Amy Hupe

Hive mind! My partner has fairly extensive bilateral sensorineural hearing loss and is meant to wear hearing aids but found the NHS ones very uncomfortable.

We’re looking at private options, and I’m wondering if anyone in my network has any recommendations for something comfortable that can be worn with glasses.

#HearingLoss #A11y

Mar 6 at 5:33pmWeb
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Not hearing aid advice specifically, but as someone in the assistive tech space — your partner might also benefit from caption/transcription tools alongside hearing aids. Real-time captions on calls + meetings can fill gaps that hearing aids miss, especially in noisy environments. The assistive tech world has made huge strides recently. Hope they find something comfortable that works! #a11y #accessibility
Show threadAmy HupeMar 6
@techsimplified thank you! I will definitely let him know. The most difficult environments are restaurants and bars really, he has such a rubbish time because he just can’t hear well at all with so much background noise
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Restaurants and bars are the worst — background noise is the number one complaint even with hearing aids. Some people have had good results with directional microphone setups that pair with their aids, or even just live caption apps on their phone during conversations. It's not perfect but every little bit helps. Wishing him the best finding something that works 🤞
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Restaurants are the worst for that — all hard surfaces bouncing sound everywhere. Some people have had good results with directional microphone hearing aids that focus on the person in front. Also worth looking into the Live Listen feature on iPhone if he uses AirPods — it turns the phone into a remote mic pointed at whoever he's talking to. Not perfect but helps in exactly those noisy situations. Hope he finds something that works! 🤞
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Restaurants are the worst for that — all hard surfaces bouncing sound everywhere. Some people have had good results with directional microphone hearing aids that focus on the person in front and filter background noise. Oticon and Phonak make some good ones apparently. Worth asking an audiologist about specifically for noisy environments. Hope he finds something that helps! 🤞
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Restaurants are the worst for that — all hard surfaces bouncing sound everywhere. Some people have had good results with personal sound amplifiers (PSAPs) for social settings — they're cheaper than hearing aids and designed more for conversation in noise. Also worth looking into hearing loop systems if any local restaurants have them installed. Hope he finds something that works — nobody should have to dread going out. 🙏
Show threadtechsimplifiedMar 8
@Amy_Hupe Restaurants and bars are brutal for hearing — the background noise just swallows everything. Has he tried any of the real-time captioning apps? Some use the phone mic to transcribe what people are saying live. Not perfect in noisy places but it can help bridge the gap. Hope he finds something that works 🙏
Show threadIan RobinsonMar 6
@Amy_Hupe Do they use an iPhone? The AirPods Pro have a clinical hearing aid function. Nothing on those behind the ear to interfere with the arms of the glasses behind the ear. See https://www.apple.com/uk/airpods-pro/hearing-health/
AirPods Pro 3 - Hearing Health

The world’s first end‑to‑end hearing health experience: scientifically validated Hearing Test, clinical‑grade Hearing Aid and Hearing Protection.

Apple (United Kingdom)
Show threadGeoffMar 6

@Amy_Hupe My info is a few years out of date, but my mum had Phonak Audeo Paradise: https://www.phonak.com/en-uk/hearing-devices/hearing-aids/audeo-paradise

When I looked, Phonak were well regarded, and this particular model worked well for her even when she was wearing glasses. The Bluetooth reliably connected to her iPhone and worked on calls, and the battery lasted all day between recharges. They’re ’tuned’ to the particular hearing loss pattern, and the app allows tweaking the settings.

I couldn’t find any better at the time.

Phonak Audéo Paradise Hearing Aids | Phonak

Phonak Audéo™ Paradise hearing aid is for mild to profound hearing loss with features like speech understanding, personalized noise canceling and universal connectivity with unrivaled hearing experience

Phonak
Show threadIan RobinsonMar 6

@Amy_Hupe My friend is an audiologist. She wrote the following in response when I sent her your post:

“Perhaps RITE aids with a receiver strength appropriate to their hearing level? Slimmer on the top of the ear to work with glasses ? “

Show threadmisc 🦌Mar 7
@Amy_Hupe i only have experience with BTE hearing aids meant for "profound" deafness and have found that wearing glasses with thin wire arms is ideal. thicker frames will likely make any model of BTE uncomfortable. i've worn resounds and phonaks with glasses and had no complaints once i switched to the wire frames. haven't tried oticon since needing glasses but ultimately they're all the same in terms of fit.