Additional help
Some listening situations may be more difficult than others - either because of background noise or because the sound comes from too far away. Additional listening devices can be helpful together with hearing aids in situations such as these:

• Listening to lectures or seminars
• Using the telephone
• Watching television
• Listening to music
• Travelling in the car

Your audiologist will be able to tell you which devices can help you. If you notice that you have difficulty in situations other than the ones listed above, ask whether you can get devices for these.

Teleloop systems
Public places such as churches, theatres and airports often have what is known as a teleloop system, which can transmit sound signals directly into your hearing instrument if it has a telecoil option.

The telecoil feature is available on most hearing instruments today, as many telephones and portable phones are alo hearing aid compatible.

FM listening systems
Hearing in a lecture room or during a social event can be difficult even for people without hearing loss. This is partly because the speaker's voice has to carry a long way, and partly due to background noise from feet shuffling, chairs being moved around and people talking and laughing. To make it easier to hear what the speaker is saying you might want to consider using an FM listening system.

How and where FM systems work best
FM listening systems work by picking up the sound of the speaker's voice through a microphone and transmitting it as a radio signal directly to the person wearing the hearing aid. They are perfect for lecture rooms because they help 'reduce' the distance between the listener and the speaker. 

Even people with normal hearing sometimes use FM systems to help them concentrate in noisy situations. They can also be used at home, at the dinner table, at social events, or when watching television.