What Is a Telecoil and Why Do I Need It?

A telecoil is a very small copper wire built into a hearing aid.  Having a telecoil in your hearing aids gives you the option of hearing significantly better in places that have a hearing loop, an FM system or an IR (Infra-Red) system.  Hearing aids are necessary and beneficial if you have hearing loss.  But did you know that while wonderful and super helpful, they do not solve all of your hearing and listening problems?

Hearing aids work best when you are no more than about 6’ from the person speaking.  That means that in many situations, even with the best hearing aids, you may struggle to understand the words.  Hearing loss is not just about volume.  It is often about clarity as well.  There are many situations where even with a good PA (public address) system, it is difficult to understand speech.  At a lecture, or concert, or church, people with hearing loss often struggle to understand speech.

Did you know that there are three different Assistive Listening Systems that can really help in those situations?  Hearing loops, FM systems and IR (Infra-red) systems are sometimes available in buildings, event spaces, concert halls and meeting rooms.  These systems can greatly enhance the user’s experience by directing the sound straight into the user’s hearing aids.  The one thing that these three systems all have in common is that they can be easily accessed if the user has a telecoil in their hearing aids.   Once I learned about telecoils, and how they could enhance my listening experiences, I bought my own portable hearing loop and have used it every day for the past several years.  .  I use it at my book group,  when we have friends or family over to visit, and have it connected to my computer as the audio source so that I can hear and understand every word.  I could not have survived these past 3-4 years before getting my cochlear implant without telecoils and my portable hearing loop.

It costs no more to buy hearing aids that are equipped with telecoil.  It may make the hearing aid just a millimeter or two larger (barely perceptible, honestly), but it gives you options for hearing speech that is shockingly clear.  Who wouldn’t want this?

While the US is slightly behind Europe (where virtually every public space has a hearing loop),  we are gaining ground.  Many facilities have FM or Infra-red systems.  And even here in Lane County over 80 hearing loops have been installed in the past five years.  In New York, the taxis are looped.  Many airports in the US and around the world are looped.  Even our own Mahlon Sweet Airport is partially looped, and will be completed in the next year or so.   The Shedd Institute is looped, as are the Very Little Theater, the Cottage Theater, and very soon the Wildish Theater.

You may also have heard about a new hearing assist technology that will be available eventually.  That is Auracast, a Bluetooth LE broadcast technology.  It is not currently available and it will be at least a few years (or more) before it is available in hearing aids, and before buildings, facilities, event centers, etc are equipped to transmit to the hearing devices.  While some hearing professionals advise not getting telecoils in your hearing aids, that is a disservice to the patient because telecoils allow the user to access three different hearing assist systems.  Widespread opinions are that Auracast, hearing loops and other assistive listening systems will co-exist for many years to come.

If you want to hear better in more places, then be sure to tell your audiologist that you want to purchase hearing aids WITH telecoils.  You’ll find many locations locally, and around the world, in which you’ll have improved listening experiences if you have telecoil enabled hearing aids.