196Section 14Persons with pacemakers:• should always keep the phone more than 15 cm (6 inches) fromtheir pacemaker when the phone is switched on.• should not carry the phone in a breast pocket.• should use the ear opposite the pacemaker to minimizepotential interference.If you have any reason to suspect that interference istaking place, switch your phone off immediately.Hearing Aid Compatibility with Mobile PhonesWhen some mobile phones are used near some hearingdevices (hearing aids and cochlear implants), users maydetect a buzzing, humming, or whining noise. Somehearing devices are more immune than others to thisinterference noise, and phones also vary in the amountof interference they generate.The wireless telephone industry has developed ratingsfor some of their mobile phones, to assist hearingdevice users in finding phones that may be compatiblewith their hearing devices. Not all phones have beenrated. Phones that are rated have the rating on their boxor a label on the box.The ratings are not guarantees. Results will varydepending on the user’s hearing device and hearingloss. If your hearing device happens to be vulnerable tointerference, you may not be able to use a rated phonesuccessfully. Trying out the phone with your hearingdevice is the best way to evaluate it for your personalneeds.
