Elizabeth Brooks is going outside with her dogs to listen for the birds that visit her back yard. Until recently, this would not have been possible. About 15 years ago, doctors told her that her hearing was so bad that she needed hearing aids.

"When you're driving a car and the rain comes down. It was so loud. So, because of the immediate loudness with these hearing aids I said, 'you know what? I'm not wearing them,' and I put them in the drawer," said Brooks.

However, her persistent hearing loss over the years was not sitting well with her husband.

"If I was in my office doing some work and she was watching television, I would have to yell at her to turn the television down," said Brooks' husband, Bob.

Brooks is now benefiting from new technology. She wears a digital hearing aid, which flushes out all of the background noise. She can test the device in a new virtual reality suite, where different sound environments can be created right in the office, according to Dr. Ron Moses.

"As examples: in a workplace with a lot of background noise; in traffic with a lot of background noise," said Moses.

During the different scenarios, the audiologist can determine how well the patient is hearing, and simply adjust the levels to make sure the sound is crystal clear.

"The families of those patients have really been amazed because they are able to appreciate how poor the hearing was in their loved one, relative or friend," said Moses.

Elizabeth can now be at the sink and hear the microwave when it goes off, and as far as the TV goes, she does not have to turn it up loud at all. The digital hearing aid has made a tremendous difference in her life.

"So much of a difference that I'm angry at myself for not doing this a number of years ago. Not only for my career, but for my friends, my husband, just different things, it's amazing," said Brooks.

By Sara Morris
http://www.kfoxtv.com/health/5554244/detail.html