What Are Bluetooth Hearing Aids

First, let’s clarify what Bluetooth is so that everyone is on the same page. Bluetooth is a wireless communication platform that enables two different electronic devices to sync up and connect to each other to transmit information.

To help you determine if an electronic device has Bluetooth you can use, you can look for the symbol above. Sometimes the symbol will be on the device or its packaging. Devices that have Bluetooth enabled devices come in various sizes, from your car’s electronics to your smartphone and even hearing aids. As Bluetooth becomes more prolific and modern hearing aids keep being updated, more and more hearing aids now come with Bluetooth. However, not all hearing aids are guaranteed to come with Bluetooth.

Hearing Aid Styles That Come With Bluetooth

Generally, the smaller hearing aid styles do not come with Bluetooth. There are some exceptions, and if you are looking for a hearing aid that will sit more invisibly in your ear, our hearing specialist can help you find different smaller hearing aids that work with your hearing needs.

How Do Bluetooth Hearing Aids Work

Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids don’t automatically connect with everything that has the ability to sync with Bluetooth-enabled devices. There are hearing aids that can pair with smartphones directly. These hearing aids are usually labeled as Made For iPhone or Made For Android.

Currently, most direct Bluetooth streaming hearing aids are Made For iPhone, and only the hearing aid manufacturer ReSound has produced a set of Made For Android hearing aids. If you are interested in direct connection hearing aids, be sure to discuss that with our hearing instrument specialist during your appointment.

In the case of other devices with built-in Bluetooth such as TVs and smartphones that do not directly connect, you can use the hearing aids’ Bluetooth to connect with an assistive listening device.

Hearing Aids And Assistive Listening Devices

As manufacturers have not made all of their electronics compatible with the Bluetooth found in hearing aids, you can pair your hearing aids with an assistive listening device to bridge the gap.

An assistive listening device is any device that acts as a connection between your hearing aids and another electronic. These devices may use a combination of Bluetooth and FM signals to communicate with the different devices and provide you with better clarity.

Benefits Of Having Bluetooth Hearing Aids

By having Bluetooth-capable hearing aids, you can enjoy a variety of benefits you may not have considered. Some of the top benefits are listed below.

Easily Stream Music To Your Ears

One of the side-effects of hearing loss that many of our patients have expressed is their loss of musical enjoyment. Even with hearing aids, having the music filtered through the hearing aid processor can alter how the music was meant to sound.

With Bluetooth hearing aids, even if you need an assistive listening device to connect, you can enjoy greater sound clarity as you stream music directly to your ears.

Enjoy TV And Streaming Services At Your Preferred Volume

With hearing loss, TV watching is often difficult and can require you to either turn the volume up to levels that are painful for others or watch with closed captioning. There can also be an uncomfortable echo if you are listening with regular hearing aids.

Rather than wrestle with others over the volume of the TV or deal with the other issues, opt to stream your TV programs to your Bluetooth hearing aids. That way, you can enjoy kicking back and easily watching your favorite shows and movies with far greater clarity and less strain.

Engage Better With Phone Conversations

Having a conversation on the phone with hearing loss is difficult, and if you don’t have a telecoil or Bluetooth, having phone conversations with hearing aids in can also be tricky. As the receiver of your hearing aids may not be in a convenient area for phone conversations, it can lead to awkward maneuvering to shift your phone to an area where you can keep up with the person on the other line.

Well, by using Bluetooth streaming to connect your phone with your hearing aids, you no longer have to do contortionist acts to take a simple phone call.

How To Determine If Bluetooth Hearing Aids Are For You

For many people, Bluetooth-capable hearing aids are a helpful addition to their daily lives. Whether or not they are right for you is dependent on a variety of factors, from your lifestyle to your budget.

To work with our hearing instrument specialist and determine if Bluetooth hearing aids are right for you, contact us today to set up your appointment.