The Hearing Matters Podcast: Hearing Aids, Hearing Technology and Tinnitus

Hosted by Hearing Matters

Technology Health Fitness EducationInterviews guestsExplicit

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Episodes

268

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Welcome to the #1 Hearing Aid & Hearing Health Podcast with Blaise M. Delfino, M.S. - HIS! We combine education, entertainment, and all things hearing aid-related in one ear-pleasing package! In each episode, we'll unravel the mysteries of the auditory system, decode the latest advancements in hearing technology, and explore the unique challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss. But don't worry, we promise our discussions won't go in one ear and out the other! From heartwarming personal stories to mind-blowing research breakthroughs, the Hearing Matters Podcast is your go-to destination for all things related to hearing health. Get ready to laugh, learn, and join a vibrant community that believes that hearing matters - because it truly does!

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60 recent

June 16, 202643 min

Auracast Is Here: Bluetooth’s Hearing Access Revolution

Send us Fan MailAuracast may be one of the biggest shifts in hearing accessibility, Bluetooth audio, and assistive listening technology in decades.In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS speaks with Mikey Shaffer, Vice President of North American Sales at Listen Technologies, about how Auracast broadcast audio is changing the way people with hearing loss, hearing aids, cochlear implants, and Auracast-compatible earbuds connect in public spaces.Mikey explains how Auracast works within Bluetooth Low Energy, why it is often described as “Wi-Fi for audio,” and how venues like houses of worship, higher education, performing arts centers, airports, stadiums, restaurants, and corporate environments can use this technology to improve accessibility. The conversation also explores the future of assistive listening systems, hearing loops, telecoil technology, direct audio input, hearing aid stigma, and why community-based hearing healthcare matters more than ever.Whether you are a hearing care professional, audiologist, hearing instrument specialist, venue operator, caregiver, or someone who struggles to hear clearly in noisy environments, this episode offers a clear look at how Auracast could help more people stay connected, engaged, and included. Learn more about Listen Technologies here, and explore Auracast resources through Bluetooth and Auri Audio.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Omega AI hearing aids don’t just keep up. They redefine what it means to be modern and discreet yet durable and comfortable for all-day wear.They’re waterproof, everyday-proof, and designed to go the distance of your day and then some. All while tailored to your unique hearing needs. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

June 12, 202623 min

How Hearing Aids Improve Relationships: Ending Effortful Listening and Hearing Clearly Again

Send us Fan MailHearing loss does not just affect volume — it affects relationships, confidence, communication, and quality of life.In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S.-HIS and Dr. Gregory Delfino sit down with longtime hearing aid user, veteran, professor, entrepreneur, and family man Gerald Ephault to discuss what life was really like before properly fit hearing technology. Gerald shares how hearing loss impacted conversations with his wife, communication in restaurants, teaching in the classroom, business meetings, watching TV, managing tinnitus, and understanding speech in background noise. For anyone who is new to hearing aids, unsure if they are ready, or wondering whether hearing technology is truly worth it, this conversation offers an honest patient perspective. Gerald explains how modern hearing aids, professional care, and real ear measurement helped reduce listening effort, improve speech understanding, and restore a sense of normalcy in everyday life.This episode is especially helpful for adults who have noticed they are asking people to repeat themselves, turning up the TV, struggling in restaurants, missing parts of conversations, or feeling mentally tired from trying to hear. If you or someone you love is on the fence about moving forward with hearing aids, Gerry’s story is a powerful reminder: better hearing is not just about hearing sounds, it is about reconnecting with people, conversations, and life.Listen now to learn how hearing aids can help reduce effortful listening, improve communication, and support healthier relationships.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

May 30, 202647 min

How A Rare Ear Condition Sparked A National Fight For Hearing Coverage

Send us Fan MailA single sentence can change a family’s future: “You’ve got one good ear, that’s enough.” We sit down with Melissa Tumblin, founder of EarCommunity.org, to unpack why that belief harms kids and adults with microtia, aural atresia, and unilateral hearing loss, and what happens when families are left without clear answers, referrals, or coverage for the technology that can actually help.We follow Melissa’s story from a corporate career to building one of the largest support networks for microtia and atresia families worldwide. She explains what these congenital ear conditions are, why the missing outer ear and ear canal can create a very specific type of hearing loss, and how early intervention, audiology, ENT care, and speech therapy become essential when a child is learning language. We also talk about the “seeing is believing” moment many parents experience when a bone conduction hearing device is turned on and their child hears clearly for the first time.Then we dig into the hardest part: insurance coverage. Melissa breaks down how denials happen, why “one good ear” is not a medical standard, and how those decisions ripple into safety, school, social confidence, and long-term opportunity. Finally, she shares the latest on Ally’s Act, a bipartisan federal bill aimed at closing coverage loopholes for bone-anchored hearing systems and cochlear implants, plus the fittings, programming, surgical care, and therapies that make the technology work.If you care about hearing health care equity, microtia resources, and real access to medically necessary hearing devices, listen now, share this with someone who needs it, and leave us a review so more families can find the support they deserve.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Omega AI hearing aids don’t just keep up. They redefine what it means to be modern and discreet yet durable and comfortable for all-day wear.They’re waterproof, everyday-proof, and designed to go the distance of your day and then some. All while tailored to your unique hearing needs. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

May 15, 202637 min

Stop Telling People “Nothing Can Be Done” About Tinnitus

Send us Fan MailTinnitus is everywhere, yet real answers still feel rare. We sit down with Jeffery Reagan, a heart transplant survivor, tinnitus patient, and the founder of the Tinnitus Learning Health Network, to talk about why so many people with ringing in the ears get stuck bouncing between providers, hearing “nothing can be done,” or trying random fixes without a clear path forward. Jeffery shares the personal health journey that taught him how much outcomes depend on teamwork, empathy, and systems that actually learn.From there, we get practical about the solution he is building: the Tinnitus Learning Health Network (TLHN), designed as a learning health network that connects patients, clinicians, and researchers around one shared goal: better tinnitus outcomes. We break down how the “golden triad” works, why collecting patient-reported outcome measures like THI and TFI is essential when clinics still lack an objective tinnitus test, and how shared data can reveal which interventions work best for specific tinnitus subgroups. We also talk about proven tinnitus management options like CBT, TRT, counseling, sound therapy, and when referrals matter if a provider does not specialize in tinnitus care.We also dig into the hard stuff: funding pilot sites, building credibility, reducing disparities in care, and using real-world results to push insurers toward tinnitus reimbursement. If you want a hopeful, data-driven view of the future of hearing health care, this conversation delivers. Subscribe, share this with someone living with tinnitus, and leave a review to help more people find better answers.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

May 8, 202624 min

What Happens After a Hearing Test? Why You Should Hear Hearing Aids Before You Buy

Send us Fan MailAfter a hearing test, patients should not have to imagine what better hearing could sound like. In this episode of the Hearing Matters Podcast, Blaise Delfino, M.S. - HIS explains why the in-office hearing aid demo is such an important part of the patient journey, and how hearing technology can help patients better understand their hearing loss, their options, and the real-life value of prescription hearing aids.You can’t expect someone to wait years to address hearing loss, walk into a clinic for the first time, and feel confident based on an audiogram, a chart, and a price tag alone. The in-office hearing aid demo is one of the most powerful tools in hearing healthcare because it turns “you’re a candidate for hearing technology” into a moment the patient can actually hear, feel, and understand.In this episode, we break down what happens after a hearing test and why patients should have the opportunity to hear hearing aids before they buy. From a clinician’s point of view, we discuss how to keep the audiogram review simple, use speech-in-noise testing to connect results to real life, and avoid overwhelming patients with brand names, technical jargon, or too much information too soon.We also share a repeatable in-office hearing aid demo setup that simulates a restaurant or noisy listening environment using background noise, hearing aids programmed to the patient’s hearing test, and a familiar voice, such as a spouse, friend, family member, or coworker, to make that first unmuted conversation meaningful. Hearing aids are typically programmed based on the patient’s audiogram, and the first listening experience can sound different, especially for new users adjusting to amplified sound. The episode also explains normal acclimatization, why your own voice may sound different with hearing aids, and how an in-office demo can create a helpful frame of reference before moving forward with treatment. We make it clear that a demo is not a replacement for best practices like real ear measurement, but it can help patients better understand what hearing technology may offer before making a decision. Verification, orientation, and validation are key parts of the hearing aid fitting process. From there, we zoom out to the added clinical wins: counseling patients on adaptive directionality in plain English, learning more about lifestyle needs beyond intake forms, and using the demo to observe dexterity, vision, comfort, and device-handling ability. These details help hearing care professionals recommend hearing aids that actually fit the patient’s life, not just their hearing test.We also cover hearing aid trial periods, the importance of consistent wear time, what patients should ask before choosing a hearing care provider, and why the best hearing aid experience is about more than the device itself. It’s about education, counseling, verification, follow-up care, and helping people reconnect with the conversations that matter most.If you care about audiology best practices, better patient experiences, prescription hearing aids, and hearing aids that actually get worn, subscribe to the Hearing Matters Podcast, share this episode with someone starting their hearing journey, and leave a review so more people can find the show.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

May 1, 20269 min

Auditory Fatigue And The Real Reason Speech Sounds Blurry In Noise

Send us Fan MailRestaurants are the perfect stress test for your ears and your brain. The second you add distance, multiple talkers, and reverberation, conversation stops being “just listening” and becomes constant filtering. We talk through why so many modern spaces feel brutal, how poor acoustics and background noise drive auditory fatigue, and why you can leave a holiday party feeling wiped out even if your hearing tests “normal.”Then we tackle the line we hear all the time: “Everyone mumbles now.” Most of the time, it isn’t the world changing overnight, it’s your access to speech clarity changing slowly. We explain how high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss often hides in plain sight by taking away the softer consonants that carry intelligibility. When S, F, TH, T, K, and P drop out, you may still hear a voice, but the message turns fuzzy and everyday words start colliding.From there, we zoom out to the real hidden cost: cognitive load. Lip reading, tracking facial expressions, guessing from context, and deciding when to ask “What did you say?” all take effort, and that effort can snowball into frustration and social withdrawal. We also address a big piece of misinformation directly: hearing loss does not cause dementia, and fear-based marketing isn’t the answer. Practical support, clear counseling, and individualized care are.If any of this sounds familiar, share this with someone who “does fine in quiet” but struggles in noise, and subscribe for more grounded hearing health conversations. After you listen, leave a review and tell us: where do you notice listening fatigue the most?Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

April 29, 202633 min

Why You Struggle to Hear in Noisy Situations | Cognitive Load

Send us Fan MailYou know that feeling when you can hear someone talking, but the words won’t land, especially once you sit down in a loud restaurant? I’m Blaise Delfino, and I’m breaking down why that frustration is real and why it’s usually not about “turning it up.” Hearing sound is one thing. Understanding speech is a fast, demanding brain process that depends on timing, consonants, context, attention, and memory while you fight background noise and reverberation. We get practical about why restaurants expose hearing problems so quickly, why people start saying “everyone mumbles,” and how high-frequency hearing loss often steals the softer consonants that make speech crisp. That missing clarity can push you into lip reading, guessing, and constant repair work, which ramps up cognitive load and auditory fatigue. If you’ve been leaving dinners drained, skipping invitations, or feeling tense before you even walk into a busy room, you’re not alone, and it’s not a character flaw. I also address a big myth floating around online: hearing loss does not cause dementia, and fear-based marketing helps no one. What matters is taking action with the right tools: a comprehensive hearing evaluation, speech-in-noise testing, and professional fitting with real ear measurements. We talk about how modern hearing aids have changed with adaptive directionality, smarter noise management, and machine learning, plus when a remote microphone can improve speech understanding in noise. If you want clearer conversations and less listening effort, subscribe, share this with a friend who says “everyone mumbles,” and leave a review so more people can find trustworthy hearing healthcare guidance.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

April 24, 20267 min

Can AirPods Replace Hearing Aids? OTC Hearing Aids & The Future of Hearing

Send us Fan MailAre OTC hearing aids really the same as prescription hearing aids? If you’ve ever wondered whether buying hearing aids online is basically the same as getting fit in a clinic, this episode draws a clear line between the two.The biggest issue is perceived hearing loss. Feeling like your hearing is “probably mild” is not the same as knowing your exact hearing loss type, severity, whether one ear is worse than the other, or whether there are medical red flags that need immediate attention.We explain what prescription hearing aids actually mean: professionally programmed devices tailored to your personal hearing profile and designed to treat a full range of hearing loss from mild to profound.Because hearing loss is personal, two people with the same audiogram can have completely different communication needs depending on lifestyle, work demands, social activity, listening environments, expectations, dexterity, and vision.We also answer a common question: Why do clinic hearing aids cost more than OTC hearing aids? Because you’re not just paying for the device...you’re paying for the process:• Comprehensive hearing testing • Video otoscopy • Tympanometry • Speech testing • Real Ear Measurements • Tinnitus support • Follow-up care • Ongoing adjustments & maintenanceThat’s the difference between buying a product and receiving hearing healthcare.Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

April 22, 202629 min

Do We Even Need Hearing Aids Anymore? AirPods, OTC Hearing Aids & The Future of Hearing

Send us Fan MailAirPods are getting better, OTC hearing aids are easier to buy than ever, and AI is showing up in every corner of consumer audio. That leads to one of the most important questions in hearing health right now: are we watching hearing aids get replaced, or are we finally widening the front door to better hearing?I take you behind the marketing and into what actually changes outcomes. OTC hearing aids are built for adults with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss, but perception is not diagnosis. We talk through what a comprehensive audiology evaluation can uncover, why prescription hearing aids are programmed to an individual hearing profile, and how verification steps like real ear measurements turn “sounds louder” into “speech is clearer,” especially in real-world noise.We also zoom out to the human side of hearing loss: listening effort, fatigue, misunderstandings, and the quiet slide into social withdrawal. Whether someone starts with earbuds, OTC devices, a hybrid model, or professional care from day one, the mission stays the same: connection to family, friends, and daily life. If this perspective helps, subscribe, share the episode with someone you care about, and leave a review so more people find better hearing guidance.Visit our website and take our quick online hearing screener. And if you're ready to take the next step, our online hearing care provider locator can help you find a trusted hearing care professional near you. Taking that first step can make a meaningful difference, helping you stay connecting to the people and moments that matter most. Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast

April 17, 20267 min

Auracast Is Here… And It Changes Everything About Hearing Aids

Send us Fan MailThe biggest hearing aid problems rarely show up in a quiet clinic room. They show up when the phone rings, when the TV gets turned up too loud for everyone else, and when background noise swallows the words you actually need to hear. We dig into the real-world gap between “amplification” and true communication access and why so many people with hearing loss end up avoiding calls, leaning on texts, or skipping social situations altogether. We walk through how Bluetooth hearing aids changed the game by enabling direct audio streaming. When audio goes straight into the hearing aids instead of traveling through the environment, you get a clearer signal, less competing noise, and better speech access. You’ll hear a patient story that captures the moment perfectly: a live phone call comes through and he pauses, surprised, because he’s hearing it in both ears. That’s not a convenience feature. That’s access. From there we connect the dots to binaural streaming and why balanced sound can feel natural in a way one-sided audio never does. We also talk about personalization and control from a smartphone, the privacy of making adjustments discreetly, and the emotional weight of stigma. When hearing aids start to feel like modern tech instead of a medical label, it can be a genuine psychological unlock. We even tee up where this “origin story” leads next, including concepts like Auracast and the future of accessible audio. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with someone who struggles in noise, and leave a review so more people can find it. What’s the one listening moment you wish technology solved for you?Connect with the Hearing Matters Podcast TeamEmail: hearingmatterspodcast@gmail.com Instagram: @hearing_matters_podcast Facebook: Hearing Matters Podcast