Modern cell phones have become much clearer and more dependable nowadays. But in some cases, it will still be difficult 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 with hearing loss.
Now, you might be thinking: there’s a simple remedy for that, right? Can’t you use some hearing aids to help you understand phone conversations more clearly? Actually, it doesn’t work precisely like that. In reality, while hearing aids can make in person conversations a great deal easier to manage, there are some challenges associated with phone-based conversations. But there are certainly 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 advances gradually. Your hearing usually doesn’t just go. You have a tendency to lose bits and pieces at a time. This can make it difficult to even notice when you have hearing loss, particularly because your brain tries really hard to fill in the gaps with context clues and other visual information.
So when you get on a phone, all of that contextual data disappears. There’s no extra information for your brain to fill in. There’s only a very distorted voice and you only make out bits and pieces of the spectrum of the other individual’s voice.
Hearing aids can help – here’s how
Hearing aids can help with this. They’ll especially help your ears fill in many of those missing pieces. But talking on the phone while wearing hearing aids can introduce some accessibility issues.
For instance, placing your hearing aids near a phone speaker can create some harsh speaker-to-speaker interference. This can make things hard to hear and uncomfortable.
Tips to enhance the phone call experience
So what steps can be taken to help make your hearing aids work better with a phone? the majority of hearing specialists will suggest a few tips:
- Consider utilizing speakerphone to conduct the majority of your phone calls: This will counter the most serious feedback. Your phone calls may not be particularly private, but even though there still may be a little distortion, you should be able to better make out 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 achieve this!
- Make use of other assistive hearing devices: Devices, including numerous text-to-type services, are available to help you hear better when you’re having phone conversations.
- Connect your phone to your hearing aid via Bluetooth. Hold on, can hearing aids connect to smartphones? Yes, they can! This means that if your hearing aids are Bluetooth enabled, phone calls can be streamed straight to your phone. This can eliminate feedback and make your phone calls a little more private, so it’s a good place to start if you’re having trouble on your phone.
- Be honest with the individual you’re talking to on the phone: It’s ok to admit if you’re having trouble! Many individuals will be just fine switching the conversation to text message or email or video calls (or just being a little extra patient).
- Download a video call app: 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’ll have that visual information back. And again, this type of contextual information will be greatly helpful.
- Try to take your phone calls in a quiet spot. The less noise around you, the easier it will be to pick out the voice of the person you’re on the phone with. If you lessen background noise during phone calls your hearing aids will work so much better.
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 accessible. Your ability to once more enjoy phone conversations will be made possible with the correct approach.
If you need more guidance on how to utilize hearing aids with your phone, call us, we can help.