World's first disposable hearing aid marketed to baby boomers

ATLANTA - Thanks to too much cranked up Led Zeppelin and Lynyrd Skynyrd, thousands of aging baby boomers are suffering hearing loss.

But the old-fashioned, conspicuous hearing aids are not an option for many boomers reluctant to admit they need one and worried about looking old. And most smaller, in-the-ear canal devices may be too expensive for those with only mild hearing loss.

So one company thinks it has an answer: a hearing aid that is inexpensive enough over the short term that it can be disposable.

''When I saw this type of hearing aid, I thought it would give me the chance to try them out in both ears and have an in-the-ear hearing aid to see if I liked it,'' said Dave Trent of Atlanta, 42.

In-the-ear digital hearing aids can cost close to $5,000 for both ears and occasionally need new batteries. The Songbird hearing aid, which became available earlier this year, can be replaced when it wears out in 30 to 40 days at a cost of about $80.

Songbird is manufactured by Songbird Hearing Inc. of Cranbury, N.J.

To overcome the perception that hearing aids are only for the elderly, Songbird CEO Fred Fritz said the product will be marketed to address noise-induced - as opposed to age-related - hearing loss, the most common reason for baby boomer hearing difficulties.

A 1991 government study said the number of men aged 45 to 65 suffering hearing problems was 36 percent higher than in a similar study in the 1970s.

''Songbird is targeted to the vast population of baby boomers whose lifelong exposure to decibel-blasting music, high-pitched manufacturing noises and other forms of noise pollution has taken its toll on their hearing,'' said Helena Solodar, co-owner of Audiological Consultants of Atlanta, which sells the hearing aid.

To some in the industry, Songbird's innovation is more marketing than science.

''It is an interesting concept, but the circuitry is not that revolutionary,'' said Doug Hudson, CEO of HearingPlanet.Com, an Internet seller of hearing aid products based in Nashville.

Thomas Powers, director of audiology for Siemens Hearing Instruments, a New Jersey-based maker and seller, said one concern is that users of disposable hearing aids might not get checkups as often because they don't require maintenance.

''There's really no mechanism or guarantee that a person would get future hearing tests to see if their hearing has changed,'' he said.

''There are lots of professionals that are not real excited about this product,'' Hudson said.

Solodar said Songbirds cannot be dispensed without a hearing test or consultation with an audiologist.

And although the Songbird is cheaper initially than other hearing aids, in the long run it can be more expensive.

The newest digital hearing aids cost around $4,600 for both ears, but they'll last five or six years. The cost of Songbirds, replaced monthly, would be about $5,760 for six years.

Still, Hudson predicts Songbird will sell well.

''It's a good idea for the consumer who is not sure they want to commit to full-fledged program of amplification and hearing rehabilitation,'' he said.

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On the Net:

National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders: www.nih.gov/nidcd/health/health.htm

Audiological Consultants of Atlanta: www.audioconsult.com