Bluetooth and Hearing Health
Hearing aids have come a long way since the over-the-ear model was the only choice available. Today, hearing aids increasingly use Bluetooth technology to give users more functionality and a better experience.
With today’s Bluetooth hearing devices, whether they be hearing aids or new devices called hearables, you can take and make calls, listen to music, stream computer, communicate with smart home assistants, and more. Bluetooth technology, which requires less power than Wi-Fi and other types of wireless communication, makes it easy to communicate with other devices using a standard shared protocol.
The Revolution of Bluetooth-enabled Hearing Aids
The advent of Bluetooth has revolutionized the entire hearing health industry and opened up new horizons for consumers looking for hearing assistance. Seizing on the trend, several hearing aid manufacturers developed hearing aids that work directly with smartphones. These integrations enable users to stream alerts, music, and phone calls directly from the device to their hearing aids. However, the power of a Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids and devices goes far beyond that.
With Bluetooth pairing, users can enhance not only the sounds and speech from the world around them, but also the audio of their digital devices. That means users experience improved hearing when watching television, conversing on the phone, listening to music, and many other everyday activities.
Further disrupting the audiology industry is the emergence of hearable devices such as IQbuds2 MAX. These hearables cross the divide between Bluetooth wireless earbuds and traditional hearing aids. As a result, these hybrid devices offer Bluetooth pairing with phones, computers, and other devices. They also augment and enhance both real-world and digital sound.
As the Wall Street Journal accurately described in a recent article, “Medical devices and consumer electronics are converging to create a new generation of hearing aids.”
Reducing People’s Reluctance to Use a Hearing Aid
Hearing loss is so significant that the Hearing Health Foundation names it the second-most prevalent health issue worldwide. It affects more people than Alzheimer’s, diabetes, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease combined.
It’s hard for many to accept they have hearing loss and may benefit from hearing assistance. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids and devices are slowing helping change attitudes. With smartphone use prevalent in developed nations, people with hearing loss don’t want to miss out on all that these devices have to offer. The desire to properly hear digital audio from their smartphone devices has helped to push an incrementally larger number of people towards hearing treatment at an earlier age.
Additionally, the vastly more affordable price point of hearable devices such as IQbuds2 MAX ($399 USD retail price) has made hearing assistance far more accessible for those with mild-to-moderate hearing challenges who are not financially equipped to spend thousands of dollars for traditional hearing aids. Products like these provide a bridge between doing nothing and getting a hearing aid, with a solution built on Bluetooth technology.
Nonetheless, as ASHA (the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) notes, the problem of untreated hearing loss still looms large:
“The statistics are alarming. 36 million Americans have a hearing loss—this includes 17% of our adult population. The incidence of hearing loss increases with age. Approximately one third of Americans between ages 65 and 74 and nearly half of those over age 75 have hearing loss (NIDCD, 2010). Hearing loss is the third most prevalent chronic health condition facing older adults (Collins, 1997). Unfortunately, only 20% of those individuals who might benefit from treatment actually seek help. Most tend to delay treatment until they cannot communicate even in the best of listening situations. On average, hearing aid users wait over 10 years after their initial diagnosis to be fit with their first set of hearing aids”
Benefits of Nuheara’s Bluetooth Hearing Technology
Not all hearing aid manufacturers created them with smartphone compatibility in mind. Even those that do build in smartphone compatibility sometimes only enable iOS functionality, while neglecting Android users. Not so with Nuheara’s range of Bluetooth hearing devices. Below are some of the benefits of IQbuds BOOST, and even though they are not a hearing aid, they go beyond that even of the newest Bluetooth hearing aids that cost exponentially more:
- Enhanced ability to process speech and more easily engage in conversations
- Enhanced ability to hear digital audio including phone calls, music, podcasts and more
- The ability to independently control TV volume through the IQbuds application and hear television audio in crystal clear high definition. *best achieved in tandem with IQstream TV hearing device
- More affordable for those not ready to invest the time and money required to visit an audiologist multiple times and purchase a set of traditional hearing aids
- The ability to quickly self-assess one’s personal hearing profile using the Ear ID application that comes free with IQbuds BOOST and IQbuds2 MAX.
- The ability to fine-tune and adjust listening settings on the hearing device without needing the assistance of a professional audiologist
- Best-in-class active noise cancellation when full audio isolation is desired (IQbuds2 MAX only)
Nuheara Bluetooth Hearing: Customer Feedback
[av_content_slider heading=” heading_tag=” heading_class=” columns=’1′ animation=’fade’ navigation=’dots’ autoplay=’true’ interval=’10’ font_color=” color=” id=” custom_class=’home-page-test-text’ av_uid=’av-3h3f5d8′]
[av_content_slide title=’Total Sound Hearing Experience’ heading_tag=” heading_class=” link=” linktarget=” av_uid=’av-33oow30′]
…Completely blown away by the clarity of sound. I’m really impressed with the phone answering and total sound hearing experience. They actually blow away how well my Starkey brand hearing aids function in this respect (these are the $5000 dollar Starkey Muse i2400 bluetooth hearing aids). So even if your hearing impairment is on the light side of severe like mine you can listen to music and take phone call with total clarity.
Anonymous in USA
[/av_content_slide]
[av_content_slide title=’Surprising Results’ heading_tag=” heading_class=” link=” linktarget=” av_uid=’av-2mfycrw’]
Recently started using Bluetooth hearing aids but found they’re not ideal in a noisy work environment due to lack of ability to block out when needed. Nuheara have a great product here, the app is fantastic and feature rich. Streaming audio quality is great and the level of boost is sufficient for my needs(mild-moderate hearing loss). Signal processing options are very impressive, something hearing aids lack.
Christopher T. from Australia
[/av_content_slide]
[av_content_slide title=’More Than Worth Every Penny’ heading_tag=” heading_class=” link=” linktarget=” av_uid=’av-27a6aj0′]
I have been using hearing aids for years and have had problems in the gym and on the road for quite some time. I couldn’t combine the hearing aids and ear buds, so something had to suffer. My IQbuds have totally solved that. Not only can I listen to music, I can hear what is going on around me. I also love the way they adjust to different locations.
John A. from United States
[/av_content_slide]
[av_content_slide title=’Truly Amazing!’ heading_tag=” heading_class=” link=” linktarget=” av_uid=’av-1lpbwek’]
I had a hearing test a few weeks ago and found out I needed hearing aids for both ears. I turned 50 last year and went to a lot of concerts when I was younger. Got my IQbuds Boost and did the EarID and connected them to everything Bluetooth I had. I adjusted the levels and heard my boyfriend on the other side of our apartment, and I could also hear air coming out of the vent! When I took them off to go to bed that night, I couldn’t believe how much I wasn’t hearing.
Sean H. from United States
[/av_content_slide]
[av_content_slide title=’IQbuds BOOST Ticks All the Boxes’ heading_tag=” heading_class=” link=” linktarget=” av_uid=’av-143fomk’]
Having minor hearing loss, I was curious to find out how well IQbuds Boost performed in comparison to my current much more expensive hearing aids. Whilst I have only being using them for a few weeks my assessment is that overall the IQbuds Boost provide at least a comparable level of hearing assistance at a much lower cost. The associated phone app with its fine tuning features is fully functional and very easy to use.
Roger P. from Australia
[/av_content_slide]
[/av_content_slider]
[av_hr class=’invisible’ height=’50’ shadow=’no-shadow’ position=’center’ custom_border=’av-border-thin’ custom_width=’50px’ custom_border_color=” custom_margin_top=’30px’ custom_margin_bottom=’30px’ icon_select=’yes’ custom_icon_color=” icon=’ue808′ font=’entypo-fontello’ id=” custom_class=” av_uid=’av-nvsgb0′ admin_preview_bg=”]
