Streamers and such: three reasons to celebrate

I am always finding ways to share my passion for technological advances made in the hearing industry.  I quite often have to point out that I even have a hearing loss in the first place; my single-sided deafness is not readily apparent by my tiny hearing aids that rest behind my ear, blending in with my glasses.  Gone are the days of miniature houses resting behind one’s ears!  Friends and colleagues alike are surprised when I tell them I wear hearing aids.  Questions arise like, “Really?  Are you wearing them now?”, or “Wow, how long have you had a hearing loss?”, as they zoom in on my ears with sudden wide interest.  Granted, I could have chosen brown ones to match my hair color, but what fun is that?  Ocean blue for me.

I began to think of writing on newer hearing technologies that many are unaware exist.  Such technologies include the hearing streamer and the TruLink smartphone app that can be linked to hearing aids, creating a seamless, inconspicuous way to independently control settings.

Streamers

We’re not talking about crepe paper here, although hearing aid streamers give something to celebrate!  A hearing aid streamer is a small device worn around the neck that pairs with hearing aids to transmit sound.  They have the capability of pairing with a:

• TV
• Phone (cell phone and even landline)
• Hearing loop environment

Patients are able to stream phone calls directly into their hearing aids—hands free.  This is ideal when driving or at home baking cookies with flour all over your hands.  Ever see someone taking a call on a Bluetooth®?  Hearing aids are much smaller and much more discreet than the giant Bluetooth® sprouting out of a person’s ear…seriously.

Take a look how the streamer can be worn over or under a shirt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Granted, if wearing it under, you will need to be able to retrieve the streamer easily if a call comes in.  HEARINC is not responsible for individuals feverishly undressing to grab a phone call before it goes to voicemail.  Use discretion when choosing attire if wanting to wear it under.  Your colleagues will thank you.

 

 

 

Cell phone application for hearing aids

Now that we are in 2015, technology is assumed to be able to do just about anything; having control over your own hearing aids is no exception.  With the TruLink smart phone app, you now have the capability of linking your hearing aids to your phone.

Consider this:  you are called to a staff meeting in a conference room of 10 people.  By time you hurry and grab your third cup of coffee on the way in to the conference room, you are the last one in and have to sit the farthest away from the speaker.  On a good note, the boss won’t be able to see the coffee that spilled on your white shirt as you came in.  The bad news is you wouldn’t be able to hear him/her make note of it even if they did.

With the hearing aids for smartphone, you simply put the app in microphone mode and lay the phone on the table next to the speaker.  Although you would be sitting at the other end of the room, his or her speech would stream directly through your hearing aids.  If they so much as murmur something under their breath…you may be the only one to know.  It will become your super power.

 

Photo credit: The Ridge Resorts / Foter / CC BY

 

While we’re on the topic of coffee stains, this app is also of particular excellent use in loud coffee houses.  Just set the phone out on the table, and be able to focus on the other person’s speech instead of the constant coffee bean-grinding and brewing in the background.  Let’s face it, background noise is annoying.  There’s help for that!

 

Get in the loop

I’ve discussed hearing induction loops before, but I’ll briefly touch on this technology again here.  If you currently wear hearing aids that have a “t-coil” in them (ask your audiologist if yours does), keep an eye out for this sign in various establishments:  

The loop logo indicates that the particular establishment has what is known as a hearing induction loop installed on the premises.  Simply switch your hearing aids to the t-coil setting, and sound will be transmitted directly in to your hearing devices.  This logo is often found in environments such as a concert/symphony hall, a museum, some churches, or even some drive-thru windows (ever get tired of the garbled mess of supposed dialogue at fast food drive-thru windows? Ya, us too.)  Get in the loop!

 

Interested in some of these technologies?  Want to know if your current hearing aids are compatible with these technologies?  Send us an inquiry to set up an appointment in our Akron or Canton, Ohio offices.  It’s time you Join the Conversation!

 

 

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Kiersten Troutman is the Manager of Marketing and Outreach at HEARINC in Canton, Ohio.  As a wife and mother of four young children, one of her greatest joys in life is being able to hear her children laugh and say, “I love you.”  She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Kent State University, and is finishing up her Master of Arts in Composition and Rhetoric from The University of Akron. She suffers unilateral hearing loss from birth and has a true appreciation for the audiological advances made in the assistive hearing device industry.  She has a passion for helping others realize that hearing loss does not discriminate with age, and has a vision to educate the public on how quality of life can often be improved simply by taking advantage of the amazing technology available.

HEARINC.  Join the Conversation.

Copyright. Kiersten D. Troutman. 2015.