Are you noticing yourself chatting less frequently on the phone because you have trouble hearing? Hearing loss, over time, can make you feel isolated. Don’t break up with your phone. It is possible to remain in touch with friends and family.
Communication is The key
They say communication is the essential thing in any relationship, and that is indeed true with your phone. The question is what can you do to make things better.
- If the volume is already on high, have you tried out an accessory such as headphones or a Bluetooth? It will make your phone sound better and it may be an affordable way to get what you need.
- Are the voices too soft? Check to make sure the volume is all the way up on the phone.
- Have you had an ear exam? Your hearing loss may not be permanent so it’s important to get a correct diagnosis. It may possibly be something as straightforward as earwax buildup or an ear infection.
You can have a look at more in depth resolutions to get you back on the phone once you rule out the more apparent issues.
You Can Find an App For That
There are actually quite a few possible 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:
- Hamilton Mobile Cap Tel
- Note, Listen for Deaf
- Live Caption
You can’t get all voice to text apps for free but the majority won’t cost very much.
Phones Made For The Hard of Hearing
Some phones work the same way as an app for those looking for a landline solution. They can amplify the voice on the other end, making it much easier to hear. They also work to equalize the tone, so high pitched sounds that have a tendency to drop off become clearer.
A captioning phone is yet another alternative. In order to use the captioning service, you have to have a unique phone that has a screen. Captioning works with an operator that either repeats the spoken words so speech recognition software can translate them into text or types them right into the system. From there the words are displayed on the screen of the phone. You will need the internet to use a captioning service.
Text-to-Voice Teletype (TTY) is a traditional phone system that is still around and works in a similar way to the captioning phone. A separate device to show the text is necessary, however.
Hearing Aids Are The Best Option
Modern hearing aids won’t feedback every time they get close to a phone like the old ones did. The newer technology can work with a hearing aid compatible phone to enhance the sound quality and eliminate interference such as background noise. The best thing is these wireless hearing aids still work even when you’re not using your phone.
Compatibility with both landlines and smart-phones is possible with modern, quality hearing aids. The technology functions by holding the hearing device up to the phone and streaming the sound from the one to the other.
Lots of digital hearing aids are also Bluetooth compatible. Pairing your hearing aid up with your smart-phone is done exactly the same way as pairing your phone with any other Bluetooth device. When the phone rings, the sound goes directly to your hearing aids.
There’s no reason to allow hearing loss spoil 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 look at the newest hearing aid technology.