These days, the mobile phone network is much more dependable (and there’s a lot less static involved). But sometimes, it will still be challenging to hear what the individual on the other end is saying. And for individuals who have hearing loss, it can be particularly challenging.
There must be an easy solution for that, right? Can’t you use some hearing aids to help you hear phone conversations better? Well, that isn’t… exactly… the way it works. In reality, while hearing aids can make face-to-face conversations much easier to manage, there are some difficulties related to phone-based conversations. But there are definitely some things you can do to make your phone calls more effective.
Phone calls and hearing aids don’t always work well together – here’s why
Hearing loss normally advances gradually. Your hearing typically doesn’t just go. It tends to go in bits and pieces. This can make it hard to even notice when you have hearing loss, especially because your brain tries really hard to fill in the gaps with contextual clues and other visual information.
When you talk on the phone, you no longer have these visual clues. Your Brain lacks the information it needs 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
This can be helped by using hearing aids. Many of those missing pieces can be filled in with hearing aids. But there are some unique accessibility and communication troubles that happen from wearing hearing aids while talking on the phone.
Feedback can happen when your hearing aids come near a phone, for instance. This can result in some uncomfortable gaps in conversation because you can’t hear that well.
Tips to enhance the phone call experience
So what steps can be taken to help make your hearing aids work better with a phone? Most hearing specialists will suggest a few tips:
- Be honest with the person you’re speaking with on the phone: If phone calls are hard for you, it’s okay to admit that! You may simply need to be a little extra patient, or you might want to think about switching to text, email, or video chat.
- 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. If you minimize background noise during phone conversations your hearing aids will perform so much better.
- Make use of video apps: You might have an easier time distinguishing phone conversations on a video call. It’s not 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 add context to what’s being talked about.
- Connect your phone to your hearing aid using Bluetooth. Hold on, 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 enabled). This can prevent feedback and make your phone calls a bit more private, so it’s a good place to begin if you’re having trouble on your phone.
- Utilize other assistive hearing devices: Devices, including numerous text-to-type services, are available to help you hear better when you’re having phone conversations.
- Try using speakerphone to carry out the majority of your phone calls: Most feedback can be averted this way. There may still be a little distortion, but your phone call should be mostly understandable (while maybe not necessarily private). Knowing how to better hold your phone with hearing aids (that is, away from your ears) is critical, and speakerphone is how you accomplish this!
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. With the right approach, you’ll have the resources you require to start enjoying those phone conversations again.
If you need more guidance on how to use hearing aids with your phone, call us, we can help.