoing regular hearing tests because they are the only way to accurately diagnose hearing loss and devise a suitable treatment plan, such as the use of hearing aids.

Hearing aids are the most effective solution for most people as they help restore hearing to a certain level, reducing the amount of strain placed on the brain and therefore reducing the risks of associated side effects like loneliness and social isolation.

Booking a hearing test

At Harley Street Hearing, we are proud to have a team of highly qualified clinical audiologists offering professional, thorough hearing tests. Our hearing tests are designed to produce the most accurate results and our audiologists are here to ensure you receive the most suitable treatment.

As an independent audiologist, we can offer an extensive range of hearing aids from all major manufacturers and will always recommend the best option to suit your lifestyle and budget.

Whether you’ve noticed a change in your hearing or haven’t had a hearing assessment in a while, it’s important to book one as soon as possible. We have four hearing clinics across London and a team of specialists ready to help you hear to the best of your ability.

Contact us online or call us on 020 7486 1053 to book an appointment.

How often do you lose your hearing aids? If you’re ever frantically searching your house looking for them, then Phonak’s new state-of-the-art hearing aid tracking technology is going to be perfect for you. And here’s everything that you need to know about it.

MyPhonak “Find my hearing aid” app feature

Every hearing aid manufacturer has had a “find my hearing aid” feature since the dawn of time. Well, not quite that early, but certainly since the release of ReSound’s first-ever Bluetooth-compatible hearing aid way back in 2010.

Yet one manufacturer, Sonova, which encompasses leading brands Unitron and Phonak, hasn’t. And believe me, over the years, I have begged them for it on your behalf.

Why? Well, in a recent poll that I put out on YouTube, around 30% of viewers have lost a hearing aid in the past, and this could have been prevented with today’s new feature.

So, today’s big news is that the newest MyPhonak app update, version 6.9 – which coincides with the release of the Phonak Audeo Infinio, Audeo Sphere Infinio, and Virto Infino – will now give you access to Phonak’s brand-new “find my hearing aid” feature.

In practice, this means that if your hearing aid or CROS system falls out or is missing, the GPS on your smartphone will show you the last time your phone and your hearing aids were together. So, if you’ve lost one, you’ll be able to trace your steps and then find it.

How does it work?

There are a couple of things that are important for me to mention early on. Firstly, the app will now ask permission to use your location services. You have to allow this for it to work, and it must also be set to “always allow.” If you don’t take that step, then it won’t work.

Secondly, I have been assured by Phonak that Sonova does not have access to your location data, so panic not – they will not be tracing your every movement.

When it’s working, it will help you to find your hearing aids in two different ways: firstly, on a map if you’re far away from them, and then secondly, you’ll notice these little hot and cold bars which should get you within a few feet of your hearing aids.

The sad news

I can only assume that this is now possible with the introduction of LE Audio into these new hearing aids from Phonak; however, Phonak will neither confirm nor deny this. In reality,
it doesn’t matter how they’ve done it—the main thing is that they’ve caught up with the competition.

Sadly though, this feature is not backwards compatible, so it won’t work with your Lumity, Paradise, or Marvel hearing aids.

Before you go and do this update, I would thoroughly recommend checking out this video reviewing Phonak’s supercharged Audeo Sphere hearing aids.

Never Lose Your Hearing Aids Again With THIS MyPhonak App Update Video

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on the MyPhonak App update below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Phonak releases brand new Infinio hearing aids
• Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere Review: 5 Pros & 5 Cons
• Why Phonak Lyric is the best invisible hearing aid of 2024

Tinnitus is a common condition which affects around 10 to 25% of adults. However, there are different types of tinnitus and certain criteria which means it’s important to get it investigated immediately – all of these criteria will be covered in this article.

So, what exactly is tinnitus?

Simply put, tinnitus is technically any sound that you hear in your ears or your head which is not being produced by an external sound source. In fact, it’s different for everybody.

In a recent poll that I put out on my YouTube channel asking about personal experiences with tinnitus, there was a mixed bag of descriptions which included pulsatile, tonal, roaring, electric buzzing, and ringing, to boiling kettle static sounds, warble sounds, and even the sound of people chanting in the forest.

I personally suffer from a high-pitched, continual tinnitus, which sounds something like this: it’s there 24/7, and I notice it the most if I’m lying in bed in the evening, or if I’m tired, stressed, or unwell. It gives me great solace to know that tinnitus is unbelievably common, with around 50 million people experiencing some form of tinnitus, and more often than not, it’s nothing that you need to worry about.

Tinnitus that requires a doctor

There are, however, certain characteristics with any of the tinnitus sounds that I’ve just mentioned that do require an immediate medical opinion.

For example:

• If your tinnitus is only in one ear
• If it’s changed in nature over a very short period of time
• If it stops you from sleeping or
• If it contributes to you experiencing anxiety or depression

But saying all of that doesn’t cover the subject of today’s topic, and the big question is: why is the type of tinnitus that I’m talking about today any different whatsoever? And why is it a little bit more serious than all of those that I’ve just listed above?

Firstly, it’s not as common. Research shows that pulsatile tinnitus affects around 5 million Americans, and to add to that, it isn’t just annoying like a lot of the other tinnitus we’ve discussed. However, it could potentially be a sign of an underlying health issue – hence my recommendation for immediate investigation.

Pulsatile tinnitus sound

If your tinnitus sounds a little like a heartbeat, swishing or whooshing, it’s likely that you’re experiencing a form of pulsatile tinnitus. As I mentioned earlier, it’s a bit different and potentially more serious than any other form of tinnitus.

Instead of a continuous noise, you’ll hear a rhythmic sound that can match your heartbeat, and unlike other forms of tinnitus, which are often a continual tone, pulsatile tinnitus beats in sync with your pulse.

What causes pulsatile tinnitus?

There are several causes of pulsatile tinnitus, some being benign and others which are a little more serious.

Atherosclerosis

This condition occurs when plaque, which is made up of fat, cholesterol, and other substances, builds up inside your arteries. Over time, this plaque hardens and causes narrowing, restricting blood flow. If this happens in the arteries near your ears, the turbulent blood flow can create a rhythmic sound that matches your heartbeat, which you may perceive as pulsatile tinnitus.

Blood vessel disorders

Certain blood vessel disorders can also lead to pulsatile tinnitus, with conditions such as aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations being key examples of this. An aneurysm is a bulge in the wall of an artery, often due to weaknesses in the arterial wall.

Again, if this occurs near your ear, it can cause turbulent blood flow, leading to pulsatile tinnitus. Slightly differently, arteriovenous malformations are abnormal connections between the arteries and the veins, bypassing the capillary system. Again, if this happens, it can cause direct high-pressure blood flow from your arteries to your veins, creating this pulsatile sensation.

High blood pressure

Another cause for pulsatile tinnitus is high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, which can result in an increase in blood flow force through your arteries, especially near your ear. Again, this turbulent flow can create a rhythmic sound in sync with your heartbeat, perceived as a thumping or whooshing noise.

Ear abnormalities

Ear abnormalities such as superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome which occurs when part of the bone near your semicircular canals in your inner ear is abnormally thin or missing, can also be a risk factor for pulsatile tinnitus.

In around 1 to 2% of individuals, this bone doesn’t mature and thicken properly and, in fact, can even become thinner with age. This is often accompanied by sufferers excessively hearing their own voice, and their footsteps, and it’s even reported that some sufferers can hear their own eye movements.

Tumours

Another cause of pulsatile tinnitus could potentially be a tumour, such as a glomus tumour, in your head or neck. These highly vascular tumours compress nearby blood vessels, disrupting normal blood flow and creating a rhythmic sound, which you may perceive as pulsatile tinnitus.

Glomus jugular tumours, for example, can grow near the jugular vein and into your middle ear, causing this kind of tinnitus, which is sometimes accompanied by hearing loss too.

Myoclonus

As well as the conditions that can cause pulsatile tinnitus, there are also types of rhythmical tinnitus. For example, myoclonus is a condition that involves the rhythmic contraction of muscles within your middle ear, which can sometimes contract involuntarily. It’s a little bit like that strange feeling that you get when your eyelid twitches—we’ve all experienced that. When these muscles in your middle ear spontaneously contract, it can lead to a rhythmic sound, but it doesn’t necessarily follow your pulse like pulsatile tinnitus would.

Patulous eustachian tube dysfunction

Another pretty rare cause of rhythmic sounds inside your head is something called patulous eustachian tube syndrome. Normally, the eustachian tube, which connects the middle ear to the back of your nose, remains closed and only opens briefly during activities such as swallowing or yawning.

However, with patulous eustachian tubes, your tube might stay open more often, which allows the sound of breathing and speaking to be transmitted directly to your middle ear, creating this rhythmical tinnitus-type sound.

How is pulsatile tinnitus investigated?

So, if you have pulsatile tinnitus how can you find out the most likely cause? If I come across anybody in the clinic who experiences pulsatile tinnitus, I will immediately refer them to an ENT to look into that cause.

Normally, they’ll start by taking a detailed medical history and performing a physical examination which focuses on your head, neck, and ears. Believe it or not, they may even attempt to listen to your pulsatile tinnitus themselves using a stethoscope.

There are various tests that will help to pinpoint the exact cause of your pulsatile tinnitus, which is crucial for finding the right treatment for you. These can include imaging tests such as an MRI or CT scan, which will provide detailed images around your head and neck, and even an ultrasound can be performed to check the blood flow in your neck.

What happens if pulsatile tinnitus is left untreated or uninvestigated?

It’s important to mention here that more often than not, pulsatile tinnitus is nothing that you need to worry about. But you should definitely head over to your doctor for further investigation so that they can rule out any dangerous causes.

In very extreme cases when it’s not treated and it’s an indication of something more sinister, there is the rare possibility that whatever is causing your tinnitus could also lead to blindness, strokes, issues with walking or talking, or even fatality.

So, as you can appreciate, this is why I recommend having it investigated as soon as possible, so a doctor can determine whether your pulsatile tinnitus is dangerous or not. Assuming that it’s nothing sinister, there are also a handful of lifestyle changes that you can personally make to reduce your own tinnitus, and I’ve outlined them in the video below.

If you’d like any further information about this or any other hearing query please call 020 7486 1053 or complete the form below .

What is Pulsatile Tinnitus? Seek IMMEDIATE Medical Advice Video

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video on pulsatile tinnitus below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• What is tinnitus?
• Gaming risk of hearing loss and tinnitus
• Comparing the best hearing aids for tinnitus 2024

Welcome to the third article in this blog series on entering into the world of hearing aids. So far we’ve discussed trying hearing aids for the first time and what it might feel like when you first begin wearing your devices.

During this article, we’ll be discussing some of the thoughts you might be having if you’re coming towards the end of your trial period. Furthermore, I’ll offer some reflections that I hope will help guide your decision about whether you would like to keep your devices, or not.

Thought 1: Reflect

When you first visited Harley Street Hearing, part of your hearing aid assessment will have included discussing the listening situations you find the most challenging.  These are called your ‘outcome measures’ and help your audiologist to assess your progress over the course of your appointments. These measures are unique to you and could have included hearing your family, difficulty socialising, or simpler hearing moments like the doorbell or telephone ringing.

At Harley Street Hearing we care deeply about you and your aural fulfilment and want to provide the best possible improvements. Take time to reflect on the concerns you initially raised with your audiologist and evaluate if you feel these situations have become easier, more difficult, or if there has been no change at all. If you have been keeping a sound diary, then use it to reflect on the changes you have noticed in the last month, since you began wearing your hearing devices.

Thought 2: Don’t panic!

Should you not be getting on as well as you hoped with your devices, then don’t panic. Your follow-up appointments provide the perfect opportunity for you to reflect honestly with your audiologist about your progress. The more information you have to hand (especially where there’s room for improvement) the better, as this allows us to fine-tune your devices and make tailored suggestions to suit the specific challenges you might be facing.

I often describe to my patients that one of three things can happen during their follow-up appointments:

1. You’re getting on well and seeing improvements with your hearing. This is wonderful news and allows us to continue down the rehabilitation journey we have started together. We’ll make adjustments to your hearing aid settings based on your feedback to try and improve things even further.
2. You’re seeing some positives, but also some negatives. This is where we can come back to the drawing board and consider our options. At Harley Street Hearing you are welcome to have trials with multiple devices, to see what options might result in better outcomes for you.  This could be considering a different manufacturer, or maybe a different style of hearing aid.  Your audiologist will guide you on what options they think will have the best chance to overcome the difficulties you have encountered.
3. You’re not getting on well at all and are wondering if hearing aids are the right thing for you. Should this be the case, then there are multiple things we can do together. Firstly, if you are at all on the fence, then we may be able to extend your trial period, giving you the chance to try your hearing aids with further adjustments. However, if you would rather return to trialling hearing aids at another time, then you are welcome to return the devices to us within your trial period, and you will receive a full refund for the devices, minus a small trial fee.

Thought 3: What’s included?

Financial considerations are, of course, a crucial part of your decision-making process. So it’s important to highlight what you would be getting as a hearing aid patient of Harley Street Hearing:

1. A lifetime’s worth of aftercare – all your appointments, including wax removal, are all included within the cost of the hearing aids.
2. Two-year manufacturer warranty on the devices, which can be extended to four years.
3. Complimentary annual reviews. We want to see all of our hearing aid patients at least once a year.  These 60-minute appointments give us the opportunity to check the health of your ears, retest your hearing, and ensure your hearing aids are doing the best job they can be for you.
4. Two years’ worth of batteries. Should your hearing aids use replaceable batteries, enjoy a two year supply, included within the cost of your hearing aids.
5. Excellent customer service.  As of September 2024, Google has us rated at 4.9 stars after a whopping 1362 reviews. Don’t just take our word for it, we pride ourselves on our aftercare and this comes across in how people review us.

We also have the option of payment plans, should this make purchasing the devices more manageable for you.

Even if you choose not to go ahead with the devices, this would not mean the end of your care under Harley Street Hearing. We will endeavour to offer you complimentary annual reviews, to retest your hearing and see if we can be of any further help for you in the years to come. To find out more contact us here.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Audiologist Insider: Part One – So you’ve decided to think about hearing aids
• Audiologist Insider: Part Two – So you’ve started wearing hearing aids?
• How do hearing aids work?

I will be the first to admit that I’ve been very excited about Phonak’s new Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aid. However, my responsibility to you is to go beyond just outlining those positives.

I’ll discuss the top five reasons I think you should buy them, but they are definitely not without their flaws, so I have an equal number of negatives that you need to consider before you do so.

Reasons you should buy the Audéo Sphere Infinio

It’s been a few weeks now since I attended the epic launch of this new hearing aid technology, and I was delighted to be the only audiologist from the UK to attend. Now that I’ve had some time to get hands-on with them, here are five standout features that I think are worth shouting about.

1. Speech in noise processing

Firstly is Phonak’s introduction of their Deep Sonic chip, which is a world first. These hearing aids contain a separate computer chip designed to separate the speech you want to hear from background noise. Honestly, I wish you could have all been exposed to the demonstrations I experienced, because not only does it work, but it works incredibly well. In fact, in a couple of weeks’ time, I aim to upload some sound files demonstrating its capabilities versus some of Phonak’s competitors, so make sure that you watch this space.

This Deep Sonic chip essentially cleans up speech from noise using artificial intelligence in the form of a deep neural network, which has been trained using 22 million sound samples. Phonak claims it is capable of performing 7.7 billion operations per second. As a result, Phonak boasts that this provides a 10 dB signal-to-noise ratio improvement and up to 36.7% enhancement in speech understanding in noisy environments compared to their competitors.

Now, you don’t need to just take my word for it. Hearing Tracker has teamed up with HearAdvisor, an independent hearing aid vetting lab that has built a breathtaking audio lab allowing for the independent testing of all hearing aid technology. The mastermind behind this is Dr. Steve Taddei, and for the first time ever, this setup allows for the comparison of hearing aid products using a standardised test battery.

Now, you might be thinking, why is this important? Well, instead of relying on each manufacturer’s testing, where somehow they always manage to find a way to rank themselves as number one with their own results, for the first time it’s now possible to compare each manufacturer reliably. Here’s the latest data from HearAdvisor comparing all manufacturers’ latest products, and as you can see, the new Audéo Sphere Infinio is leaps and bounds ahead of every other hearing aid manufacturer for speech-in-noise performance.

So, the take-home message is that this artificial intelligence Deep Sonic chip is really doing what Phonak is promising.

2. Automatic environmental adaptability

Impressive new feature number two is Phonak’s update to AutoSense from version 5 to version 6. Now, AutoSense is one of my favourite adaptive programs out there. It’s designed to continuously analyse your surrounding acoustic environment and make real-time adjustments to optimise sound clarity and comfort.

This feature automatically categorises the world into seven key areas, including:

• Calm situations
• Speech in noise
• Spheric speech in loud noise
• Speech in car
• Comfort in noise
• Music

Your audiologist has full control over how these hearing aids react in each specific environment and can adjust them accordingly, which, in my opinion, is unrivalled by any other hearing aid manufacturer out there at this moment in time.

With this new AutoSense development, Phonak claims they have enhanced speech understanding by a further 16% and reduced listening effort by up to 45%, which again contributes to the hearing aids reducing background noise, making it easier for you to focus on conversations. This means you can rely more on your ears and less on focusing on lip reading and the context within a sentence.

3. Bluetooth connectivity

Phonak have always been pretty unique in their approach to connectivity, and they’re the only manufacturer out there to use classic Bluetooth, allowing you to connect to any Bluetooth source, including smartphones, tablets, and computers. This integration supports a wide range of audio codecs, ensuring high-quality streaming regardless of the source, and it also supports dual streaming, allowing you to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, which isn’t possible from any other hearing aid manufacturer out there at this moment in time.

Within the Infinio family of hearing aids, Phonak have improved the transmission power over their previous models, providing a far more stable Bluetooth connection. This ensures consistent audio quality and connectivity over a longer distance and creates a seamless, lag-free transition when switching audio between different sources.

On top of that, the Spheres also support hands-free calling, which is pretty limited with other hearing aid manufacturers, meaning you can keep your phone in your pocket, and the microphones on your hearing aids will pick up your voice to send to the other person on the end of the phone. This is both a positive and a negative, which I’ll discuss later.

The final connectivity feature which I think Phonak is right to be bragging about is the introduction of LE Audio, meaning they’re also Auracast-ready and will be compatible with the pending Auracast transmitters that we’re likely to see rolled out in public venues over the next few years.

It’s worth noting that, while it’s built into the Infinio, it hasn’t yet been activated. This will likely be done in the future with a simple and free firmware update. At this moment in time, in my opinion, it’s not really a big deal, as, as far as I’m aware, no public venues have yet installed the Auracast transmitters. But I do promise to update you on this as soon as I know more about that update.

4. Versatility

Reason number four that you should buy the Infinio Sphere is its versatility. As far as suitability goes, these are the fitting ranges for the interchangeable receiver wires, so whether you have a mild, moderate, severe, or profound hearing loss, they’re technically suitable for you.

I’m delighted to say that this also includes Phonak’s ActiveVent receivers, which I am a big fan of. This receiver, which is unique to Phonak, has a built-in moving piston that changes its position depending on your listening environment. It diverts either more or less sound naturally down your ear canal or, on the contrary, via the hearing aids.

So why would we want this? In turn, this will change how well you hear in noise, how clear your voice sounds, how clearly you can hear in general, and also how music sounds when it’s being streamed from your phone. If you’re wondering if this matters—yes, it does. A lot. There are both positives and negatives to having your ear canals either open or closed, and depending on your hearing loss, sometimes it’s beneficial to have a hearing aid that can do both, but on different occasions. Until ActiveVent was released by Phonak, this wasn’t possible.

For example, in a quiet environment, you might want the vent to be open, allowing natural sound in and out, giving you a nice, natural feeling and connecting you with your environment. Yet, when in noise, it’s better to have your ears closed so that all the sound you’re hearing is via your hearing aids, having been cleaned of background noise. The same thing goes for music and streaming, so when streaming from your phone, the ActiveVent will close, both blocking sound in and blocking sound out simultaneously, which should enhance your music, giving it greater fullness and richness when the sound is being streamed from your phone.

5. Robustness & durability

Now, my fifth and final reason that I think you should definitely try out these hearing aids, before I come on to the not-so-great elements about them, is their robustness. With Phonak’s previous family of hearing aids, they had one standout model which was brutally tested and pushed to the limits in terms of robustness—this was called their Life model.

When I was recently at the launch for the Audéo Sphere Infinio hearing aids, Phonak was screaming from the rooftops about this extra protection having resulted in far fewer breakdowns over the last few years, and I’m delighted to tell you today that Phonak has taken on board your feedback about the previous standards just not being good enough.

Reasons not to buy the Audéo Sphere Infinio

Now, I always share both sides of the story, and while everything I’ve listed so far is exactly what I would want a hearing aid to do, it wouldn’t be fair of me not to give you a balanced view of the technology. There are five things that mean the Audéo Sphere Infinio is not perfect for everybody out there.

1. Size

So, let’s discuss size. I honestly don’t think the size of these hearing aids is an issue, and I don’t want you to dwell too much on it. But I know it was also a concern that Phonak had when they were launching this technology. So, just to give you an idea in terms of size, here is a banana for scale, then you can see Phonak’s previous model, the L R, and also their biggest current competition, the Oticon Intent.

In all honesty, gone are the days when it used to be the race for the smallest hearing aids. Yes, there are, without question, smaller receiver-in-canal hearing aids out there, such as the Widex Moment, but it comes at a significant cost for functionality. For example, you will lose Bluetooth connectivity, rechargeability, and overall functions around clarity and noise reduction capabilities.

2. No disposable batteries

A recent poll on my Hearing Tracker YouTube channel showed at least a third of my subscribers use disposable batteries. Now, of course, I cannot be certain about this, but I am 99% sure—99.9% sure—that the Audéo Sphere Infinios will never be released in a disposable battery option. I know that’s a brave statement to make, but I feel that with the computational power within these hearing aids, and the energy that’s needed to drive them, I just don’t think a zinc-air battery will meet its needs.

That isn’t to say that the lesser-spec Audéo Infinios won’t come with a disposable battery option in the future, a little bit like we saw with the Phonak Lumity hearing aids. But it is worth noting that it was a good two years after their initial release that we saw the non-rechargeable version.

3. Battery performance

Now, I just knew that battery life was going to be a factor with these hearing aids. When I was initially exposed to these hearing aids back in January this year, way before they were released, Phonak, at a top-secret event, coyly asked us how important it was that the batteries on these hearing aids last for a full day. Well, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that there may be some issues around this, or it might be an issue going forward with regards to it lasting for a full day.

So, what does this mean in reality as far as you’re concerned? If the hearing aids are working in their AutoSense setting and adapting according to your environment, and you have a balanced lifestyle, then I am pleased to report that you will not have issues with battery life. They will last you for a full day.

Where the issue comes in is when the artificial intelligence ‘spherical speech in noise, speech in loud noise mode runs continuously. Continuous use could potentially reduce the battery life to around half of its capability. Only time will tell in reality if this is a significant problem for normal daily use.

4. Compatibility

As far as connectivity goes, there is no telecoil and no CROS system compatibility with the Spheres, and I am a big fan of both. If you are interested in the telecoil, then you’ll have to stick with Phonak’s Lumity family of hearing aids for now or look into one of Phonak’s competitors.

However, if you’re interested in a CROS system, then you can look at the standard Infinio. In all honesty, the lack of a telecoil shouldn’t be an issue for you going forward with the introduction of LE Audio and Auracast. However, until we see that global rollout of those transmitters into public venues, and if you’re used to utilising a loop system, then these hearing aids may not be right for you.

5. Bluetooth

The fifth issue that I’ve identified with the Infinio is the fact that Phonak uses classic Bluetooth. Yes, you heard me correctly—this came up in the positives too. That’s because, in my opinion, it is a blessing and a curse at the same time. All right, that sounds quite dramatic—it’s not that bad at all!

One feature that my patients love about their Phonak hearing aids is the fact that their microphones pick up their voice when they’re on the phone, and you can keep your phone in your pocket, giving you a truly hands-free experience, a bit like using a set of AirPods when you’re on a phone call.

The downside of this is that I have some patients—again, this depends on the phone they use—who report that if they take a call in a moderately noisy environment, the person on the other end of the call may struggle to hear them speaking. Now, to be fair, this is an issue with all manufacturers. However, the other guys do allow you to turn it on and off. I don’t know if this will change when the LE Audio features are enabled down the line, I will report back on this as soon as I know more.

But there is a fix if you’re an Apple user, which is to enable voice isolation mode on the phone itself. When enabled, this feature isolates the microphones on your hearing aids to pick up your voice only, and it cuts out—or aims to cut out—the surrounding noise, making it better for those hearing you on the other end of your phone call. And it does work.

So, now you should have a balanced view of all this new technology. But before you even consider buying them, you have to check out the best hearing aids of 2024.

Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere Review: 5 Reasons to Buy it and 5 Reasons to Not!

Matthew Allsop is a Partner at Harley Street Hearing and the content creator for Hearing Tracker, where he shares his honest opinions on all things to do with hearing health and hearing aid technology. Hearing Tracker is the world’s first truly independent resource for hearing aid customers. You can watch his video reviewing the Phonak Audéo Infinio Sphere below.

Enjoy this article? You might be interested in some of our others:

• Phonak releases brand new Infinio hearing aids
• Reviewing the Phonak Infinio family of hearing aids
• Oticon Intent hearing aids review: The pros and cons