These days, the mobile phone network is a lot more reliable (and there’s a lot less static involved). But that doesn’t mean everyone can hear you all the time. And for people who have hearing loss, it can be especially challenging.
Now, you might be thinking: there’s a simple remedy for that, right? Can’t you make use of some hearing aids to help you hear phone conversations more clearly? 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 a few things you can do to make your phone calls more effective.
Why hearing aids and phone calls don’t always play nice
Hearing loss usually progresses gradually. It’s not like somebody just turns down the overall volume on your ears. You have a tendency to lose bits and pieces over time. This can make it difficult to even notice when you have hearing loss, especially because your brain tries very 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 is gone. Your Brain doesn’t have the information it needs to fill in the blanks. There’s only a very distorted voice and you only hear bits and pieces of the range of the other person’s voice.
How hearing aids can be helpful
This can be helped by using hearing aids. Lots of those missing pieces can be filled in with hearing aids. But talking on the phone with hearing aids can introduce some accessibility issues.
Feedback can happen when your hearing aids come near a phone, for example. This can make things difficult to hear and uncomfortable.
Bettering your ability to hear phone conversations
So, what can you do to address the difficulties of using a phone with hearing aids? Most hearing specialists will endorse several tips:
- Download a video call app: 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 clearer, but at least you’ll have that visual information back. And this can help you put context to what’s being talked about.
- Utilize other assistive hearing devices: There are other assistive devices and services that can help you hear better during a phone conversation (and this includes many text-to-type services).
- Put your phone in speaker mode as often as you can: Most feedback can be prevented this way. There might still be a little distortion, but your phone call should be mostly understandable (while maybe not necessarily private). Knowing how to hold the phone better with hearing aids (that is, away from your ears) is essential, and speakerphone is how you achieve this!
- Connect your phone to your hearing aid using 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 directly to your phone. This can eliminate 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.
- Don’t hide your hearing trouble from the individual you’re talking to: It’s okay to admit if you’re having trouble! Many individuals will be fine moving the conversation to text message or email or video calls (or just being a little extra patient).
- Find a quiet place to carry out your phone calls. The less noise near you, the easier it will be to pick out the voice of the individual you’re speaking with. If you minimize background noise during phone calls your hearing aids will work so much better.
Finding the right set of solutions will depend on what you use the phone for, how frequently you’re on the phone, and what your general communication requirements are like. 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.
