Contemporary cell phones have become a lot clearer and more dependable nowadays. But sometimes, it will still be challenging to hear what the person on the other end is saying. As a matter of fact, there’s one group for whom phone conversations aren’t always a reliable experience: those who have hearing loss.
There must be an easy solution for that, right? Why not utilize a set of hearing aids to make your phone conversations a bit clearer? Actually, it doesn’t work exactly like that. Even though hearing aids can help with conversations, with phone conversations it can be a bit more difficult. But there are definitely some things you can do to make your phone conversations more successful.
Why hearing aids and phone calls don’t always get along
Hearing loss normally progresses gradually. It isn’t like someone simply turns down the overall volume on your ears. It tends to go a little at a time. It’s likely that you won’t even notice you have hearing loss and your brain will attempt to use contextual and visual clues to compensate.
When you talk on the phone, you no longer have these visual hints. There’s no added information for your brain to work with. 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
Hearing aids will help with this. Lots of those missing pieces can be filled in with hearing aids. But talking on the phone with hearing aids can present some accessibility problems.
For instance, putting your hearing aids near a phone speaker can cause some harsh speaker-to-speaker interference. This can make things hard to hear and uncomfortable.
Tips to augment the phone call experience
So what measures can be taken to help make your hearing aids function better with a phone? Most hearing specialists will endorse several tips:
- Hearing aids aren’t the only assistive hearing device you can use: There are other assistive devices and services that can help you hear better when you’re having a phone conversation (including many text-to-type services).
- Consider utilizing speakerphone to conduct most of your phone conversations: This will counter the most severe feedback. Your phone conversations might not be particularly private, but even though there still may be some distortion, you should be able to better understand the voice on the other end. Knowing how to hold the phone better with hearing aids (that is, away from your ears) is crucial, and speakerphone is how you accomplish this!
- Stream your phone to your hearing aid using Bluetooth. Yes, contemporary hearing aids can connect to your cellphone using Bluetooth! This means you’ll be able to stream phone calls directly to your hearing aids (if your hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled). This can get rid of feedback and make your phone calls a bit more private, so it’s a good place to start if you’re having difficulty on your phone.
- Don’t conceal your hearing trouble from the individual you’re talking to: If phone calls are hard for you, it’s okay to admit that! Many individuals will be fine moving the discussion to text message or email or video calls (or just being a little extra patient).
- Utilize video apps: You might have an easier time distinguishing phone conversations on a video call. The sound won’t be louder or clearer, but at least you will have that visual information back. And this can help you add context to what’s being said.
- Try to take your phone calls in a quiet area. It will be much easier to hear the voice on the other end if there’s less noise. Your hearing aids will be much more efficient by lowering background noise.
Depending on your overall hearing needs, how often you use the phone, and what you use your phone for, the appropriate set of solutions will be available. With the right approach, you’ll have the tools you require to begin enjoying those phone conversations once again.
Contact us for some help and guidance on how to best use your phone and hearing aids at the same time.