For Brisbane audiologist, Steve Grayson-Riley, the most frustrating consequence of his own hearing loss was the impact it had on his participation in sports. “Bike riding and contact sports are virtually impossible for users of traditional hearing aids as they must be removed for the duration of the activity or sports match,” says Steve. “I used to play AFL without hearing aids and often misheard my team mates, which was pretty embarrassing and certainly affected my game!”

Suffering from hearing loss for as long as he can remember, Steve, 39, had all but given up finding a hearing aid that enabled him to participate in sport – his biggest passion! That was up until recently, when Lyric landed on Aussie shores – the world’s first ‘invisible’, extended-wear hearing aid.

Hailed ‘the contact lens for your ear’, Lyric, which measures 16mm, is inserted deep inside the ear canal by a hearing health professional and is completely invisible from the outside. Lyric remains in the ear 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can be worn for up to four months at a time, allowing users to shower, sleep, swim[1], talk on the phone and even listen to headphones. Owing to its unique positioning inside the ear canal and the soft, pliable material that it’s made of; Lyric can also be worn by people during participation in contact sports.

Thanks to Lyric, Steve can now enjoy all of his favourite physical activities without having to worry about removing his hearing aid. “What makes Lyric so special is that I can forget that I’m wearing a hearing aid at all. Whether I’m going bike riding or playing soccer with the kids, I can enjoy sports and hear clearly – at the same time!”

“Ironically enough, it was losing my hearing aids after I had taken them out to play sports that opened the doors to a career in audiology,” says Steve. “I went into a clinic to get some new hearing aids, and ended up walking out with a job offer! Now an audiologist, my own hearing loss provides me with more ‘street cred’ when treating new patients, in addition to a better understanding of the pros and cons of various hearing devices”.

Seeing patients on a daily basis, Steve understands how hearing loss can impact a person’s social and professional life. “For me, the most debilitating aspect of untreated hearing loss is self-confidence – it’s tricky to join the banter with your mates and keep up with the one liners when you can’t hear properly!” says Steve. “Prior to wearing hearing aids, I struggled throughout my school and university years, and later in the workplace. I remember my first job working at a menswear shop… one customer got cranky because I didn’t hear him ask a question and he thought I was ignoring him!”

“Many people who suffer from hearing loss are too self-conscious to wear a traditional hearing aid,” says Steve. “Lyric offers a solution to those concerned about the stigma attached to hearing loss and ensures no one ‘sees’ how well a Lyric user can hear. Most importantly, they bring back the wearer’s ability to hear well. And that’s the real beauty of it. “

Discovering Lyric hasn’t only changed Steve’s life, but his family’s lives, too. Steve’s wife, Carmen has always had to adjust to her husband’s hearing loss, but this has changed since he began wearing Lyric hearing aids. “For the first time it’s like he doesn’t have hearing loss at all. I can call out to him from another room and he hears me. He can run around and wrestle with the kids without worrying about damaging his hearing aids,” Carmen explains of her husband.

“It has been a refreshing change for both Steve and I to have quiet, effortless conversations at times when he would not normally be able to comfortably wear his hearing aids; like lazing in bed at the weekend or doing a crossword together.”

To determine eligibility for Lyric, or for more information visit www.phonak-lyric.com