MS Speaks

Hearing loss can be part of MS, and it is very likely to be a part of aging. Hearing aids are so costly that many people simply can't get them. But it looks as if the less expensive sound-amplification devices that are now available may be just as good for those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss.

From NEJM Journal Watch, July 5, 2017:

Less Expensive Hearing Devices May Work as Well as Traditional Hearing Aids

By Kelly Young

Edited by David G. Fairchild, MD, MPH, and Lorenzo Di Francesco, MD, FACP, FHM

Some over-the-counter sound amplification devices are nearly as effective as prescription hearing aids, according to a small JAMA study.

Researchers compared five personal sound amplification products with one hearing aid in 40 older adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Speech understanding improved with the hearing aid and four of the amplification products. For three of the products (Sound World Solution sCS50+, Soundhawk, Etymotic BEAN), the improvement in speech understanding was within 5 percentage points of that of the hearing aid.

The authors conclude: "Results lend support to current national initiatives ... requesting that the US Food and Drug Administration create a new regulatory classification for hearing devices meeting appropriate specifications to be available over the counter."