The Total Hearing Care Difference

Bluetooth Revolution: Transforming Hearing Aid Technology

• Dr. Jill Copley • Episode 12

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 10:20

How Does Bluetooth Technology Improve Hearing Aid Functionality?

Bluetooth technology has revolutionized hearing aids from simple amplifiers into sophisticated communication hubs. Dr. Jill Copley reveals how this wireless connectivity addresses two of the biggest challenges for people with hearing loss: phone calls and television watching.

We dive deep into how direct audio streaming creates an entirely new listening experience. When sound travels directly into your hearing instruments instead of through the air, it bypasses room acoustics, background noise, and distance limitations that typically degrade sound quality. The result? Dramatically improved speech clarity and a more engaging connection to your favorite media and conversations.

Dr. Copley clarifies important distinctions between prescription hearing instruments and over-the-counter devices, noting that Bluetooth capability now comes standard in all modern prescription hearing aids. We explore compatibility considerations with different smartphone platforms, battery life implications during streaming sessions, and practical tips for patients who might find technology integration challenging. Most exciting is the preview of AuraCast, an upcoming Bluetooth standard that will allow automatic audio streaming in public venues without complicated pairing processes.

Whether you're tech-savvy or tech-hesitant, this episode provides valuable insights into how wireless connectivity is transforming audiology and improving quality of life for hearing aid users. Ready to experience clearer phone calls, better television viewing, and more connected hearing? Call (469) 809-4487 to schedule your appointment with Total Hearing Care and discover how Bluetooth technology can enhance your listening experience.

To learn more about Total Hearing Care visit:
https://www.TotalHearingCare.com

Total Hearing Care
Multiple Locations Across the DFW Metroplex
(469) 809-4487

Speaker 1:

Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference where we help you experience life through better hearing. Hosted by the experts at Total Hearing Care, a leading private audiology practice serving the DFW Metroplex, we're here to provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus and the latest advancements in audiology. Transform your life through better hearing. Let's get started. Transform your life through better hearing.

Speaker 2:

Let's get started. Today's hearing aids are smarter than ever. This episode explores how Bluetooth connectivity enhances the listening experience from streaming calls to music to managing settings with a tap. Welcome back everyone. I'm Sofia A Yvette co-host and slash producer, back in the studio with Dr Joe Copley. Dr Copley, how's it going today? It's going great. I'm happy to be here again. So happy to have you back on today, dr Copley. Now for those listeners wanting to explore how Bluetooth is changing the hearing aid game. How does Bluetooth technology improve hearing aid functionality?

Speaker 3:

That's a great question. So probably the three biggest things people have difficulty with when they have hearing loss is in background noise, as well as on the telephone and with the TV, as well as on the telephone and with the TV. And so Bluetooth technology in hearing instruments really helps with the latter two helping with the telephone and with the TV. And so by having the Bluetooth in the hearing instruments you can connect to your phone, oftentimes directly a cell phone Let me get a cell phone phone and then you can hear through the hearing instruments instead of having to put your phone on speakerphone or holding the phone up to your ear. And it's similar with the tv. Right now you have a special box that will go on the tv that you'll into the tv and then the hearing instruments will connect through Bluetooth with that box. So then you hear the TV directly through your hearing instruments, which can make the sound much clearer and make it easier to understand what's going on in the show.

Speaker 2:

Understood. Now what specific features do Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids offer that traditional ones don't?

Speaker 3:

At this point. Bluetooth is in every device, so we no longer have hearing instruments that don't have Bluetooth and that can be from your premium technology down to basic technology for prescriptive hearing aids, so all of them have it. Now I've had patients ask me and say can I have a hearing aid without the Bluetooth Because I really don't want to have to use it. Sometimes it can be complex for people to use and I say every one of them is going to have the capability, but you just don't have to turn it on. You don't have to connect anything with the Bluetooth At this point.

Speaker 3:

You still have to pair your phone to the hearing aid. So there is that pairing process, but it is complex. I remember when I was learning how to use it I sat down with one of the booklets that explained it to me and I actually had a patient who was really proficient with his phone and he showed me how to do it. So I can certainly empathize with patients who may not have a lot of experience with their phone or experience with all the details on their phone and how hard it can be to use it.

Speaker 2:

Understood. Now you do keep using the term hearing instruments instead of hearing aids for our listeners, who may not know what exactly is a hearing instrument.

Speaker 3:

So at our office and most audiology offices that you go to, you're going to be looking at prescriptive devices, and so we've had another podcast about over-the-counter devices, and some over-the-counter devices may not have Bluetooth. Those are devices that you can purchase without seeing an audiologist or without having a hearing exam an audiologist or without having a hearing exam, and so when I talk about hearing aids, hearing instruments, those are going to be I'm using the words similarly, but I'm talking about prescriptive devices where you're going to see an audiologist.

Speaker 2:

Now, how does streaming audio directly to hearing aids improve speech clarity and engagement?

Speaker 3:

Let's get into that aids improve speech clarity and engagement. Let's get into that. Yeah, so when you're listening just in the real world, you have a couple of things happening. So with the phone, often you may just use one ear to hear, or if you're on speakerphone, you still have to be very close to the phone to hear. So when we connect it with Bluetooth, it allows the devices to be directly in the ears and so the sound goes directly into the ears and makes it easier for the brain to understand, because you've overcome the fact that you had to have some kind of distance with the phone.

Speaker 3:

With the TV it's very similar. You have, maybe, a TV where the speakers are pointed backwards and it's hard to understand what's going on because of the acoustics in the room. And again you have that distance between you and the TV, so the TV sound has to travel to you and changes occur in the sound as it travels to you. So by having the hearing devices connected to the TV directly, then you can hear the TV in your ears and it overcomes the idea of space and the acoustics.

Speaker 2:

Now are there compatibility limitations with phones or devices users should be aware of.

Speaker 3:

There are compatibility issues and that has to do with the types of Bluetooth and what's in the phones. So it really has to do with how the manufacturers make the phones, and the manufacturers of the hearing aids are going to work with the phone manufacturers. So Apple is actually a very easy one to use because they use their own Bluetooth. Android is a little different because you may have some phones that maybe, like, are flip phones or use an older type of Bluetooth. That may not work, but when you get newer phones, those should work with the manufacturers and if you see an audiologist they can give you a list of phones that are compatible with your particular hearing needs that you get. And I remember one situation where I told a patient that he needed to get a certain device or that his phone wasn't going to work, and sure enough, he had all sorts of problems with the connection with the Bluetooth because it wasn't compatible.

Speaker 2:

Wow. Now what's the impact of Bluetooth on battery life and daily use?

Speaker 3:

That's an excellent question. So some manufacturers are better at holding their battery life. That is certainly a concern for the manufacturers to make sure the hearing instruments are working all day long 10 to 12 hours, maybe more for people, even if they are streaming, although sometimes I've had patients who they are streaming all day long because they're in meetings virtual meetings all day long on their computers and they have to keep their phone plugged in. But certainly every generation of hearing instruments is going to have a better battery life. The other thing is rechargeable batteries tend to work better and have a longer battery life when using streaming than just hearing aid batteries, the small replaceable batteries.

Speaker 2:

Now, with that being said, are there certain brands of the Bluetooth devices that you recommend? When it comes to hearing instruments?

Speaker 3:

Yes, For me particularly, I think it depends on their lifestyle, on what manufacturer I might recommend. So these people that I mentioned that are on their computers all day and using Bluetooth all day, I might recommend one particular product. And then for somebody that is just like me who's not on the phone a lot, maybe just has some phone calls now and then, that's less not on their phone for more than four or five hours a day, probably any device will work. Can I mention one more thing about what's coming up with Bluetooth? Yep, go ahead.

Speaker 3:

So one of the things that's coming up is called AuraCast and the manufacturers are starting to have Oracast availability or capability in their devices. Oracast is going to be a generic type of Bluetooth, that's a low energy or LE type of Bluetooth, and what's going to be exciting about this is that patients can just turn on their Bluetooth wherever the Oracast is and it will just automatically work. They will no longer have to pair their devices to the sound. So this can help in movie theaters, at like bus stations, airports, things like that, and that's probably coming in the next year, and I think that's really exciting because it'll make it easier, especially for people that might have some difficulty. Like I said, with all the intricacies of their phone.

Speaker 2:

Most definitely. That definitely sounds like some revolutionary technology Dr.

Speaker 1:

Copley.

Speaker 2:

It is Well. Thank you so much for breaking down the buzz behind Bluetooth. We appreciate your insights, as always, and we'll catch you next time on the Total Hearing Care Difference podcast.

Speaker 3:

Thank you so much.

Speaker 1:

Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing Care Difference. If you're in the DFW Metroplex and ready to take the next step toward better hearing, call 469-218-4853 to book an appointment or visit TotalHearingCarecom, because when you hear better, you live better. See you next time.