Contemporary cell phones have become much clearer and more dependable nowadays. But sometimes, it will still be difficult to hear what the person on the other end is saying. And for people who have hearing loss, it can be especially difficult.
Now, you may be thinking: there’s a simple solution for that, right? Why not use a set of hearing aids to make your phone conversations a little easier? Well, that isn’t… exactly… how it works. In reality, while hearing aids can make in person conversations much easier to manage, there are some difficulties associated with phone-based conversations. But there are a few tips for phone calls with hearing aids that can help you get a bit more out of your next conversation.
Phone calls and hearing aids don’t always work effectively together – here’s why
Hearing loss typically isn’t sudden. It’s not like somebody just turns down the general volume on your ears. It tends to go in bits and pieces. It’s likely that you won’t even detect you have hearing loss and your brain will attempt to utilize contextual and visual clues to compensate.
When you talk on the phone, you no longer have these visual clues. Your Brain lacks the info it requires to fill in the blanks. You only hear parts and pieces of the other individual’s voice which sounds muffled and distorted.
Hearing aids can be helpful – here’s how
This can be helped by wearing hearing aids. They’ll particularly help your ears fill in a lot of those missing pieces. But talking on the phone while wearing hearing aids can introduce some accessibility issues.
Feedback can happen when your hearing aids come close to a phone, for instance. This can make things hard to hear and uncomfortable.
Improving your ability to hear phone conversations
So, what can you do to manage the difficulties of utilizing a phone with hearing aids? Well, there are several tips that the majority of hearing specialists will recommend:
- Use other assistive hearing devices: There are other assistive devices and services that can help you hear better when you’re having a phone conversation (and this includes numerous text-to-type services).
- Put your phone in speaker mode as frequently as you can: Most feedback can be averted this way. Your phone conversations may not be very private, but even though there still may be a little distortion, you should be able to better understand the voice on the other end. The best way to keep your phone and your hearing aid apart is by switching to speakerphone.
- Make use of video apps: You might have an easier time distinguishing phone conversations on a video call. It isn’t that the sound quality is magically better, it’s that your brain has use of all of that amazing visual information again. And this can help you put context to what’s being talked about.
- You can use your Bluetooth function on your hearing aid to connect to your phone. Wait, can hearing aids stream to smartphones? Yes, they can! This means you’ll be able to stream phone calls right to your hearing aids (if your hearing aids are Bluetooth capable). If you’re having difficulty using your phone with your hearing aid, a good place to begin reducing feedback would be switching to Bluetooth.
- Find a quiet spot to conduct your phone calls. The less noise around you, the easier it will be to make out the voice of the person you’re speaking with. Your hearing aids will be much more efficient by reducing background noise.
- Don’t hide your hearing trouble from the individual you’re speaking with: It’s ok to admit if you’re having difficulties! Many individuals will be just fine switching the discussion to text message or email or video calls (or simply being a little extra patient).
Finding the correct set of solutions will depend on what you use your phone for, how frequently you’re on the phone, and what your general communication requirements are like. With the correct approach, you’ll have the resources you need to start enjoying those phone conversations again.
If you need more advice on how to utilize hearing aids with your phone, give us a call, we can help.