Summary
Listener Angela is a musician, and long-time wearer of Hearing Aids ? but as her parents and friends have started reaching an age where they might need them, she?s wondering what advice to give them - and whether paying more for a hearing aid, and potentially going private ? would really help?
There?s no question ? Hearing Aids are Sliced Bread ? but can the top end products really deliver on claims they can improve sound, reduce background noise, stream directly from phones or tables, and change what they listen to automatically? And are hearing aids available on the NHS capable of the same?
The NHS England wait times described in this episode were accurate at the time of recording, and may have changed.
A transcript of this episode is available here: https://downloads.bbc.co.uk/radio4/misc/sliced_bread_hearing_aids_transcript.pdf
As always, all of our investigations start with YOUR suggestions. If you?ve seen an ad, trend or wonder product promising to make you happier, healthier or greener, email us at [email protected] OR send a voice note to our WhatsApp number, 07543 306807.
PRESENTER: GREG FOOT
PRODUCER: KATE HOLDSWORTH
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello, podcast fan. |
| 0:03.0 | Consider this your invite to the UK's biggest podcasting party. |
| 0:06.7 | We're heading to Sheffield from the 4th to the 6th of July |
| 0:09.0 | for the BBC Sounds Fringe at the Crossed Wires Festival. |
| 0:12.8 | We'll be joined by some of the biggest names in podcasting, |
| 0:15.3 | including Sarah Cox, Charlie Hedges, Russell Kane, |
| 0:18.4 | and some bloke called Greg James doing his Radio 4 show called Rewinder. |
| 0:23.2 | You can watch live shows of your favourite podcasts and the best part is free. |
| 0:28.1 | To book your free tickets, go to crossedwires. Live forward slash fringe. |
| 0:34.4 | BBC Sounds, music, Radio, podcasts. |
| 0:44.1 | Hello, I'm Greg Foote and welcome to the show that investigates the wonder products promising to make you happier, healthier or greener. Each episode, I run one of your suggested |
| 0:48.9 | wonder products through the evidence mill to find out if it is indeed the best thing since |
| 0:53.2 | sliced bread or marketing BS. |
| 0:55.8 | And today's suggestion comes from Angela Williams, who is joining me from Eastley in Hampshire. |
| 1:00.1 | Hello, Angela. |
| 1:00.7 | Hello, Greg. |
| 1:01.3 | Tell us the wonder product that you would like us to investigate today. |
| 1:04.5 | Well, I've been relying on hearing aids, Greg, for over 25 years. |
| 1:07.9 | I've started losing my hearing in my 20s due to otosclerosis. |
| 1:11.8 | Otiscerosis is a furring up of the tiny little bones in the ear with a calcium-type deposit. |
| 1:18.3 | Therefore, it's not vibrating very efficiently. |
| 1:20.9 | So although the sound is going into my ear, it's not being passed along via those bones. |
... |
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