The Benefits Of Combining Hearing Aids With Other Assistive Technologies

“For individuals with hearing loss, hearing aids are an essential tool that can greatly improve their ability to hear and interact with the world around them. Hearing aids with compatible technology also come with the added convenience of remote control and programming adjustment through mobile applications”

~ Kari Wickstrom, AU.D., LIC.-A

With compatible technology, hearing aids offer even greater benefits to the wearer. Integration with smartphones allows for direct streaming of audio, while pairing with televisions and computers delivers a smooth and immersive hearing experience. Bluetooth connectivity makes it easier to communicate with friends and family, with the added benefit of taking calls and listening to music without removing the hearing aids.

If you’re looking for a personalized solution for your hearing needs, consult with a hearing healthcare professional to explore the range of hearing aid options available with advanced technology.

Hearing Aids and Assistive Technologies

It’s important to understand that hearing aids can work in tandem with other assistive technologies. Often these technologies are built into the hearing aids and act as features of the device. This is increasingly common for modern devices that go further than hearing aids used to in the past. There are also external devices that can work with your hearing aids to make hearing, understanding and communicating easier than it might otherwise be for people with hearing loss. Either way, these technologies can enhance your hearing and you should make the most of them.

FM Systems for Amplifying Sounds

For some people, hearing aids don’t offer enough in terms of amplification. If that’s the case, it’s important to make use of FM systems that can offer that extra amplification. This could be a big boost in audio or a relatively small one. The good thing about FM systems is that they can be tweaked and changed depending on the needs of the individual. They tend to be used most often in loud environments when picking out and focusing on specific sounds is more difficult.

Bluetooth for Audio Streaming

Bluetooth technologies can now be used to stream audio directly into your ear in tandem with your hearing aids. This Bluetooth streaming makes it a lot easier for people to watch TV and movies in situations where it might otherwise be difficult. You don’t have to worry about being able to hear the TV from across the other side of the room because the audio will be going directly to your ear. It also means you don’t have to frustrate people around you by turning the volume up on the TV louder than they’d like it to be.

Telecoils for Phone Calls

Some people with hearing loss find it quite difficult to hold phone conversations because of the difficulty in hearing the person on the other end of the phone. If that’s the case, you might want to start using telecoils in conjunction with any other devices you might be using. The telecoil sits in the inner ear and amplifies the volume that’s received, and they’re specifically designed to make it easier to hear what people are saying when you’re speaking on the phone. So, if that’s often been a problem for you, it might be something to explore.

Vibrating Alarms

If you often find that alarms are not heard or missed due to your hearing loss, you might want to make use of things like vibrating alarms. These replace the need for audio alarms because the feeling of vibration will make you aware that it’s time to get up or whatever the reason is for setting an alarm. It’s definitely something to explore if you find that this is something you’ve struggled with in the past. Although it doesn’t directly support your hearing, it does offer a functional benefit to your day-to-day life and replaces the need for something that would ordinarily be done by your hearing.

Captioning and Real-Time Transcription

For lots of people, watching TV shows and movies can be a lot harder when they start experiencing hearing loss. That’s why captioning and real-time transcription can be really useful. If you’re not doing so already, it’s definitely a good idea to explore these options. It can make it slightly easier to follow along and not miss anything when watching media, even if you can hear most of the words that are being spoken on the TV or whatever you’re watching.

As you can see, there are all kinds of assistive technologies that can be used alongside hearing aids by people who are experiencing hearing loss. Be sure to contact Bluegrass Hearing Clinic if you want any further help with these hearing devices. You can speak with one of our team members about assistive technologies by calling (859) 295-5729.