You may have heard of a new product called Aftershokz. They are bone conduction headphones for listening to music whilst keeping the ears open. There are many people who dislike using earbuds due to comfort, and want to keep ears open to the environment for safety whilst cycling or running.

I would love to trial a pair. I imagine they might not be comfortable to use all day, as there needs to be some pressure on your bone to conduct the vibrations well. In noisy environments, I also wonder if the background noise will cover up the music too much.

As I say, it would be really interesting to test, and I accept they are fulfilling an important need of the consumer.

Aftershokz are not designed for those with a hearing impairment. Those with hearing loss will need amplified sound, however, they work on the same principle as a bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA).

 A BAHA may be an alternative for people who cannot use traditional hearing aids, those with;

1) microtia or atresia of the external ear canal;

2) recurrent ear infections, as the ear needs to be open

3) large conductive losses

4) single sided deafness

 A BAHA can be a more efficient way to deliver sound, via the bone rather than acoustically via the ear.

Using a BAHA means a hearing assessment, and a surgical assessment. It involves inserting a titanium rod into the skull, which remains permanently, and attaching a small box which amplifies and transmits sound via the bones of the skull. Candidacy for a BAHA depends on your type of hearing loss and is on a case by case basis.

Conductive hearing loss means there is some type of blockage in the middle ear. Sensorineural hearing loss means a permanent change to your baseline hearing in your inner ear. We expect greater benefit from BAHA for a greater degree of conductive loss and less benefit the greater the sensorineural loss.

Physical activity is an important consideration. As you could imagine, a child who plays contact sport should not use a BAHA as it can be physically dislodged from the skull.  

If you’d like to know if a bone anchored hearing aid could be suitable for your needs, start by making an appointment with a trusted hearing professional.

Clinton Nottingham is an audiologist at Blamey Saunders hears.