Bluetooth Revolution: Transforming Hearing Aid Technology

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 [phone] 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
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Total Hearing Care Difference where we
help you experience lifethrough better hearing.
Hosted by the experts at TotalHearing Care, a leading private
audiology practice serving theDFW Metroplex, we're here to
provide guidance on hearing loss, tinnitus and the latest
advancements in audiology.
Transform your life throughbetter hearing.

(00:21):
Let's get started.
Transform your life throughbetter hearing.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
Let's get started.
Today's hearing aids aresmarter than ever.
This episode explores howBluetooth connectivity enhances
the listening experience fromstreaming calls to music to
managing settings with a tap.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia A Yvette co-host andslash producer, back in the

(00:47):
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 ontoday, dr Copley.
Now for those listeners wantingto explore how Bluetooth is
changing the hearing aid game.
How does Bluetooth technologyimprove hearing aid

(01:11):
functionality?

Speaker 3 (01:12):
That's a great question.
So probably the three biggestthings people have difficulty
with when they have hearing lossis in background noise, as well
as on the telephone and withthe TV, as well as on the
telephone and with the TV.
And so Bluetooth technology inhearing instruments really helps
with the latter two helpingwith the telephone and with the

(01:33):
TV.
And so by having the Bluetoothin the hearing instruments you
can connect to your phone,oftentimes directly a cell phone
Let me get a cell phone phoneand then you can hear through
the hearing instruments insteadof having to put your phone on
speakerphone or holding thephone up to your ear.
And it's similar with the tv.

(01:55):
Right now you have a specialbox that will go on the tv that
you'll into the tv and then thehearing instruments will connect
through Bluetooth with that box.
So then you hear the TVdirectly through your hearing
instruments, which can make thesound much clearer and make it
easier to understand what'sgoing on in the show.

Speaker 2 (02:18):
Understood.
Now what specific features doBluetooth-enabled hearing aids
offer that traditional onesdon't?

Speaker 3 (02:28):
At this point.
Bluetooth is in every device,so we no longer have hearing
instruments that don't haveBluetooth and that can be from
your premium technology down tobasic technology for
prescriptive hearing aids, soall of them have it.
Now I've had patients ask meand say can I have a hearing aid

(02:49):
without the Bluetooth Because Ireally don't want to have to
use it.
Sometimes it can be complex forpeople to use and I say every
one of them is going to have thecapability, but you just don't
have to turn it on.
You don't have to connectanything with the Bluetooth At
this point.
You still have to pair yourphone to the hearing aid.

(03:11):
So there is that pairingprocess, but it is complex.
I remember when I was learninghow to use it I sat down with
one of the booklets thatexplained it to me and I
actually had a patient who wasreally proficient with his phone
and he showed me how to do it.
So I can certainly empathizewith patients who may not have a
lot of experience with theirphone or experience with all the

(03:34):
details on their phone and howhard it can be to use it.

Speaker 2 (03:39):
Understood.
Now you do keep using the termhearing instruments instead of
hearing aids for our listeners,who may not know what exactly is
a hearing instrument.

Speaker 3 (03:50):
So at our office and most audiology offices that you
go to, you're going to belooking at prescriptive devices,
and so we've had anotherpodcast about over-the-counter
devices, and someover-the-counter devices may not
have Bluetooth.
Those are devices that you canpurchase without seeing an
audiologist or without having ahearing exam an audiologist or

(04:12):
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'mtalking about prescriptive
devices where you're going tosee an audiologist.

Speaker 2 (04:26):
Now, how does streaming audio directly to
hearing aids improve speechclarity and engagement?

Speaker 3 (04:32):
Let's get into that aids improve speech clarity and
engagement.
Let's get into that.
Yeah, so when you're listeningjust in the real world, you have
a couple of things happening.
So with the phone, often youmay just use one ear to hear, or
if you're on speakerphone, youstill have to be very close to
the phone to hear.
So when we connect it withBluetooth, it allows the devices

(04:56):
to be directly in the ears andso the sound goes directly into
the ears and makes it easier forthe brain to understand,
because you've overcome the factthat you had to have some kind
of distance with the phone.
With the TV it's very similar.
You have, maybe, a TV where thespeakers are pointed backwards

(05:17):
and it's hard to understandwhat's going on because of the
acoustics in the room.
And again you have thatdistance between you and the TV,
so the TV sound has to travelto you and changes occur in the
sound as it travels to you.
So by having the hearingdevices connected to the TV
directly, then you can hear theTV in your ears and it overcomes

(05:40):
the idea of space and theacoustics.

Speaker 2 (05:46):
Now are there compatibility limitations with
phones or devices users shouldbe aware of.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
There are compatibility issues and that
has to do with the types ofBluetooth and what's in the
phones.
So it really has to do with howthe manufacturers make the
phones, and the manufacturers ofthe hearing aids are going to
work with the phonemanufacturers.
So Apple is actually a veryeasy one to use because they use

(06:14):
their own Bluetooth.
Android is a little differentbecause you may have some phones
that maybe, like, are flipphones or use an older type of
Bluetooth.
That may not work, but when youget newer phones, those should
work with the manufacturers andif you see an audiologist they
can give you a list of phonesthat are compatible with your

(06:36):
particular hearing needs thatyou get.
And I remember one situationwhere I told a patient that he
needed to get a certain deviceor that his phone wasn't going
to work, and sure enough, he hadall sorts of problems with the
connection with the Bluetoothbecause it wasn't compatible.

Speaker 2 (06:54):
Wow.
Now what's the impact ofBluetooth on battery life and
daily use?

Speaker 3 (07:02):
That's an excellent question.
So some manufacturers arebetter at holding their battery
life.
That is certainly a concern forthe manufacturers to make sure
the hearing instruments areworking all day long 10 to 12
hours, maybe more for people,even if they are streaming,
although sometimes I've hadpatients who they are streaming

(07:26):
all day long because they're inmeetings virtual meetings all
day long on their computers andthey have to keep their phone
plugged in.
But certainly every generationof hearing instruments is going
to have a better battery life.
The other thing is rechargeablebatteries tend to work better
and have a longer battery lifewhen using streaming than just

(07:48):
hearing aid batteries, the smallreplaceable batteries.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
Now, with that being said, are there certain brands
of the Bluetooth devices thatyou recommend?
When it comes to hearinginstruments?

Speaker 3 (08:01):
Yes, For me particularly, I think it depends
on their lifestyle, on whatmanufacturer I might recommend.
So these people that Imentioned that are on their
computers all day and usingBluetooth all day, I might
recommend one particular product.
And then for somebody that isjust like me who's not on the

(08:24):
phone a lot, maybe just has somephone calls now and then,
that's less not on their phonefor more than four or five hours
a day, probably any device willwork.
Can I mention one more thingabout what's coming up with
Bluetooth?
Yep, go ahead.
So one of the things that'scoming up is called AuraCast and
the manufacturers are startingto have Oracast availability or

(08:47):
capability in their devices.
Oracast is going to be ageneric type of Bluetooth,
that's a low energy or LE typeof Bluetooth, and what's going
to be exciting about this isthat patients can just turn on
their Bluetooth wherever theOracast is and it will just
automatically work.
They will no longer have topair their devices to the sound.

(09:11):
So this can help in movietheaters, at like bus stations,
airports, things like that, andthat's probably coming in the
next year, and I think that'sreally exciting because it'll
make it easier, especially forpeople that might have some
difficulty.
Like I said, with all theintricacies of their phone.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
Most definitely.
That definitely sounds likesome revolutionary technology Dr
.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Copley.

Speaker 2 (09:35):
It is Well.
Thank you so much for breakingdown the buzz behind Bluetooth.
We appreciate your insights, asalways, and we'll catch you
next time on the Total HearingCare Difference podcast.

Speaker 3 (09:51):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
Thank you for listening to the Total Hearing
Care Difference.
If you're in the DFW Metroplexand ready to take the next step
toward better hearing, call469-218-4853 to book an
appointment or visitTotalHearingCarecom, because
when you hear better, you livebetter.
See you next time.