Prescription Health: New hearing aid revolutionizing the market
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76-year-old Muneera Salem-Murdock's home is filled with books and music.
But the music started to fade when her hearing started to go.
“I started worrying of raising the volume, I certainly did not want to disturb the neighbors,” Salem-Murdock said.
Salem-Murdock tried traditional hearing aids, but "for the first three days, migraines with nausea and vomiting," she said.
According to Seth Oringher, an otolaryngologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, 99% of the hearing aids that are on the market involve a microphone that picks up the sound, and a speaker that then sends the sound to the eardrum.
Now, a new type of hearing device is changing the game. Earlens uses a tiny lens placed directly on the eardrum.
“I describe it as very similar to how a contact lens stays on your eye, so it's custom-made to fit perfectly in the ear canal against the eardrum,” Oringher said.
A behind the ear processor collects the sound, then wirelessly transfers it to the lens with gentle pulses of energy that stimulate the eardrum, providing a broader range of hearing.
“I thought I’d give it a try, and I did. And I have not regretted it for a moment," Salem-Murdock said.
Salem-Murdock is back to listening to her music, and not worrying about what the neighbors think.
Earlens can help patients whose hearing loss ranging from mild to severe. Patients are able to swim and do anything they would normally do with the Earlens.
The only limitation is that if you need an MRI, and the doctor would have to remove it.
Watch the video above for the full story.
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