Are you finding yourself talking less frequently on the phone because you have trouble hearing? You may feel isolated as time passes due to your hearing loss. Don’t break up with your phone. It is possible to stay in touch with friends and loved ones.
Communication is The key
They say communication is the essential thing with any relationship, and that is certainly true when it comes to your phone. What can be done to make things better is the real question.
- An ear exam is a smart idea. Not all loss of hearing is permanent, so get a correct diagnosis. Basic things such as earwax buildup or an ear infection will cause temporary hearing loss.
- You can try accessories such as Bluetooth or headphones if the volume is already turned up. Maybe that’s all you need to make your phone sound better and it doesn’t cost very much.
- Are the voices too quiet? It’s possible the volume needs to be turned up.
If you’ve already looked at at the obvious issues and have ruled them out, it will be time to consider more in depth solutions.
There’s an App For That
You will actually have a choice between several apps. There are many apps you can download that work to get you, and your phone back on the same page, some of them are pretty cool.
Some apps turn what the other person says to text you can read. These apps don’t all work perfectly but they can be very helpful. Brands to look up include:
- Note, Listen for Deaf
- Live Caption
- Hamilton Mobile Cap Tel
Most voice to text apps are reasonably priced though not all of them are free.
You Can Get a Phone For That
If you want to find a landline solution, you can find phones for your home that function the same way as an app. They can amplify the sound on the other end, making it less difficult to hear. High pitched sounds on the other end become clearer because they can equalize the sound.
Another solution is a captioning phone. In order to use the captioning service, you have to have a unique phone that has a screen. when you have this service, the words are repeated or typed into software by a third party operator and are then displayed on the screen of the phone. You will require the internet to use a captioning service.
Text-to-Voice Teletype (TTY) is an old-school phone system that is still available and works in a similar way to the captioning phone. However, it does require a separate device to display the text.
Hearing Aids Are The Best Choice
The times when you would hear ear piercing feedback when your hearing aids got near a phone are over. The newer technology can work with a hearing aid compatible phone to enhance the sound and eliminate interference such as background noise. The best thing is these wireless hearing aids will still work even when you’re not using your phone.
Compatibility with both landlines and smart-phones is possible with modern, high quality hearing aids. You simply hold the phone up to the hearing aid and let the technology to work its magic by streaming the sound from one device to the other.
Bluetooth compatibility is also a standard feature of today’s hearing aid tech. Pairing your hearing aid up with your smart-phone is done exactly the same way as pairing your phone with any other Bluetooth device. 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 get back on your phone, and start talking again. You can check out the newest hearing aid technology by making an appointment with a hearing care specialist.