Smartphone Apps to Assist with Hearing

[cs_content][cs_section parallax="false" separator_top_type="none" separator_top_height="50px" separator_top_angle_point="50" separator_bottom_type="none" separator_bottom_height="50px" separator_bottom_angle_point="50" style="margin: 0px;padding: 0px 0px 25px;"][cs_row inner_container="true" marginless_columns="false" style="margin: 0px auto;padding: 0px;"][cs_column fade="false" fade_animation="in" fade_animation_offset="45px" fade_duration="750" type="1/1" style="padding: 0px;"][cs_text]We do just about everything on our phones these days. From ordering a pizza to paying our bills, it seems as though just about all our external activity is handled through our smartphone applications. Why shouldn’t our hearing health be any different? [/cs_text][x_custom_headline level="h2" looks_like="h3" accent="false" class="mtm"]Smartphone Apps to Test Our Hearing and Environments[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]If you’re wondering about the health and longevity of your hearing, there are a number of apps available to test the capacity of your current hearing. uHear is just one free app available for iPhone users. Test Your Hearing is a wonderful, free app made for Android. Hearing loss associated with aging, a completely normal process, can occur over a long period of time and thus make it difficult to discern the true level of loss. If you’re on the fence about making an appointment with a hearing health professional, why not take a quick test via one of these easy apps to see if an in-person appointment is necessary? You might also be one of the millions of people who want to do all that they can to prevent future hearing loss. There’s good reason to be concerned! Over time, the volume levels of our devices and environments can increase so slowly that we don’t realize we’re harming our delicate auditory systems. The volume control on your car stereo can creep dangerously to the right if you’re not careful! Too Loud is an app designed to evaluate listening environments and report back on whether your volume situation is putting your ears at risk. This is a fun way to introduce children to the importance of monitoring their hearing health, too! It’s never too early to begin teaching young ones about evaluating the listening situations they are exposed to. [/cs_text][x_custom_headline level="h2" looks_like="h3" accent="false" class="mtm"]Smartphone Apps Aid in Discretion and Convenience[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]Of course, in this day and age we’ve found even more efficient ways to interact with our hearing aids once we’ve decided to treat our level of hearing loss. It used to be that all adjustments to hearing aid settings needed to be performed manually. For instance, let’s say you’re out and about with hearing aids to assist and amplify your environment. Suddenly, your listening environment changes. Only a short while ago such a situation would require you to find a quiet, private space to take out your hearing aid and make manual adjustments. Just another reason to be glad to live in the technological age! Along with the myriad of audiology technology advancements, so has hearing aid technology grown by leaps and bounds. Thanks to the ubiquity of Bluetooth technology, a few swipes and taps on your phone and you can adjust the volume or program of your hearing aids and the audio streaming to them.If discretion is a priority for you, then in the past you’d be uncomfortable adjusting the function of your hearing system in a large group. And large group listening scenarios are exactly the type of situation that might require a quick adjustment on the fly. With a smartphone app that controls your hearing aid, you can make the necessary adjustments with a subtle move that appears as benign as checking for a text message. [/cs_text][x_custom_headline level="h2" looks_like="h3" accent="false" class="mtm"]Smartphone Hearing Aid App Options[/x_custom_headline][cs_text]There’s quite a few apps to choose from, but most manufacturers produce a few that work best with their hearing aid products. Start with the basics and use an app that controls the basic functions of your hearing aid. For example, Signia’s Touch app works with a wide breadth of their product line to put you in the high-tech driver’s seat. With the help of your hearing health specialist, this app can be configured with your hearing aids to provide total control. Volume adjustments, tinnitus program management and even battery life maintenance can be accessed with the touch of a button on your smartphone screen. We live in a highly connectable world, with most of our audio streaming devices already capable of talking to each other via Bluetooth technology. EasyTek by Signia is available for iPhone and Android, allowing you to easy manage the audio flow from all of your favorite Bluetooth-connected devices. This means you’re in control of the way you listen to everything, from laptops and televisions to audio devices and phones. If you’re experiencing hearing loss, there’s no need to stay disconnected. Schedule a hearing test with us today at Atlanta Hearing Doctor and get reconnected to the sounds in your life![/cs_text][/cs_column][/cs_row][/cs_section][/cs_content]