Technology moves on rapidly in so many areas of life, and for those with hearing problems there have been many changes; hearing aid technology however is evolving with it.
Most people will be aware of the ‘T’ or ‘Telicoil’ setting on their hearing aid and hopefully make use of it in banks, shops and other areas. This technology allows the aid to pick up a signal from a specific device or microphone. At home though, you may watch the television whilst friends or family try to be quiet, or have the volume really loud, just so can enjoy the programme fully. With a loop system you can set the volume through the system itself without having to have the TV turned up loud. You then benefit from not having the other room noises amplified, and can enjoy a programme without causing uncomfortable sound issues for everyone else.
Loop systems are easy to install and can be fixed or portable. They work in small and large spaces and the costs are not as prohibitive as you might imagine. The system itself is relatively straight forward; an amplifier unit is connected to the sound source you want to hear – TV, microphone, speaker system, home stereo or other device. This is then connected to the ‘loop’ which is most commonly a wire, encircling the area in which it is to be used. It can be worn around the neck, fixed around the perimeter of a room or in some cases it is a unit that can sit on a desk or table.
A person with a hearing aid set to the ‘T’ setting will then be able to pick up the sounds being transmitted. Whilst the aid is in the ‘T’ setting the external microphone tends to be muted, meaning that ambient noise is lost and just the primary sound source is amplified. A good example is if a hearing person in a loud gathering of people, tried to listen to someone whispering on the other side of the room. Using a normal amplifier ALL the sounds would be amplified, with a loop – it is just the primary source that is boosted.
If you would like more information you could visit Living Needs Solutions on Mill Road in Barnstaple. They would be able to explain how things work and arrange to install a loop to suit your needs.