Hearing Assistive Technology Makes Noisy Spaces Easier to Navigate

FM and DM systems. An FM (frequency modulation) system transmits sound via analog radio waves. A transmitter sends the sound over a specific frequency to an FM receiver, often in headphones (which many facilities will provide to you). The sound of the speaker then goes directly into your ears.

Just like the static you might hear on an FM radio, sound transmitted through FM systems is subject to distortion from interference. Newer DM (digital modulation) systems digitize and compress the sound to reduce interference and provide a clearer audio signal.

Infrared system. This technology is the same one that’s used in remote controls. The remote sends out a red light, which the TV receiver picks up to let you change the channel or volume. In this case, the transmitter sends red light waves to a receiver in your hearing aid or a wearable device.

“The infrared receiver picks up that red signal and converts it back into sound,” explains Dr. Samuel Atcherson, a professor of audiology and speech-language pathology at the UAMS College of Health Professions in Little Rock, Arkansas. Infrared systems are available in public spaces or for use at home with a television. In the latter case, you listen to the TV through headphones at a volume you can hear.

Personal amplifier. Just as the name suggests, an amplifier makes sounds louder. When a speaker talks into a microphone, the sound travels to a transmitter in headphones, a neck loop or an in-ear listening device called an earphone. The problem with a personal amplifier is that it makes all sounds around you louder.

“It’s not going to take into account what a person’s hearing loss might be or the environment that they’re in,” Snouffer says. If you’re in a noisy restaurant, for example, the device will amplify conversations and background music, too, which could be distracting.

To find out which of these technologies are available in places you frequent, call the venue directly. Or ask your audiologist to recommend movie theaters and other facilities that have systems compatible with your hearing aids or cochlear implant.

Alerting devices

Alerting devices are different and are designed to let you know when something like a smoke alarm or doorbell is going off. Because hearing loss often affects the higher frequencies, many fire alarms and timers, which have high-pitched signals, are difficult or impossible to detect for those with profound hearing loss.

“When I take my cochlear implants off at night, I can hear nothing. I can’t hear a fire alarm. I can’t hear a smoke alarm. I can’t hear if somebody knocks on the door,” says Atcherson. “I need a different kind of signal.”

Alerting devices instead use vibrations or flashes of light to signal important sounds. One example is a device you put under your mattress or pillow that shakes when an alarm goes off.

“The person will wake up to the vibration if they’re not hearing the alerting system,” Snouffer says.

An alerting device can also let you know when: ·

• The doorbell or telephone rings
• A smoke or carbon monoxide detector goes off
• Your baby cries
• A weather alert is in effect

Some wearable technologies, such as smartwatches, also come equipped with vibrating and flashing light alarms. Many of these devices are available to purchase online.

What's new in hearing assistive technology?

Bluetooth, the same technology that lets you connect your smartphone to your car’s radio, can wirelessly link your hearing aids to your phone or other smart devices to help you hear phone calls, audiobooks and streaming video. Bluetooth audio isn’t yet widely available in public spaces, but a new technology is about to change that. 

“What a lot of people are looking toward in the not-so-far future is something called Auracast, which is kind of like a multi-serving Bluetooth system,” says Anish Thakkar, founder and director of audiology at the Los Angeles Center for Hearing and Balance.

Auracast transmits audio directly from one source to an unlimited number of receivers. Once it’s fully rolled out, Auracast will let you set your hearing aids through your phone to a specific audio source — like TV number three in a restaurant or gate C6 at the airport. Then you can adjust the volume up or down as needed.

“All the major hearing aid manufacturers are anticipating it to be the norm in the near future, so they’re preloading Auracast capability into their hearing aids,” Thakkar says. Cochlear implants can also receive Auracast.

Many assistive technologies are available to help you hear more clearly in noisy listening situations. But before you can take advantage of them, get your hearing tested to determine your degree of hearing loss and which tools you need.

Tell your audiologist or other hearing professional which hearing environments you find most challenging. That will help them narrow down the most beneficial technology and features for you.