A few years ago, lifestyle influencer Shauna Grow and her husband Lorin Grow started to notice their normal daily conversations and outings with friends were growing more fraught as Lorin’s hearing diminished—largely due to decades of motorcycle riding. Initially considering it manageable, their perspective shifted in late 2022 when they discovered Signia’s advanced hearing aids.
The couple is now advocating for timely treatment of hearing loss, specifically noting how regaining clear communication improves relationships of all kinds.
“Before Shauna and I got married, I lived alone and didn’t have the kind of constant daily conversations that happen when living with other people,” Lorin explained. “I often had to ask people to repeat things, and that became a lot harder to ignore when I had to keep asking Shauna to repeat herself. It was frustrating for both of us, as reduced communication began to affect our relationship. For a while though, I was hesitant to truly consider hearing aids because I thought it carried a stigma.”
Lorin’s concerns are shared by many. According to the Hearing Loss Association of America, individuals with hearing loss wait an average of seven years before seeking help. This tendency to delay treatment often introduces difficulties and aggravation to basic social experiences like dinners with friends, work meetings, class discussions or just having a conversation at home. As a result, many individuals withdraw from social situations, negatively impacting their mental health and causing unnecessary strain on relationships.
“The truth is, our communication was suffering, and we actually ended up talking less,” Shauna says. “Lorin didn’t want to keep saying ‘can you speak a little louder,’ and staying engaged in group settings or crowded public spaces was even more challenging. But at the same time, we knew people who had told us how hearing aids changed their world.”
Signia’s Split-Processing Technology
In late 2022, Lorin had the chance to test Signia’s latest Styletto hearing aids, which feature advanced split-processing technology to process speech and background noise separately. The split-processing platform constantly analyzes every conversation setting through sensors and directional microphones to make adjustments as necessary, according to the company.
The couple met with Dave Harris, a certified Hearing Instrument Specialist and owner of True Tone Hearing Center in St. George, Utah, who explained how the technology is specifically designed to improve a hearing aid wearer’s ability to socialize in dynamic situations. And it worked.
Further reading: Signia Introduces Hearing Aid Tech for Noisy Group Conversations
“When I got the chance to try Signia’s hearing aids, I started to pay more attention and began noticing how many people around me were using them,” Lorin added. “I think that’s when I realized they aren’t as noticeable as I had feared, and the stigma I was worried about isn’t really there at all. And now, when I’m using my Signia hearing aids, which is most of the time, every conversation is natural and stress-free, whether I’m in the kitchen with my wife or out and about with friends. They’ve allowed me to strengthen my relationships again and get back to living life without constant fear of missing something.”
Raising Hearing Health Awareness
Shauna, a fashion and lifestyle influencer with a core audience of women over 55, recognized the importance of using her platform to share their journey and highlight the transformative potential of modern hearing aids on relationships, conversations, and overall well-being.
“The impacts of hearing loss can emerge gradually, but they can be serious,” Shauna added. “Just like many other health concerns, the issues can compound over time. When I posted about the experience to my followers, I got some really inspiring responses and interactions that I normally don’t get because it was a more personal, emotional issue than I typically promote. I think lots of people overlook the emotional impact that communication has on us and our relationships when thinking about hearing loss. Hearing aids really act as both a physical health aid and a mental health treatment because it can make so many daily experiences more meaningful and enjoyable.”
Attractive and comfortable, Styletto hearing aids are also equipped with numerous modern features including Bluetooth connectivity for phone calls, a rechargeable battery, on-the-go charging case, and multiple color options.
“Now, wearing hearing aids doesn’t seem any different than carrying a smartphone – it’s just a tool that allows me to extend my own abilities,” says Lorin. “After recognizing that hearing loss was impacting my personal capacity to communicate and adding frustration to relationships, I was thrilled to see how easy it is to solve those problems with professional guidance and Signia’s impressive hearing aids.”
Featured image: Shauna Grow and her husband Lorin Grow. Photo: Signia
