How to Turn Hearing Protection into a Pillar of Your Practice

For this National Protect Your Hearing Month, Dave talks to Luke Maresh, product manager for SoundGear, about loud jobs, the difference between passive and active hearing protection, why custom-fit products beat foamies every time, and the many ways adding SoundGear to your product portfolio is smart business both short term and long.

Link to transcript

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Welcome to Starkey Soundbites. I'm your host, Dave Fabry, Starkey's Chief Innovation Officer. October is protect your hearing month, and today we're joined by an expert on that topic of hearing protection, Luke Marsh. He's the product manager for Soundgear, which is a high-tech hearing protection device made by Starkey. Luke, thank you for joining us today on the podcast.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Well, thanks for having me. I'm excited to be here.

SPEAKER_00 0:28

Well, and you know, as I said, October is protect your hearing month, and I can think of no better time than to talk about this. And this is a topic rather near and dear to my heart. I've uh abused my ears with sound uh from drumming and motorcycling long before I ever thought I was going to become an audiologist. And I, you know, I think it's uh, you know, uh admirable that a company like Starkey is focused not only on fixing what's broken, but thinking about the sound gear platform that protects people from getting hearing loss before it occurs due to non-occupational or occupational means.

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Absolutely. And I think it really just kind of comes down to being part of the overall hearing health care journey. Um there's obviously prevention as well as treatment. Um, and in preventing potential hearing loss earlier in life, you're making people more aware of their hearing. You're making them more aware of the situations that they're in. And in turn, um, the longer you can prevent uh them coming in for hearing treatment, um, the better you'll be. But inevitably, if they're partaking in some of those uh louder environments, some of those more um acoustically uh dangerous environments, they're ultimately going to become a client or a uh potential patient down the road, either way. So you've established that relationship early.

SPEAKER_00 1:43

Yeah, and I know you know a lot of professionals take for granted because they've devoted their careers to the study of hearing and balance disorders, but uh many individuals in the community aren't aware that the damage that occurs from noise exposure is irreversible. And yet people take it for granted and kind of think, you know, when you're younger, you think, ah, my ears are tough enough and uh I can I can engage in this activity or that activity, and I know it's a little noisy or go to loud concerts, um, but then they don't really notice the damage that has occurred until it's too late.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Absolutely. And I think, you know, as a formerly younger person myself at one point in my life, um I think the biggest thing with hearing loss is it's so gradual. You don't notice that something is affecting your hearing in the moment, most of the time, right? There's always those dramatic situations where, like, boom, this was the difference. But generally speaking, it's cumulative over many years where you just get exposure and exposure and exposure, and then finally you do have that hearing loss. Um, and the other thing is that it's generally not painful. So even though you are damaging your hearing, um, you don't really realize it till later. You may have some ringing, you may have some uncomfortability, but at the end of the day, after a few minutes, that usually goes away. You didn't realize what you have just done that could potentially affect your hearing for the rest of your life or for many years to come.

SPEAKER_00 3:03

Yeah. And, you know, I think that those are great reminders of that, that need to have that sense of urgency and that sense of protection. Um, I talked about non-occupational ways that you can damage your hearing. Talk about some of the occupations that people may or may not think of that are at risk for damage due to noise exposure.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

Yep. I mean, I think people think right away of kind of a more stereotypical loud environments, production facilities, manufacturing facilities, um, police and law enforcement come to mind. Sure. Um, although hopefully they're not doing a lot of shooting on the job. There's a ton of training and things that go into that. Um, but what people don't realize is that the sound of a nail gun or a loud saw at a construction job site is extremely similar to that of shooting a gun as a law enforcement agent or anything else. Um and so, you know, construction, lawn mowing services, medical people practices right now, dentists are highly susceptible to to hearing loss from the high frequency derived from the tools that they're using.

SPEAKER_00 4:07

Yeah, the drills and the suction, actually, too, I know over the years.

SPEAKER_01 4:10

And they do it for years and years and years. And similarly to like we mentioned, this isn't something that happens overnight. It's gradual, it's cumulative over you know years of practicing and working with those tools. Um, you know, we're seeing a lot more activity with our hearing protection in these um more professional environments, not just the hobbyists and gun sport enthusiasts. Um, and I think a big part of that is just the awareness. People are just more aware that their job and that life in general is noisy, and so there's ways to protect it. Um, and we've come up with many solutions for that to accommodate all different types of situations.

SPEAKER_00 4:48

Yeah, it's really interesting you bring up the dentists because when I've worked uh clinically, uh I've worked with quite a few dentists over the years, and one of the things is not only uh the suction and the drills that they're exposed to during their work hours, but many of them have hobbies that you would stand to reason that might want to uh work with their hands, uh lathes, uh uh woodworking tools. Um they they have things that they enjoy doing outside of the workplace that also puts them at risk for noise exposure. And as you said, it's cumulative, and it's really the ear really has a remarkable ability to recover from uh noise exposures within a 24-hour period, but it also is the case that during a 24-hour wake, you know, 24-hour period of time, um, it's your uh occupational and non-occupational exposure that adds up to levels that can be damaging. In addition to the measurable hearing loss, what else can come along with that noise exposure, other other health-related symptoms? I mean, we've been talking about comorbidities between hearing loss and other conditions. Are there any studies or stats that you have that support or suggest that with a noise-induced hearing loss, there are specific other uh physiological or health conditions that go along with that?

SPEAKER_01 6:13

Yeah, it's and that's a good point. I mean, because we talk a lot about the repercussions of your overall hearing health due to the exposure of loud noises. Um, however, there's additional factors that come into play for being surrounded with noise for a consistent amount of time. Um, so I think everybody can understand if you are just put yourself into a place where there is constant noise being played over and over and over, um, it's going to add to stress and anxiety. For sure. Um statistically, they show that it can increase blood pressure, um, it increases your heart rate, you can get an upset stomach, um, it can affect your ability to sleep even after the sound has been gone. So um imagine being in a factory all day and you hear these machines all day long, you go home and try to sleep, what do you hear? You still hear those machines. I mean, it's um something that affects everybody that way.

SPEAKER_00 7:00

Um we know also that if um tinnitus ringing in the ears often accompanies noise-induced hearing loss, and tinnitus has been known to raise blood pressure, raise stress, anxiety, tension, um, and uh, and so it stands to reason that not only hearing those phantom sounds, as you said, or being sensitive, hypersensitive to different noises, but then also if you suffer any of the effects beyond the hearing loss, including ringing in your ears, that can be a complicated factor.

SPEAKER_01 7:32

And and probably one of the biggest ones too, that wasn't even on my list, but just overall fatigue. Yeah, you know, you get tired, you get cranky, you get, you know, just worn down from this constant state of uh stimulus. Um and I think even in the you know, in the hearing world, when when you notice when somebody has a set of hearing aids, it's working well for them, they're more relaxed, they can sit back, they don't have to put so much time and focus and effort into being able to hear and communicate with those um that they're speaking with. I mean, you can physically see a difference in their body language, they're able to relax. And so, you know, imagine that being very similar to being in a loud environment for several hours at a time, you know, to be able to relax and come out of that once you're away from that noise exposure.

SPEAKER_00 8:14

Absolutely. Well, so we've addressed what uh can cause uh high frequency hearing loss. Let's talk about how to prevent that from occurring. And soundgear is a great way to do that. So, talk a little bit about what types of technologies and products are available from Soundgear.

SPEAKER_01 8:34

One of the great things about Soundgear is we really do have a solution for any sound environment that you're in. And so um, when it comes down to which product is going to be the most appropriate, um it's great to have a conversation with this potential consumer that you're speaking with. You know, where do you where are you going to be using this? What is your primary goal while protecting your hearing? Um, do you need to be able to communicate? And at what level? Do you need to have enhanced speech? Do you need to be able to hear better while you're wearing this product? Or is your primary goal to deter those loud noises and the effects of hearing loss because due to noise exposure? Um and from that point, that's where you can kind of start to dwindle it down to a specific product that we have. Um and so we really separate it out into two buckets. We have passive hearing protection, which is non-electronic. It's just, you know, its primary goal is to protect, and then we have active hearing protection and electronic hearing protection, which is uh dual purpose. It's going to protect but also enhance speech and other sounds. Um and within those two groups, we have varying levels of um adjustability. Um, and you can choose you know which product is most appropriate based on the um activity that the wearer is going to be partaking in.

SPEAKER_00 9:46

So are most of these products uh the type of traditional earplug kind of interface? There's a standard kind of a triple flange or double flange earplug, or are there customized solutions as well?

SPEAKER_01 10:01

So we really focus on custom and we do that for a few different reasons. First and foremost, Starkey makes custom products better than any other manufacturer in the planet. So we know our strength, we want to play to our strength, and we want to give the professionals the ability to use their skills and their uh professionalism to be able to fit a high-quality custom product. You cannot buy a custom product from a big box retailer. Um, so with these custom products, um not only do we build them the best, but they are the most consistent fit for any individual wearing them. You're gonna get a consistent feel, you're gonna get a consistent uh protection level. Um, and that's something that a non-custom product just cannot uh supply. And so um 70% of people uh say that, or excuse me, 70% of people that use the foamy inserts don't put them in correctly. Whether they don't push them in far enough, they don't squeeze them to get them deep enough, or they just don't simply hold them in long enough for the foam to expand to create that tight seal. Um and so right out of the gates, if you don't put them in properly, you're not gonna be protecting your hearing properly.

SPEAKER_00 11:06

Yeah, that's one of my real pet peeves. I I see people at a concert or at a noisy event, and the uh foamies they're wearing are I can see two-thirds of them sticking out of their ear, which means that there's just a little bit of uh uh product in the ear canal. And I'm always I have to restrain myself from going in and showing them how to properly insert them. But but I think you're absolutely right. On the custom solution, at least you're ensuring consistent placement. And then as you say, for the hearing care professional, it enables them to flex some of their uh uh skill set muscles by uh working with a potential patient to uh customize the solution by making your mold impressions.

SPEAKER_01 11:50

Yeah. And you know, I think when people think of a custom anything, right, whether it's hearing protection or you know, the word custom, it just kind of um breeds that animosity that it might be something more expensive. Um and when it comes to our products, I mean, even from our solid, solid plugs all the way up to our most advanced, you know, electronic hearing protection, um, I always talk to people, especially that that are going to be wearing this a lot. I mean, it's it's an investment in protecting your hearing. It's better than the foamies and it protects better than the foamies do. Um, you know, so we see a lot more people going towards these custom solutions because quite frankly, they're dealing with elderly people or older people in their family, and they're literally telling us that I need to do something, I need to do it now, I can't even, you know, be around my dad anymore because he can't hear anything and I'm not gonna turn out like him. And so people understand the importance of buying quality hearing protection and and they're willing to take the step to do the custom.

SPEAKER_00 12:46

Excellent. Well, so we talk about custom and standard solutions. What about um rechargeable versus replaceable batteries and who might be more appropriate for one versus the other?

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Yeah, so well, that kind of brings us into um the one of the really the premier product on the market right now, which is our Phantom electronic hearing protection. And that is kind of hitting the market by storm because we're the only ones that offer a custom rechargeable Bluetooth solution. Um, and so the market was really craving this device for two reasons. First and foremost, Bluetooth to be able to stream music and phone calls. I mean, it's just it didn't exist in a custom platform. Um, people have been demanding it. We were finally able to come to the table and answer their demands, and you know, we've um that's been well, very, very well received. I mean, people are buying these things like crazy. Um, when it comes to rechargeability, um, to not have to fuddle around with little batteries um is an awesome addition to the Phantom product.

SPEAKER_00 13:45

Um, there's especially if it's you know fall or winter in Minnesota, you're already wearing gloves or you're wearing gear, and to to fiddle around with uh uh inserting or removing a battery or replacing it when you're on the field. I mean, a huge convenience factor.

SPEAKER_01 13:59

Yeah, and just to remember that to even have them, you know, they're very small. Yeah, that's a great transferability uh aspect of a hearing aid battery, but it's also easy to lose them, it's easy to forget them. Um, and so uh with the Phantom product, we we have the premium charger, so there is a battery on board for that. So you're not tethered to the wall for power. Um, you can still bring the case with and charge the devices when you're on the go. So you still have the flexibility like a battery device has, um, but you don't have the additional cost, you don't have the additional hassle. Um, and it's again at this point in time, rechargeability is just what everybody's used to, whether it's a cell phone or anything else. Um, it's just a nice way to not have to deal with all those batteries all the time.

SPEAKER_00 14:39

So, how long can I wear my phantom devices before I have to recharge them?

SPEAKER_01 14:44

So the phantoms are rated for 23 hours of continual continual use, and that is if you are even if you're streaming for four of those 23 hours. Okay. Um, so generally speaking, you know, people that are going out are going to wear these for you know anywhere from four to twelve hours a day if you're on if you're hunting, um, and they're lasting them all day and then some to be able to um just have to charge them at night when you sleep, and they're good to go.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

And we talk about all hearing aids uh work in a hostile work environment, the ear. And then when you add in a hunter wearing this uh phantom device that you're referencing, and they're out in the elements, there it's often raining or they're perspiring because they're they're moving a lot. How um moisture resistant are these devices?

SPEAKER_01 15:27

Yep. So we use the the same uh moisture-resistant nanocoating that we use for hearing aids. Um, basically, they're not submersible, so you cannot swim with them, but um that we're not getting them coming back with water damage or damage from the elements. Um so they're very robust, um, very flexible for those those environments. Um, speaking of the phantom, just one more quick point on that. And what I think people need to realize is that I mean, people get so excited about the rechargeability, they get so excited about the Bluetooth streaming and all that. Um, and at the end of the day, what you just have to remember is that people forget that it protects your hearing.

SPEAKER_00 16:02

Right.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

You know, that basically any sound over 90 decibels, it's going to instantly suppress, right? We have different listening modes on the product, so you can choose the environment that's right for whatever you're using it for, whether that's a concert or if it's hunting or if it's trap shooting, or if you are on a construction site, right? I mean, it is still intended to protect your hearing. And so it's, you know, it kills me when I see guys out at the shooting range wearing airpods, and they're like, well, it's got noise canceling. No, this phantom is not noise canceling, it is a hearing protection device that is rated to protect your hearing, it's going to suppress at 90 decibels, it allows for up to 30 decibels of amplification. I mean, it is built for this specifically, not for everything else. Now, the the part of the great part about it is that you can use it for so many other things. Sure. Um, you know, mowing the lawn. If I own a lawn service, I would buy these for every single guy on my team because it's protecting you. You can mute the external mics and you can stream music all day long on the lawnmower and protect your hearing. And so uh there's it's just really opened the channels of different people looking to buy these things and to use them for lots of different applications. Um, no longer is it just the hunting and shooting communities that that are really coming after hearing protection.

SPEAKER_00 17:14

Yeah, and I think you know the important thing is many of these folks who are inclined to use um the Soundgear type products, including these phantoms that have the um active uh mics on the outside, uh, may already have experienced a little bit of hearing loss before they discovered uh hearing protection that works when they need it. Um because, as you mentioned, a lot of times people uh eschew the use of hearing protection because they want to hear uh around them. They want to hear other people who are hunting, they want to hear game, and if they just have traditional foamies or devices that use passive-only protection, they can't do that, as you've said. But they may find that it benefits them to have them in their ears and and enable them to hear those people even a little bit better than they would if they had no protection in at all.

SPEAKER_01 18:05

Absolutely. I mean, whether it's communicating with you know people on a team, um if you're trap shooting or just having conversation to not have to take them in and out all the time, um, or if it is for an advantage while you're hunting to be able to hear better in the field, um, these these devices are seeing a lot more traction with those. And what it's really doing is we're a lot of the guys we talk to, they realize that they haven't worn hearing protection either enough or appropriately in the past. And this is kind of a gateway into the potential for hearing aids, right? And so, you know, not only can you hear, but you can hear better with these. That's attractive to them. You can put into our high frequency booth setting. And and we get a lot of guys saying, like, I would prefer to wear these during my conversations because I can hear and understand better. Right. Um, and so, you know, that being said, when somebody comes in looking for hearing protection, um, you know, you already have somebody in your office that is concerned about their hearing enough to take that step to look into the investment of something electronic and understands the importance and the value of a custom solution that they're coming in to talk to their hearing care professional about it.

SPEAKER_00 19:12

For sure. And every professional I know is looking to try to minimize that five to seven year time period that uh transpires from when a person first thinks that he or she might have some hearing loss until they actually purchase hearing aids. This, as you said, is sort of a gateway into that by uh protecting if they're engaged in noisy activities, but some of them probably already acquired some hearing loss. It's a qualified lead for practices. And I think, and then really leveraging the expertise to help them identify which product is best for them, the form factor, make those ear mold impressions, talk with them about uh the use of the um of the amplification in addition to the passive attenuation, and really work to try to work with that individual to ensure that they protect their hearing. But then when they are ready to go to that next step because maybe there was damage done already previously, um they they already know who to go to and who to trust.

SPEAKER_01 20:13

Absolutely. And you know, October is a great time to do that to get them kind of get the word out. Um, it's hearing protection month, um, it's hunting season a lot uh in in most areas. Um farmers are in the fields taking crops out. Uh, I was helping my father in law this last weekend, and the amount of noise around the grain, the grain bin, the equipment, I mean, it's just insane. And people don't really associate that with it. I mean, every once in a while you see a dusty set of earmuffs laying there, but they never protect their hearing. Um, you know, and doing what I do now, I'm like, holy cow, this is super loud. Like there's so many different areas. And so, you know, when when it's time like October to kind of promote your business to get out there, maybe it's an extra advertisement in the newspaper, maybe it's you know, uh, your business card at the local shooting range. Um, it's a great time to talk to them about it. And when they come in, um, you know, you have that lead to be able to discuss the options for hearing protection. Um, but also most of these guys probably already have some degree of hearing loss. So it's really just uh promoting yourself and getting yourself out there to let them know that hearing protection is available at a hearing aid clinic.

SPEAKER_00 21:15

So, where's where are you going? What's the next step with Soundgear or Phantom? Or what can you tell us a little bit about the future?

SPEAKER_01 21:23

So the future is is broad for Soundgear. There's so many markets we've really focused in on hunting and shooting. Um, with the launch of Phantom, it's opened the doors to so many more you know opportunities and so many areas that we really want to focus. Um and so we want to take time to you know learn about those markets. What products do we need to look at? Um, but also to just continue on to promote and and get these products into the ears of the people that need them the most. Um and it it's a challenge, you know. I think uh the the hearing care professional offices do a tremendous job at fitting hearing aid. It's diagnosing hearing loss and really working to better people's lives. Getting the word out about hearing protection to kind of get that conversation started earlier is one of my primary goals. So we're working to you know get more communication out there for the office to understand what is Sound Gear, what does it do, how do we recommend it. You know, we're doing a lot more trainings and webinars with people because they know it exists, but they just they don't either feel comfortable with it because they don't use it a lot. Um and so you know, I think the the custom hearing protection industry has so much room for growth. Um, and the professionals, you know, have so much weight in that. You know, you can't go to a store and get it. We need you guys for this, and this is the best the best protection on the market to get people as custom.

SPEAKER_00 22:44

So yeah, I couldn't agree more. And I think so often um hearing care providers uh get caught up in treating the loss after it occurs. And this is a great way to educate patients, potential patients, their family members. And you know, we've we've focused on occupations, we've focused on hunting. I think you know, one thing, too, that um often goes without saying is we've seen that since the advent of smartphones and uh uh wireless ear earphones, uh, there has been a dramatic increase in noise-induced hearing loss in teenagers. I believe the numbers somewhere around one in six or one in seventeens already have some measurable hearing loss. And um, you know, how does that relate to this? Uh I think even among professionals out there, they may have kids who are musicians or or in or in school band and uh are practicing a lot. Even that element in combination with streaming music at high levels can cause damage. So even for the providers, what they say, the shoemaker's son or daughter often goes shoeless for those providers out there, thinking about their kids as well as themselves uh first before they start going out there and trying to boil the ocean, thinking about ways that they can find other patients is an important reminder.

SPEAKER_01 24:01

Right. And just keep in mind, you know, that most hearing losses, you know, it's a relation to, you know, length of duration of time to intensity of sound. Well, when kids nowadays are wearing, you know, loud headphones for six, seven, eight hours a day, you know, it's not quite the same as, yeah, I went to one concert back in the day and it was super loud, and I think that's when I lost my hearing. This is constant exposure.

SPEAKER_00 24:20

It's roughly equivalent to the levels that a factory worker might experience working for eight hours a day when everyone's streaming now.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

If not more, you know, when you hear some of these things come by and you hear how loud these kids have them, um, maybe that's my age shining through a little bit to you know, start to you know, rip on these little kids a little bit. But uh no, it's a hundred percent. You see headphones, everything, people are just constantly exposing themselves. So duration's starting to catch up with them.

SPEAKER_00 24:43

Well, I appreciate your sharing that and and updating with Soundgear and Phantom and the other devices available. Where can people get more information for this?

SPEAKER_01 24:52

I would recommend that if you have questions, go to our website, soundgear.com. Um, and from there, uh you can look at the products, you can see the specs on them. Um, if there's any questions from there, you can either email or call us directly from the number on soundgear.com. I'm always accessible. So if you need to ask for me, my name is Luke Marsh. You can call Starkey and get transferred to me, and I can go through and answer any questions about any Soundgear products that we offer.

SPEAKER_00 25:15

Excellent. Thank you, Luke. And so, final question. I mean, it's protect your hearing month. What are some of the sounds that you're trying to protect so that you can continue to hear them? What are some of your favorite sounds that you like to hear?

SPEAKER_01 25:29

Uh, silence in the morning is my favorite sound. I get up early when I walk out of my house. There's just something different about a cold, crisp Minnesota morning when there's when there's nothing to be heard. So my favorite sound is a lack of sound.

SPEAKER_00 25:45

Yep. And again, protecting your hearing means that when there's a lack of sound, they won't be ringing like mine are right now. So uh protecting your hearing means that you can continue to appreciate that silence, if you will.

SPEAKER_01 25:57

Absolutely, and for now, I'm good because I've been protecting my hearing.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Good for you. Well, thanks, Luke. It's been an absolute pleasure to chat with you today. And to our listeners, thanks for listening to this episode of Starky Soundbites. If you enjoyed this conversation, please rate and review us on your preferred podcast platform and share with your friends and network. You can also follow us by hitting subscribe to be sure that you don't miss a single episode. Thanks, and we'll look forward to hearing you again soon.

SPEAKER_01 26:25

Thanks for having me, Dave.