It used to be people who wore hearing aids could not talk on cell phones because of a ringing feedback noise, but modern day technology has silenced that problem.
"Before I had the Bluetooth on my phones it was very difficult for me to have phone conversations with my children," said Cayucos resident Bill Nicholson who has worn hearing aids for three years.
Most newer hearing aids now come Bluetooth equipped.
Dr. Aaron Marquis, owner of Advanced Hearing Aid Center in San Luis Obispo, explained how it works. "They will wear [a device] around their neck, the hearing instrument's on their ear and if the phone rings they just push the button here [on the device]."
It answers the phone just like a regular hands-free device, but its capabilities do not end there.
"I can run my iPod through them. I do a lot of motorcycle riding and I can listen to my music when I'm riding, and it's just really cool... If something's going on that I need to pay attention to I can just tap the receiver and it goes in to normal hearing," said Santa Margarita resident Dave Walsworth.
The device can also be linked up to a television, which sends a direct audio feed to the hearing aid.
"My wife doesn't have to have the TV turned up so loud. She'd say, 'Honey, it's too loud! Turn it down.' I'd say, 'Well, then, I can't hear,'" said Atascadero resident Robert Evans, who also a has a remote control for his hearing aids, which allows him to adjust to different settings.
If you have older hearing aids that are not Bluetooth equipped, there are devices that allow you to upgrade. They cost a couple hundred dollars.
