Modern cell phones have become a lot clearer and more reliable nowadays. But in some cases, it will still be difficult to hear what the person on the other end is saying. And for individuals who have hearing loss, it can be particularly difficult.
There must be a simple solution for that, right? Can’t you make use of some hearing aids to help you understand phone conversations more clearly? Actually, it doesn’t work exactly that way. Even though hearing aids can help with conversations, with phone conversations it can be a bit more challenging. But there are definitely some things you can do to make your phone conversations more effective.
Why hearing aids and phone calls don’t always get along
Hearing loss generally isn’t sudden. Your hearing normally doesn’t just go. You tend to lose bits and pieces over 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.
So when you get on a phone, all of that contextual info is gone. 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 help – here’s how
This can be improved by using hearing aids. They’ll especially help your ears fill in a lot of those missing pieces. But there are some unique accessibility and communication challenges that occur from using hearing aids while talking on the phone.
For instance, placing your hearing aids next to a phone speaker can create some harsh speaker-to-speaker interference. This can make things difficult to hear and uncomfortable.
Improving your ability to hear phone conversations
So what steps can be taken to help make your hearing aids function better with a phone? Well, there are a few tips that the majority of hearing specialists will recommend:
- Don’t hide your hearing trouble from the individual you’re speaking with: If phone calls are difficult for you, it’s okay to admit that! You might simply need to be a little extra patient, or you may want to think about using text, email, or video chat.
- Use other assistive hearing devices: There are other assistive devices and services that can help you hear better during a phone conversation (and this includes numerous text-to-type services).
- Put your phone in speaker mode as frequently as you can: This will prevent the most serious feedback. There may still be a little distortion, but your phone call should be mostly understandable (if not necessarily private). The best way to keep your phone and your hearing aid apart is by using speakerphone.
- Try to take your phone calls in a quiet location. It will be a lot easier to hear the voice on the other end if there’s less noise. If you control background noise during phone conversations your hearing aids will perform so much better.
- Stream your phone to your hearing aid using Bluetooth. Wait, can hearing aids stream to smartphones? Yes, they can! This means you’ll be capable of streaming phone calls right 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 practical place to begin if you’re having difficulty on your phone.
- Utilize video apps: Face-timing somebody or hopping 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 again, this kind of contextual information will be greatly helpful.
Depending on your general hearing needs, how frequently 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 start enjoying those phone conversations once again.
Contact us for some help and advice on how to best utilize your phone and hearing aids at the same time.
