Five Reasons Your Hearing Aids Should Connect To Your Smartphone Thursday, March 1, 2018 Should Connect To Your Smartphone By Danielle Robertson, Au.D. (NAPSA)—Today’s hearing aids do much more than just help you hear. ‘They've been re-engineered into smart assistive tools that transform the way wearersinteract with the world. The key to unlocking the full potential of mod- (? ee ern, advanced hearingaids is to connect them to your smartphone. 1. Discreet volume and setting control: Many people don’t want others to know theyre wearing hearing aids. Hearing aid apps let you easily adjust volumeandsettings directly from your smartphone. Instead of pushing buttons on your hearing aids, you can adjust them for optimal performance with a few swipes on your screen. Others will think you're simply sending text. Better hearing can be (discreetly) in the palm of your hand when your hearing aid works through an app on your phone. Smartphones make it easy to communicate with other people and that now includes your hearing care professional (HCP). Skip the in-office appointment for minor adjustments by using a telehealth hearing aid app to schedule a virtual visit. Your HCP can evaluate your progress with your hearing aids and fine-tune them remotely. 3. Stream audio: Hearing aids don't only help you hear sounds you would have otherwise missed as part of the broader soundscape. You can now connect to your smartphone and stream sounddirectly to yourears via Bluetooth for greater clarity. Look for optionsthat this information through a smartphone app, your hearing aids can learn the best settings for amplification and directionality. Instead ofjust focusing on the sounds in front of you, connected hearing aids detect sound from all around. ‘This can be especially important when walking or running outside because it enables you to hold conversations while on the move and remain aware of environmental sounds such as approachingcars. 2. Access to remote hearing care: transmit phone, TV and music audio in stereo to both hearing aids for the highest-quality listening experience. 4.Improve hearing aid perfor- mance: You can adapt to new hearing aids faster by using apps with listening exercises, to track your hearing health and rate your hearing aid performance in settings suchas the car or restaurant. ‘The apps can also let your HCP know how you're adapting to your new devices and if anything needs to be adjusted. Consult user guides and FAQsfor information on howto get the best hearing aid performancein any situation. 5. Adjust settings based on your motion: Smartphones have built-in motion sensors that your hearing aids can leverage to improve how youhear. By sensing your movementsand transmitting Learn More For further facts on hearing loss and hearing aids, go to www.signiausa.com. Dr. Robertson is an Educational Spe- cialist for Sivantos, Inc. Her responsibilities include training customers on software and products both face to face and via virtual sessions. She has seven years of experience working in ENTsettings with children and adults, as well as two years ofexperienceat St. Joseph Institute for the Deaf, where she focused on audiology carefor those up to 3 years ofage. She has acquired a comprehensive understanding of diagnostics, hearing aid technology, counseling and addressing the hearing needs of individuals. Dr. Robertson received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Arkansas State University in 2002 and a doctoral degree in Audiology from Missouri State University in 2007. --- PHOTOS --- File: 20190801-012126-20190801-012123-86216.pdf.jpg --- FILES --- File: 20190801-012123-86216.pdf