Nowadays, the mobile phone network is much more dependable (and there’s a lot less static involved). But in some cases, it will still be hard to hear what the person on the other end is saying. In fact, there’s one population for whom phone conversations aren’t always a reliable experience: those who have hearing loss.
There must be a simple solution for that, right? Why not use a pair of hearing aids to make your phone conversations a bit clearer? Actually, it doesn’t work precisely that way. Even though hearing aids do help with conversations, with phone conversations it can be a bit more challenging. But there are certainly a few things you can do to make your phone conversations more effective.
Why phone calls and hearing aids don’t always get along
Hearing loss usually progresses slowly. Your hearing usually doesn’t just go. You have a tendency to lose bits and pieces at a time. It’s likely that you won’t even detect you have hearing loss and your brain will try to utilize contextual and visual clues to compensate.
When you have phone conversations, you no longer have these visual hints. 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 help – here’s how
Hearing aids will help with this. They’ll especially help your ears fill in a lot of those missing pieces. But there are a few distinctive accessibility and communication troubles that arise from wearing hearing aids while talking on the phone.
For example, putting your hearing aids next to a phone speaker can cause some harsh speaker-to-speaker interference. This can lead to some awkward gaps in conversation because you can’t hear that well.
Bettering your ability to hear phone conversations
So, what can you do to manage the obstacles of using a phone with hearing aids? the majority of hearing specialists will recommend several tips:
- Be honest with the person you’re speaking with on the phone: If phone calls are difficult for you, it’s fine to admit that! Many people will be just fine switching the conversation to text message or email or video calls (or just being a little extra patient).
- Hearing aids aren’t the only assistive hearing device you can use: Devices, including numerous text-to-type services, are available to help you hear better when you’re having phone conversations.
- Utilize video apps: Face-timing somebody or jumping onto a video chat can be a very good way to help you hear better. The sound won’t be louder or more clear, 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 spot. It will be a lot easier to hear the voice on the other end if there’s less noise. Your hearing aids will be much more effective by reducing background noise.
- Connect your phone to your hearing aid via Bluetooth. Wait, can hearing aids stream to smartphones? Yes, they can! This means that if your hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled, phone calls can be streamed right to your phone. This can get rid of feedback and make your phone calls a little more private, so it’s a practical place to start if you’re having trouble on your phone.
- Try utilizing speakerphone to carry out the majority of your phone calls: This will protect against the most severe feedback. Your phone calls may not be particularly private, but even though there still may be some distortion, you should be able to better make out the voice on the other end. Knowing how to better hold your phone with hearing aids (that is, away from your ears) is crucial, and speakerphone is how you accomplish this!
Depending on your general hearing needs, how often you use the phone, and what you use your phone for, the appropriate set of solutions will be accessible. Your ability to once again enjoy phone conversations will be made possible with the right approach.
If you need more guidance on how to utilize hearing aids with your phone, give us a call, we can help.
