The technology behind hearing aids has improved to the point that you can now receive calls and play music on the gadget itself. However, experts claim that despite being practical, these modifications are not precisely beneficial to your health.
Whereas many individuals and hearing healthcare experts have embraced more interconnection, as the tech gains in popularity, there might be public concerns. Even though 95% of Americans report owning a mobile phone, consumer concerns about the health effects of radio frequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation persist.
In this post, we'll talk about the state of Bluetooth hearing aid technology today and how technologies are being developed that are both efficient and secure.
How do Bluetooth and hearing aids work?
As per Hearing Care and Advanced Audiology, Bluetooth technology functions similarly to Wi-Fi or wireless connectivity in that sound is transmitted from one gadget to another by an unnoticeable electronic signal.
According to Sandra Props, AuD, director of audiology at MDHearingAid in Michigan, certain Bluetooth hearing aids may stream phone calls and music directly to the hearing aids. In contrast, other Bluetooth hearing aids enable your smartphone to serve as a remote control for the hearing aids. You can perform both with some Bluetooth hearing aids.
Health and Bluetooth
Bluetooth devices produce EMF at a lower rate than cell phones. Even yet, the level is far from safe, and prolonged exposure can result in several health issues. However, where Bluetooth gadgets are placed on your body—rather than how much EMF they emit—is the main cause for concern.
Consider Bluetooth headsets as an illustration. Wireless connections allow these gadgets to communicate with tablets, computers, and mobile phones. You hear the sounds produced by them via your headphones once they have transformed the EMF waves from your gadgets into sound.
Not the music itself; however, the EMF radiation it produces is the issue. Your brain absorbs this EMF, which might later produce several neurophysiological issues. These issues include sleep abnormalities, memory and cognition impairments, and neurological and cognitive diseases.
A Bluetooth headset and a wireless communication hearing aid are the same. Your equipment must generate significant levels of EMF to interact with the receivers of other connected electrical devices. EMF is not a byproduct of wireless communication; rather, it's the product.
How safe are Bluetooth hearing aids?
Wireless connectivity, as per experts, enables hearing aid wearers to more effectively employ different technology in their everyday lives. Making calls, using a tablet or computer, and even viewing your favorite TV series on TV might all become more pleasurable activities.
Via an app or the hearing aid, Bluetooth allows you the freedom to individually control the intensity of a variety of devices. Radiation can come from electronics. It makes sense that some individuals are wary of Bluetooth devices. Electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is the name for the energy that electronics emit.
EMR comes in two varieties: ionizing and non-ionizing.
While ionizing EMRs, such as X-rays, can hurt our bodies immediately, Bluetooth is a non-ionizing EMR that doesn't harm your bodies and is, therefore, harmless to use. Non-ionizing radiation solely has a heating impact, which is the only known biological consequence. Your chance of burning yourself might grow if your radio frequency power is high enough.
It's highly improbable that the hearing aid will ever become hot enough to even slightly raise the temperature in or behind your ear. Cell phones produce a considerable portion of non-ionizing radiation, far more than your hearing aids, according to studies. Even though research on Bluetooth's non-ionizing radiation is still in progress, it keeps showing that there is no health hazard.
However, suppose you continue to worry that Bluetooth hearing aids could harm your health. In that case, experts advise you to also throw away your phone and all other electronic devices you may be using right now because they provide a much greater risk than Bluetooth hearing aids.
Additionally, before being released on the marketplace, consumer electronics products with Bluetooth functionality must pass electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) tests. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in America has regulations governing Bluetooth devices, while the State Radio Regulation of China in China has the equivalent certification (SRRC). The security of Bluetooth-enabled devices is likewise guaranteed in other nations.
Take away
Hearing healthcare providers may observe an increase in long-term safety issues as the adoption of Bluetooth hearing technology rises. Consumers can feel secure knowing that Bluetooth hearing aids are reliable and healthy, tightly regulated medical equipment that adheres to the requirements for medical gadgets and wireless communication rules the government sets.