What are telecoil hearing aids? How do they work?

Telecoil Hearing Aids (T coil)

What are telecoil hearing aids and why are they important?

Overview    |    Before telecoils   |    What is a loop system?    |    The technology    |    The benefits    |    Do I need them?    |    Summary

Overview

Telecoil hearing aids, or T-coils, enhance hearing by wirelessly picking up magnetic signals from compatible devices like phones and induction loop systems.

This allows users to directly receive sound, reduces background noise, and improves clarity in public places like theatres and churches, enhancing overall accessibility for the hearing impaired.

In this article, we will discuss what telecoil hearing aids are, their advantages, how they work alongside loop systems, who should be using them, and whether they are a feature you could benefit from.

Before telecoils

Although hearing aids are instrumental in helping people hear better, relying on the device’s built-in microphones is not the best option for every occasion.

The two million people in the UK who wear hearing aids can still face challenges in understanding speech in public places. Let’s take a visit to a church as an example.

A minister’s sermon will likely sound muddled for a hearing aid wearer because a cavernous church will easily reverberate and mix speech sounds with the surrounding background noise, obscuring the minister’s words.

What if I told you that a decades-old, widely available technology could remove all the background noise from the church and make the minister's words immediately clearer? This is what’s possible with a telecoil.

Telecoils in hearing aids - What are they and what do they do?

What are telecoil hearing aids?  Telecoil-equipped hearing aids include a small coil that is inside many hearing aids. It is similar to an antenna that picks up magnetic signals and sends them as audio to your hearing aids.

Typically, a hearing aid picks up sound using a microphone and then amplifies it. A telecoil works differently - with this feature, the hearing aid "hears" a magnetic pulse and then amplifies that sound signal.

What is a loop system?

To be able to use your hearing aid’s telecoil feature, you need to enter an area that contains a loop system. 

Loop systems are composed of three parts— a microphone, a loop amplifier, and a loop of wire. The loop of wire is positioned around the circumference of the physical space.

The space may be very large, such as a concert venue or a church, or rather small, such as a living room. A loop can even be mounted around a person's head (called a neck loop).

Hearing aid loops and mobile phones

To assist those listening to mobile phones with a hearing aid, people usually prefer accessing Bluetooth technology.  However, there are many universal solutions for this out there on the market, which are suitable with your hearing aids set to the 'T' or 'Loop' program setting.

Telecoil Hearing Aid Technology

Telecoils, hearing aids and loop systems

How do telecoils and loop systems work together?

Here is how the hearing loop works in conjunction with a telecoil to send sound directly into your ear:

• An audio signal is identified from a sound source, such as your TV, stereo, or public PA system, via a microphone. 
• This signal is amplified and travels along the loop of wire, which goes around the entire area. 
• As the signals travel through the loop of wire, a magnetic field is produced in the area that mimics the original sound signal.
• A telecoil fitted inside a hearing aid converts this magnetic field into the sound you can hear.  When you toggle your hearing aid from the microphone to its telecoil feature, it connects a small wire coil (the telecoil) to the input of the hearing aid amplifier.

This tiny wire coil is attuned to nearby magnetic fields, such as the one generated by the loop system.

• The magnetic field produced in the room loop triggers the same electrical signal in the telecoil.
• The hearing aid amplifier then boosts this signal, letting you experience an accurate reproduction of the sound signal in your ears.

Why should you use the hearing aid telecoil mode? What are the benefits of them?

There are several benefits to using the telecoil feature in a hearing aid.  For example, they provide better speech comprehension.  

Hearing aid microphones have a limited range, but the telecoil offers greater audibility for people with hearing aids when listening to speech, sometimes even better than for people with normal hearing!

It does this by cutting out unwanted background noise.

Telecoils are more inconspicuous.  When a loop system is in place, hearing aid wearers don’t have to risk an embarrassing situation by asking for an extra device, which could mark them out as someone saddled with hearing loss.

Plus, there is no need to use bulky, expensive receivers when the telecoil is already within the hearing aid itself.

Telecoils are also more accessible.  Anyone with a compatible hearing aid can use the system, and it will serve everyone who can stand inside the loop.

Do I need telecoil hearing aids?

In reality, however, there are some instances where telecoils might not be the best option.  For instance, they are not optimised for music and are non-portable.  Telecoils are designed for speech signals, so music may sound distorted as a result.

This is based on the fact that music is often made up of higher frequencies than the bandwidth of the telecoil can manage.

Using telecoils within a venue requires a fixed loop to be mounted in the space. The loop cannot be transported easily to other locations, and the power of the sound signal is limited to the boundaries of the loop itself.

For example, if a loop is installed for a TV in the living room, the signal strength decreases significantly when the user leaves the living room.

Telecoil for Hearing Aids

A widely available technology

A greater scope of sound at your fingertips

Ever since the Equality Act was passed in 2010, those who have hearing loss are classed as having a disability and are therefore protected by law against discrimination.

This means that businesses and other organisations must provide hearing loop systems to maintain accessibility for all.   

A telecoil hearing aid means you will benefit from a greater scope of sound wherever you are, and you don't miss out on the important things in life, like conferences and live gigs.  Hearing loops are therefore common in public spaces across the UK, such as:

• Churches
• Concert halls
• Universities
• Airports
• Museums (for guided tours)

How do I find hearing loop systems near me?

If you’re unsure whether a particular venue provides hearing loop services, just look for the loop logo (example below). You can also locate places with loop systems via Google Maps or use an app to indicate where loop systems are in place, such as LoopFinder.

Do all hearing aids come with Telecoil technology?

No, not all hearing aids have telecoils, but the number is increasing. Broadly speaking, the smaller the unit, the less likely it is to contain a telecoil. This is because the telecoil is usually too large to fit into the smallest devices.

Telecoils are most likely found in two styles of hearing aids: In-the-Ear (ITE) and Behind-the-Ear (BTE). As a rule of thumb, if the hearing aid uses a size 10 battery, it won't include a telecoil. 

Which hearing aids come with a Telecoil option? 

Some hearing aid models will indicate the presence of a hearing loop in the name by including the letter T.  See the table below for some examples (NOTE: this list is not comprehensive; if a T-coil is a feature you are interested in, you can ask one of our audiologists for more options.)

How do I turn on the telecoil in my hearing aids?

Most hearing aids feature a switch that lets you choose between receiving signals from the hearing aid microphone or a loop system. This is known as a "T switch." When you activate the T-setting, the microphone is turned off, so only the signals from the loop system can be heard.

It can be beneficial to receive signals from both the telecoil and the microphone, such as when you want to hear the TV while also hearing surrounding sounds, like your spouse's voice.

To accommodate this, many hearing aids offer an "MT" setting, allowing both the microphone and the telecoil to be active simultaneously.

Hearing aid wearers who want to make use of telecoil technology should talk to a local audiologist. This is because telecoils often need to be activated before they can be used. They can then be easily toggled to enable dramatically improved hearing in a range of public venues. 

Hearing aids without a telecoil

You can, in some cases, still access the wireless sound from a hearing aid loop system - you just have to use an additional device, such as a streamer.  Please be aware that this would only work if you have a hearing aid with Bluetooth capability.  

If you're unsure whether you need a telecoil, consult your hearing care provider to discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

Summary

By tapping into induction loop systems and electromagnetic signals, hearing aids with telecoils can enhance sound quality, reduce background noise, and promote inclusivity in various social and public settings.

With continued advancements in technology, telecoil-enabled hearing aids are empowering those with hearing loss to fully engage with the world around them, improving their overall quality of life.