What is a cyborg? If your mind gets swept up in science fiction movies, you probably think of cyborgs as sort of half-human, half machine characters (the human condition is often cleverly depicted with these characters). You can get some really wild cyborgs in Hollywood.
But in reality, someone wearing something as simple as a pair of glasses could be viewed as a cyborg. The glasses, in fact, are a technology that has been incorporated into a biological process.
The human condition is usually enhanced with these technologies. So, if you’re wearing an assistive listening device, such as a hearing aid, you’re the coolest type of cyborg anywhere. And there’s much more technology where that comes from.
Disadvantages of hearing loss
There are absolutely some disadvantages that come with hearing loss.
When you go to see a movie, it can be difficult to keep up with the plot. Understanding your grandkids is even harder (some of that is due to the age-gap, but for the most part, it’s hearing loss). And this can impact your life in extremely profound (often negative) ways.
Left unchecked, the world can become pretty quiet. That’s where technology has a role to play.
How can hearing loss be addressed with technology?
Broadly speaking, technology that helps you hear better is lumped into the category of “assistive listening devices”. That sounds pretty technical, right? The question may arise: exactly what are assistive listening devices? Is there somewhere I can go and purchase one of these devices? What challenges will I confront?
Those are all reasonable questions!
Usually, hearing aids are what we think of when we consider hearing aid technology. Because hearing aids are a crucial part of managing hearing loss, that’s reasonable. But they’re also just the beginning, there are numerous types of assistive hearing devices. And, used properly, these hearing devices can help you more fully enjoy the world around you.
What kinds of assistive listening devices are there?
Induction loops
Sometimes called a “hearing loop,” the technology of an induction loop sounds really complicated (there are electromagnetic fields involved). This is what you need to understand: locations with hearing loops are normally well marked with signage and they can help individuals with hearing aids hear more clearly, even in noisy settings.
A speaker will sound clearer due to the magnetic fields in a hearing loop. Induction loops are good for:
- Spots that tend to have lots of echoes or have poor acoustics.
- Lobbies, waiting rooms, and other noisy places.
- Events that depend on amplified sound (like presentations or even movies).
FM systems
An FM hearing assistance system works much like a radio or a walkie-talkie. A transmitter, typically a speaker or microphone, and a receiver, like a hearing aid, are required for this type of system to work. FM systems are great for:
- Conferences, classrooms, and other educational activities.
- Anybody who wants to listen to sound systems that use amplification (this includes things like a speaker during a presentation or dialogue during a movie).
- Civil and governmental locations (for example, in courtrooms).
- Anywhere that is loud and noisy, especially where that noise makes it difficult to hear.
Infrared systems
There are similarities between an infrared system and an FM system. It consists of a receiver and an amplifier. Typically, the receiver is worn around the neck with an IR system. IR hearing assistance systems are ideal for:
- Indoor settings. IR systems are often impacted by strong sunlight. As a result, inside venues are usually the best ones for this type of technology.
- Situations where there’s one main speaker at a time.
- Individuals who use cochlear implants or hearing aids.
Personal amplifiers
Personal amplifiers are kind of like hearing aids, but less specialized and less powerful. They’re generally made of a speaker and a microphone. The sound is being amplified through the speakers after being detected by the microphone. Personal amplifiers come in numerous different styles and types, which might make them a challenging possible option.
- For best results, speak with us before using personal amplifiers of any type.
- Your basically putting a really loud speaker right inside of your ear so you need to be careful not to damage your hearing further.
- For people who only require amplification in certain circumstances or have very mild hearing loss, these devices would be a practical choice.
Amplified phones
Phones and hearing aids don’t always get along swimmingly. Sometimes there’s feedback, sometimes things get a little garbled, sometimes you can’t get the volume quite right.
One option for this is an amplified phone. Depending on the circumstance, these phones allow you to control the volume of the speaker. Here are some things that these devices are good for:
- Households where the phone is used by several people.
- People who don’t have their phone synced to their Bluetooth hearing aid (or who don’t have Bluetooth available on either their hearing aids or their principal telephone).
- When someone has difficulty hearing phone conversations but hears fine in other circumstances.
Alerting devices
When something happens, these devices (sometimes called signalers or notification devices) use loud noises, vibrations, and blinking lights to get your attention. For example, when the doorbell dings, the phone rings, or the microwave bings. This means even if you aren’t wearing your hearing aids, you’ll still be aware when something around your home or office needs your attention.
Alerting devices are an excellent option for:
- When you take breaks from your hearing aids.
- People who have complete or nearly complete hearing loss.
- Home and office settings.
- When alarm sounds such as a smoke detector could lead to a dangerous situation.
Telecoils
Once again, we come back to the sometimes frustrating link between your telephone and your hearing aid. When you put a speaker up to another speaker, it creates feedback (sometimes painful feedback). When you hold a hearing aid next to a phone, the same thing happens.
A telecoil is a way to get around that connection. It will connect your hearing aid to your phone directly, so you can listen to all of your conversations without noise or feedback. They’re good for:
- Individuals who use the phone frequently.
- Anybody who isn’t connected to Bluetooth in any way.
- Individuals who have hearing aids.
Captioning
Nowadays, it has become rather commonplace for people to utilize captions and subtitles to enjoy media. You will find captions just about everywhere! Why? Because they make it a little easier to understand what you’re watching.
When you’re dealing with hearing loss, captions can work in combination with your hearing aids, helping you understand mumbled dialogue or ensuring you can follow your favorite show even when there’s distracting conversation nearby.
The rewards of using assistive listening devices
So where can you get assistive listening devices? This question indicates a recognition of the benefits of these technologies for individuals who use hearing aids.
Clearly, every individual won’t be benefited by every kind of technology. For instance, you might not need an amplifier if you have a phone with reliable volume control. If you don’t have the right type of hearing aid, a telecoil might be useless to you.
The point is that you have options. You can personalize the kind of incredible cyborg you want to be (and you will be amazing, we promise)–so that you can get the most out of life. So you can more easily understand the dialogue at the movie theater or the conversation with your grandkids.
Some situations will call for assistive listening technology and some won’t. If you want to hear better, call us today!