Tag Archives: Hearing aids

Doctor checking woman's ear

Meet Allison: Audiologist and Sentio System Wearer

Allison Lenear, AuD, lost her hearing due to repeated ear drum perforations. After multiple ear infections rendered her hearing aid for one ear ineffective, she decided to try Oticon Medical’s Sentio™ System. Here she shares her experience from the unique perspective as both a hearing care professional and a patient.

Early Experience with Hearing Loss Led to Early Advocacy

My hearing loss is the result of chronic ear drum perforations left after many Pressure Equalization (PE) tube placements. At the age of 15, after four failed tympanoplasties (two on each side), I was fitted with binaural hearing aids by my audiologist. He asked, “Aren’t you tired at the end of the day?” which I thought was just a teenager thing!

My hearing aids helped me hear and understand better in class, be more confident when working my afterschool job, and improved my ability to hear whispers backstage as a stage manager in my high school’s theater department. It was at that time I decided I wanted to be the person to help other people in my position accept their hearing loss and feel confident advocating for themselves. When classmates or strangers asked, “What are those things behind your ears?” I was never offended or embarrassed; it was an excellent way to start educating people around me that hearing aids are not only for older adults.

Accepting the Need to Move Beyond Traditional Hearing Aids

I graduated with my Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Louisville in 2017 and started working as an audiologist at ENT of Athens, where I’d completed my fourth-year externship the previous year. I hadn’t had many ear infections as an adult, meaning there was no issue with traditional amplification. However, within the past two years, I started developing frequent bacterial and fungal infections, especially in the left ear. I wasn’t able to wear my hearing aid in that ear while being treated for the infection, making it difficult to hear and understand my patients. Each time I had an infection, it meant going about two weeks unaided on the affected side. It increased my stress, made the strain to hear and understand more difficult, and made me start avoiding things I love to do because it was so exhausting having to strain to hear. Because of this, I started thinking about a bone anchored solution.

Over the years, I’ve tried pretty much any new hearing aid that came out from all six major manufacturers but always ended up coming back to Oticon. I knew that for any sort of bone anchored device, especially when choosing to surgically implant it, I wanted the incredible sound quality, dependability, and reliability that I had come to rely on. So, when the Sentio™ System received FDA approval in the US, I knew I wanted to make the leap. It took some time to get it approved through the hospital, but on July 3, 2025, I became the first recipient in Athens, GA to receive the Sentio, courtesy of my physician and friend, Dr. Jacline Phillips.

Two women smiling

My only concern before surgery was that I would be the first transcutaneous bone anchored hearing system recipient in the facility I had the surgery in! I was confident in my surgeon, who had performed many bone anchored hearing surgeries (percutaneous and other manufacturers’ transcutaneous devices), but the surgical team in the operating room was unfamiliar with them. Luckily, between Dr. Phillips and our Oticon Medical Territory Manager, Dr. Dianna Tingle, everything went off without a hitch.

Undergoing the Sentio Procedure and Processor Fitting

Dr. Phillips mentioned how much easier the Sentio was to implant versus competitors’ products. My incision was much smaller than I anticipated and lined up almost exactly with where my current tympanoplasty scars were located (behind my ear).

Recovery was extremely easy. I had surgery on Thursday and went back to work on Monday. Would I recommend that for everyone? Absolutely not! The only unforeseen issue was that I wear glasses and do not have contacts. So, when I wore my headset to perform hearing evaluations, the arm of my glasses pressed against my beautifully stitched incision and caused some discomfort. I was able to utilize the free accessory included with the Sentio, the EduMic, and connect it to my hearing aid on the right side to be able to hear patients while they were in the test booth, which eliminated pressure from the headset. I continued using that system for about a week after my stitches were removed. Since that time, I have had no pain or discomfort around the surgical site—it is almost like it never happened.

The two weeks leading up to my surgery, I had a fungal infection in the left ear and was unable to wear my hearing aid. I patiently waited two-and-a-half weeks before fitting the Sentio 1 Mini processor [Note: see video snippet below taken during Allison’s fitting session]. Since I was the first to receive a Sentio in our practice, Dr. Phillips, my colleagues, the office manager, and even Dianna came for the fitting. My colleague, who I consider “my” audiologist, was out of the country for vacation and FaceTime’d into the appointment as well!

Feeling Confident with the Sentio 1 Mini

Not having worn any type of amplification for the two weeks leading up to surgery (and more than two weeks after), it was really emotional and an enormous relief to be able to hear from my left side again. Initially, the sound quality was a little different with just my Sentio on, but when I put my right hearing aid in (a pink Oticon REAL™ 1 miniRITE-T with sparkly, swirly ear mold, of course), the sound quality was essentially exactly what I was used to with binaural air conduction amplification. I was able to localize sounds and hear again!

The day after my fitting, I went on a walk with a friend, who is an audiologist, and her linguist husband through our neighborhood. She and I were walking side by side and when I realized that, even though her husband was walking behind us, I could still hear and understand what he was saying… it was unbelievable. I was also able to hear cars and bikes coming from behind, which had been a safety concern of mine in the past when walking alone. Sentio has given me the freedom and the confidence to feel safe walking alone outside. It is absolutely lifechanging.

I love Made for iPhone® (MFi) streaming! I do miss binaural streaming, which isn’t a possibility as far as I am aware, since I am wearing two different devices now (Sentio plus hearing aid). If I need/want binaural streaming, I switch to my headphones, no biggie.

I used to be so worried about infections and making sure my left ear was dry, on top of being annoyed at having something in the left ear. So, most of the time, I would take my hearing aids out when I got home from work. My sweet husband never complained, even if I was complaining that I couldn’t hear due to taking out my own hearing aids, ha-ha! Now, when I am home, the Sentio 1 Mini processor stays on and the hearing aid in my right ear doesn’t bother me, so I am more present and need him to repeat things much less frequently.

My colleagues, after having to deal with me for a solid month of infection and healing, were incredibly relieved when I was fit. An unintended benefit, since I am more aware, is that I am much less jumpy/startled less often by people outside my peripheral vision or behind me. One of my other physicians used to think it was a fun game to sneak up behind me and surprise me—but no more, Dr. Mixson! You have been defeated by the incredible Sentio technology!

Woman doing yoga

I have been pleasantly surprised by how well the processor stays firmly magnetized during walks outside in the southern heat, during Pilates, and in yoga—even when I am in crazy positions! I have only heard feedback once when in a yoga position where my arm was tucked right by my processor, but my friend next to me said she didn’t hear it at all.

I used to have a lot of anxiety and stress due to my frustration over being historically unable to understand speech in certain environments. In the short time we have been together, the Sentio System has been amazing. It makes me feel confident in those situations: being able to hear from which direction traffic noise is coming, my friends walking behind me, and in crowded restaurants—it has brought me a lot of peace. If I start to spiral at particular recommendations for Happy Hour, I must remind myself that I might not have been to that particular restaurant since I activated my Sentio, and so maybe I will do better this time. About 99 percent of the time, I am correct (some places just have terrible acoustics)!

Because the sound quality is quite different from my hearing aid, I used my audiology knowledge and figured out that, similar to cochlear implants, there may be some listening practice involved. Over a few weekends, when at home with my husband, I wore just my Sentio to let my brain adjust to the new sound. Since sound is being transmitted differently than I have experienced in the past, it’s just different! I waited two weeks after my initial fitting before making any adjustments to the settings, which is the same timeframe I request my hearing aid patients wait while trying to adjust to new sound. It has been one month (as of this writing) since my fitting and unsurprisingly, things now sound completely normal. Amazing what can happen when you follow your own advice!

NOTE: Since providing us with this user story, Dr. Lenear has joined Oticon Medical as a Clinical Specialist for New England. 

Why Are My Batteries So Hard To Open?

Reese’s Law Takes Effect in the US

In 2025, a new law went into effect in the United States. Known as Reese’s Law, its intent is to protect individuals, particularly young children, from accidentally swallowing the small round batteries known as “button” or “coin” cell batteries. Since these batteries are normally used in hearing aids (including bone conduction hearing processors) this law affects many hearing device wearers, because it mandates that their packaging be tamper-resistant. Here is what you need to know about this new law and why you will now have to use different techniques to open your button cell battery packs.

Why this law was enacted

The story behind Reese’s Law is a tragedy. It was named for a toddler named Reese Hamsmith, who swallowed the button battery powering one of her toys in 2020. Sadly, she died after a month-long hospital stay. Her mother then founded Reese’s Purpose, which led to the passage of a bipartisan law to protect children from ingesting these tiny batteries. While the law passed in 2022, we are only now seeing widespread implementation, as it only applied to batteries imported after March 2024.

Thousands of cases involving children swallowing button batteries are reported annually in the United States. While some batteries are swallowed and passed without incident, far too many get stuck in children’s (or pets’) throats. In the case of lithium-ion batteries, saliva might cause an electrical current, resulting in a chemical reaction that severely burns the esophagus. Small children, who are at greatest risk, are often too young to express that they swallowed a battery. Because their symptoms typically present as coughing, drooling, or general discomfort, parents usually have no idea that a button battery is the source of their sudden illness.

Although Reese’s Law was based on a case of swallowing a lithium-ion battery, zinc-air batteries are also included. Although the risk to children and pets is somewhat different, zinc-air batteries still contain trace amounts of poisonous mercury that could potentially be lethal if swallowed. Also, the size of all button batteries poses a danger regardless, in that a child can stick one (or more) up their nose or swallow them easily, creating choking hazards. Therefore, all button batteries are included under the mandates, which includes a requirement to use tamper-resistant packaging.

Challenges presented by childproof battery packaging

The motives and logic behind stronger safeguards against children swallowing button batteries make sense. However, the new law presents undeniable challenges for many hearing device wearers, who depend on these small, round batteries to power their hearing aids or bone anchored hearing processors.

The biggest issue for adults is the change in packaging. All button-sized batteries are required to be contained in approved packaging according to the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA). This packaging is tested to ensure that 85 percent (or more) of children cannot reasonably open it unassisted within a five-minute span and that 80 percent (or more) cannot open it even after receiving instructions from an adult on how to open it.

This tamper-proof packaging is also tested to make sure an adult can open it with “relative ease”. However, this assumption is based on the average, able-bodied adult. It does not take into consideration dexterity, vision, or cognitive challenges that often affect older adults or individuals with conditions that impede coordination, strength, or sight.

Guidance for opening tamper-resistant battery packaging

Here are the steps for safely cutting the new tamper-resistant packaging to access your batteries:

  • Get a pair of scissors
  • Place the battery package on a flat, stable surface. This will help you avoid accidentally damaging the batteries, cutting yourself, or dropping and losing batteries, once freed of their packaging
  • Be careful to only cut where indicated either on the package itself or in these instructions, and not directly over the battery(ies)
  • For a single battery, cut the top off the package to just above the plastic blister containing the battery
  • Peel cardboard backing away from the back
  • Tap the battery out onto the flat surface
  • For a multipack of batteries, cut between the individual compartments until the battery you want to access can be removed as described above

Our friends at HearingLife have put together a short video demonstrating how to cut into the new childproof packaging so as not to damage the batteries. You can view it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Si6aKj-1doQ.

Getting batteries for your Oticon Medical bone anchored hearing system

Oticon Medical stocks batteries suitable for all our available hearing processors. In the United States, you can contact our Customer Service team to order batteries at 888.277.8014 (M-F 8am-7pm ET) or you can place an order anytime via [email protected]. Here is a list of our current processors and the battery each requires (note: all batteries are zinc-air):

  • Ponto 4: Size 312
  • Ponto 5 Mini: Size 312
  • Ponto 5 SuperPower: Size 675 P
  • Sentio 1 Mini: Size 675

Four Tips to Help Your Child Succeed in the Classroom

With the right support, children with hearing loss can still find success in school. Parents play a crucial role in this journey, often serving as their child’s biggest advocate. Whether it be fighting to ensure that their child has access to the necessary resources to achieve success or providing support for the child at home, the role of parents in their children’s academic lives is vital. In a recent discussion involving Dr. Michelle Kraskin (Weill Cornell Medicine’s Director of Audiology), Sammie Levy (an educational specialist), Kimberly Szabo (an educational audiologist), and Laurie Winter (a teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing), they provided four essential tips regarding steps parents can take to help their child flourish both academically and socially. 

Provide copies of your child’s hearing tests to the school.

When asked about how audiologists might help support their patients in educational environments, Kraskin answered, “One of the things we do at our center is provide our patients with copies of their hearing tests that they can provide to the school.” Szabo agreed with this statement, adding that while audiograms are helpful, speech and noise testing is also extremely important, as it “gives a lot of information on how [audiograms] translate into the classroom.”

Providing both tests to the school helps them understand what the baseline is for the child at that moment, rather than having to work with tests from several years ago. Winter re-enforces that while audiograms do give an idea of “the type and degree of hearing loss,” they “don’t tell how that person functions with their hearing.” This is important for teachers and educators to be aware of so they can figure out the student’s educational needs. 

Meet with the school to discuss expectations regarding your child’s hearing loss.

Another thing that the experts agreed was beneficial, especially with younger students, was a conference between parents and educators. When it comes to a small child, who is often unable to fully or accurately express themself, parents understand best how they function and how to manage their hearing loss. Parents can also provide insight into the challenges and struggles their child encounters in the classroom.

Levy adds that for older children, “quality of life check-in’s” work, and that even though “the school day is 8:30 to 2:30, we want to support our patients [and empower them to] enjoy extracurricular activities, complete their homework, and engage in dinner conversations,” like their peers.

These conferences give parents an opportunity to discuss concerns with their child’s educators, and create a game plan for their students. Levy mentions that these conferences help educators develop a “school year bucket list of things that they want to accomplish or enhance at the beginning of the school year,” which can be discussed later in the year, to track growth and success. 

If your child needs something to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask.

If you know that your child needs something in the classroom to succeed, whether it be an FM system, microphone like the EduMic, or something else, Winter states that it is “very helpful for the educator to have that information” so that they “have something available that is geared specifically to [the child’s] needs.” Winter notes that although this is helpful for educators and kids, she rarely hears about parents sharing this information.

The experts agree with Winter, and Kraskin adds that avoiding “wishy-washy terms, such as may benefit,” is also helpful. Rather, use definitive terms, such as “will benefit,” to avoid any “gray area or interpretation,” which frequently results in the student not getting the proper accommodations they require.

Levy continues by giving the example, “We know that X, Y, and Z would be very beneficial for the student because…” The experts agree that this statement reduces a lot of those “gray areas” that may have been left up to interpretation. This avoids the need to leave things up to the discretion of teachers or administrators, who may be completely unfamiliar with working with hard of hearing students, as well as help break down the “lack of willingness to give all the accommodations.” 

Empower yourself with information.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Kraskin says. Believing that one of the most important things is empowering the parent with information, Kraskin adds, “A lot of the parents do not know what their rights are, what kind of care and accommodations their child should be receiving, or what the law is.” Whether parents learn from clinicians and audiologists, other families who have already dealt with the same issues, or other trustworthy resources, it is essential that they are aware of what their children are entitled to and how to fight for it.

Winter agrees, stating that from her experience, “parents do not know what their rights are, what’s out there for their children, or what schools can provide.”

Supporting children with hearing loss requires a combination of efforts from parents, educators, and hearing care professionals working together. By keeping these tips in mind, parents can help ensure that they have all the tools and confidence to fully engage in their education and reach their full potential.

Want to learn more? Find the whole discussion on Audiology Online!

 

 

 

 

 

Bone Anchored Hearing Systems: When Hearing Aids Aren’t Enough

A Message for Veterans with Hearing Loss

Many veterans experience hearing loss due to physical trauma endured while on duty. Many of these losses may be treatable with traditional hearing aids. However, some forms of hearing loss—typically involving damage to the outer ear, ear canal, or other physical components—may not be. Yet many vets are unaware that they have options beyond regular hearing aids, such as bone anchored hearing systems (BAHS).

If you served your country, you may qualify to receive coverage from the government for a BAHS. Read on to learn more about this advanced treatment and whether it might be the solution you need.

Types of Hearing Loss Commonly Experienced by Veterans

More than 1.3 million US veterans receive disability compensation for hearing loss. Considering how frequently military personnel are exposed to extremely loud sounds for extended periods, including explosions, weapons fire, military air-and-seacrafts, and more, it is no surprise that so many experience noise-induced hearing damage, aka sensorineural hearing loss. This form of hearing loss is most often treated with traditional, air conduction hearing aids—the removable devices worn either in the ear or behind the ear.

However, hearing losses related to physical injuries typically require an alternative treatment that utilizes bone conduction to improve hearing ability. Known as conductive hearing losses, these may result from the loss of the pinna (outer ear), damage or loss of the ear canal, or similar injuries. Those with single-sided deafness—whether due to sensorineural or conductive hearing loss—may also experience better results from bone conduction.

Bone Anchored Hearing Systems Aid Certain Service-Related Hearing Losses

As mentioned above, bone anchored hearing treatment utilizes bone conduction to improve hearing ability. While regular hearing aids go in or on the ear to receive, amplify, and clarify sound, BAHS are worn on small, implanted posts called abutments near the ear. Bone conduction may be a viable option if your cochlea (inner ear) is still intact and functional.

A processor that receives sound is snapped onto the abutment a few weeks following implantation. This device transmits sound via unnoticeable vibrations through your skull bone, bypassing the damaged or missing portions of your ear, directly into the cochlea. The sound is then sent to your brain for normal processing as comprehensible speech, music, or other sounds.

Next Steps for Vets Interested in Bone Conduction

If you think your hearing loss might be treatable with a BAHS, your first step should be to contact your local Veterans Administration and schedule an appointment with an audiology professional. Depending on your past service, you might qualify for free or reduced-cost hearing healthcare, including diagnosis and treatment. You may also qualify for monthly disability compensation payments, tax-free. Please note that if you don’t live near a VA hearing clinic or the wait is extensive, you might be able to utilize VA Community Care to see a local hearing healthcare provider.

To find out which benefits you qualify for, please contact your local VA medical center representative.

Oticon Medical Ponto System for Veterans

Oticon Medical offers bone anchored hearing solutions that are used by wearers all over the world to help them overcome hearing loss at home, work, and in social situations. For more information on our minimally invasive Ponto™ surgery for implantation of an abutment and our most current technology, the Ponto 5 family of hearing processors, please visit our website.