Do you know of a family member or loved one who suffers from hearing loss as age takes a toll on their health? Have you heard of the inconvenient social stigma of “hearing aids” – the fact that they are always so ugly, bulky, uncomfortable and extremely expensive?

Hearing loss is a serious issue that will eventually affect all of us. Some of us know of this through our elderly relatives whom we have to raise our voice in order to communicate with them. They also seem oblivious to the sounds of their surroundings and aren’t able to join in gleeful conversations. Even people working in very loud environments and musicians are very susceptible to hearing deterioration over time. That is why there are available earplugs for musicians and workers alike. According to MusicCritic, “overexposure to loud frequencies above 85 dB are harmful and only hurry the process along. Loud volumes such as the levels required for concerts (120 dB) and festivals (125+ dB) can be all the more dangerous spectators.

In anticipation of World Hearing Day 2016, we have seen the spectacular launch of a new startup, Nessa Asia, which provides the world’s first hearing aid on a subscription plan with on-demand services to provide better hearing and enrich the lives of elderly.

What are some of the challenges faced by elderly people suffering from hearing loss?

Firstly, it is the inconvenience of hearing aids. Once diagnosed with moderate hearing loss, we may find it uncomfortable to get fitted for hearing aids because they are literally, uncomfortable to the ears. Moreover, frequent trips to the audio specialists’ office are required in order to re-tune the hearing aid as it gets inaccurate over time.

Secondly, coupled with the fact that hearing aids range in the thousands of dollars, and can even go up to $10,000 for the high quality ones, most of our aging population are not able to afford such a lump sum. In the end, those with hearing loss end up ditching the hearing aid in their drawers, and carry on life with hearing loss.

During the launch event, Nessa allowed us to experience what it felt like to have hearing loss. Personally, it felt like trying to talk to someone over the phone while you’re in the middle of a Jay Chou concert. You had to shout a lot to get your point across, you had to lower your head and “squint” your ears to really detect what the other person is trying to say. Now imagine that as a permanent situation. That is hearing loss.

Nessa Asia set out to solve all these problems for the aging population of Singapore and to make sure all members of family units are able to communicate normally with their loved ones again.

The Nessa Asia hearing aid is designed to comfortably weigh just less than 3 grams, and is smaller than the size of a 20-cent coin. The tiny ear loop ensures that there is no discomfort in your ear, and the black model camouflages well with their hairline, making it almost impossible to see the hearing aid at first sight!

The best win-win solution is found for those who require hearing aids; they can avoid the inconvenience of physically travelling to their specialists’ office for retuning, by using remote fitting and remote calibration. The hearing aids can be tuned via Wifi and a Samsung Galaxy S2 tab, where the audiologist will connect with them through video calls and ask questions regarding the calibration of the audio settings. This eliminates any necessity to travel to an audio specialist or follow-up checks at the hospital.

The hearing aids also come with customized presets for different situations – whether you are travelling on the countryside, shopping in Orchard road, having a family meal or attending a live concert. Nessa Asia’s audiologists are also available 7 days a week from 9am-10pm to offer personalized service and help where needed.

During the launch event, Mrs Pauline Ong and retired Lt. Colonel Bob Cheah gave accounts on how Nessa’s hearing aid has eliminated all the problems and hassles of traditional hearing aids, and how they could finally afford it at a reasonable price of minimum S$68/month. Their original aids had cost them $5,000 – and those were the low-quality aids that still had a lot of noise, statics and bug issue.

If you do know of a loved one or family member who isn’t able to afford decent hearing aids because of the price issue, then Nessa Asia finally offers a 3-year subscription plan option that allows them to solve their hearing loss issue at really low prices.

With that said, cheers to a great World Hearing Day and a breakthrough in unique servicing for those with hearing loss! For more information, check out www.nessa.asia