Are you noticing yourself talking less often on the phone due to your difficulty hearing? You can feel isolated over time because of your hearing loss. You don’t have to give up using your phone. There are ways to deal with it so you can keep in touch with your loved ones.
Communication is The key
They say communication is the indispensable thing with any relationship, and that is certainly true with your phone. The question is what can you do to make things better.
- Do the voices sound too soft? It’s possible the volume needs to be turned up.
- Have you had a hearing test? Not all loss of hearing is permanent, so get a correct diagnosis. It may be something as basic as too much earwax or an ear infection.
- You can try accessories like Bluetooth or headphones if the volume is already turned up. It will make your phone sound better and it might be an affordable way to get what you need.
You can have a look at more in depth resolutions to get you back on the phone once you rule out the more obvious problems.
You Can Get an App For That
You will actually have a choice between quite a few apps. There are some pretty cool apps that will get you comfortable being back on your phone.
Some apps turn what the other person says to text you can read. Not all of these apps work perfectly, but they give you some option that could be helpful. Brands to look up include:
- Note, Listen for Deaf
- Live Caption
- Hamilton Mobile Cap Tel
Not all voice to text apps are free, but most are reasonably priced.
There is a Phone For That
There are phones that work the same way as an app for those interested in a landline option. They can amplify the sound on the other end, making it easier to hear. They also work to equalize the tone, so high pitched sounds that frequently get lost become clearer.
There is also the alternative of getting a captioning phone. You have to have a special phone that has a screen if you want to use the captioning service. If you have this service, the words are repeated or typed into software by a third party operator and are then shown on the screen of the phone. Also, the internet is needed for the majority of captioning phones.
Text-to-Voice Teletype (TTY) is a traditional phone system that is still available and works similarly to the captioning phone. A separate device to display the text is necessary, however.
The Best Option Are Hearing Aids
The times when you would get ear piercing feedback whenever your hearing aids got near a phone are over. The current technology can work with a hearing aid compatible phone to improve the sound quality and eliminate interference like background noise. Even better, they are wireless and work even when you’re not on the phone.
Compatibility with both landlines and smart-phones is possible with modern, quality hearing aids. You hold the phone up to the hearing aid and allow the technology to work its magic by streaming the sound from one device to the other.
Bluetooth compatibility is also a normal feature of today’s hearing aid tech. You simply pair the phone up with the hearing aids exactly the same as you would with wireless headphones or earbuds. The sound goes directly to your hearing aids when it rings.
Don’t let hearing loss to wreck your friendships and other relationships. Do what you must to make up with your phone, and start talking again. You can check out the newest hearing aid technology by making an appointment with a hearing care specialist.