Gone are the days of switching out your hearing aids for headphones when listening to music. Today’s hearing aids can double as a wireless, hands-free headset so that you can stream sounds from music playlists, TV shows, and phone calls directly into your hearing aids.
Imagine you’re going out for a morning run and you want to listen to music during your run. In the past you may have had to take your hearing aids out in order to listen through your headphones instead. Today’s hearing aids have the capability to function as hearing aids and headphones, by wirelessly streaming the music from your phone directly to your hearing aids – allowing you to hear music and hear at your best at the same time.
So how does this technology work? Hearing aids with these connectivity capabilities use Bluetooth, which is a wireless communication platform that transfers data between electronic devices. The technology has the ability to work on a variety of different products such as smartphones, computers, tablets, televisions, and music players.
Since Apple has a patent on specific Bluetooth connectivity, many hearing aid companies have released hearing aids that are Made for iPhone™. If you do not have an iPhone, there are assistive listening devices, or “streamers”, available which can provide the communication link between your hearing aid and the Bluetooth-enabled device. Additionally, streamers made especially for TV are available, which connect to the TV stereo system and stream the TV audio sounds directly into your hearing aids.
What are the other benefits of using wireless connectivity with your hearing aids? Using Bluetooth hearing aids and/or wireless streamers presents a broad range of opportunities. Some of the benefits you can enjoy are:
- Listen to TV audio by streaming the TV sounds directly into your hearing aids
- Use your hearing aids as a wireless headset with smartphone devices (either directly with Apple devices or using assistive streaming devices)
- Discreetly control your hearing aids with a small remote control
- Hear traditional phone calls more clearly by connecting your landline audio to your hearing aids using a streaming device
- Download hearing aid apps to control your hearing aid settings and/or to monitor your hearing data
With solutions to suit a range of devices and listening needs, staying connected is made easy with modern hearing aid wireless technologies¹. If you want to learn more about hearing aids and connectivity, book an appointment with your local hearing care expert.
1. https://www.healthyhearing.com/help/hearing-aids/bluetooth