Is your loss of hearing causing you to talk less often on the phone? Over time, you can feel isolated as a result of your loss of hearing. It’s not necessary to quit talking on the phone. It is possible to remain in touch with friends and loved ones.
Communication is The key
They say communication is the crucial thing with any relationship, and that is definitely true with your phone. Can anything be done to enhance the situation?
- An ear exam is a smart idea. Get a proper diagnosis because not all hearing loss is permanent. Simple things like earwax buildup or an ear infection will cause temporary hearing loss.
- Are the voices too soft? Perhaps the volume needs to be turned up.
- Bluetooth or headphones may be options if you’ve already turned the volume up. It will make your phone sound better and it may be an affordable way to get what you need.
You can take a look at more in depth resolutions to get you back on the phone once you eliminate the more obvious problems.
There’s an App For That
You will really have a choice between quite a few apps. There are some pretty cool apps that will get you comfortable being back on your phone.
What the other person says can be turned to text with some of these apps. These apps are far from perfect, but you should be able to work with them. Brands to look up include:
- Live Caption
- Note, Listen for Deaf
- Hamilton Mobile Cap Tel
Most voice to text apps are affordably priced though not all are free.
There is a Phone For That
Some phones do the same thing as an app if you are interested in a landline option. They can amplify the sound on the other end, making it less difficult to hear. An equalizer makes the high pitched sounds that usually drop of clearer.
You also have the option of getting a captioning phone. The captioning service requires a unique phone which has a screen. With 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. 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. You need to get a TTY device that sits near the phone to show the text, though.
Hearing Aids Are The Best Choice
Newer hearing aids don’t feedback whenever they come close to a phone like the old ones did. The newer technology can work with a hearing aid compatible phone to improve the sound and remove interference like background noise. Even when you are not using phone these wireless hearing aids still work.
State of the art, quality hearing aids can also have a more cutting edge program that allows them to be compatible with nearly any phone whether it’s a landline or smartphone. The technology works by holding the hearing device up to the phone and streaming the sound from the one to the other.
Bluetooth compatibility is also a standard 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. When the phone rings, the sound goes directly to your hearing aids.
There isn’t any reason to allow hearing loss damage a perfectly good relationship. Get back on your phone whatever it takes so you can start talking again. It’s time to schedule an appointment with a hearing specialist to check out the newest hearing aid technology.