Is your loss of hearing causing you to chat less frequently on the phone? Hearing loss, as time goes by, can make you feel isolated. It’s not necessary to give up chatting on the phone. It is possible to keep in touch with friends and family.
Communication is The key
They say communication is the essential thing in any relationship, and that is absolutely true with your phone. The question is what can be done to make things better.
- Bluetooth or headphones may be options if you’ve already turned the volume up. It will make your phone sound better and it could be an affordable way to get what you need.
- An ear exam is a smart idea. Your hearing loss may not be permanent so it’s essential to get a proper diagnosis. Basic things including earwax buildup or an ear infection will cause temporary hearing loss.
- Do the voices sound too quiet? Maybe the volume needs to be turned up.
If you’ve already looked at at the obvious problems and have ruled them out, it’s time to consider more in depth solutions.
There’s an App For That
There are really quite a few potential 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:
- Note, Listen for Deaf
- Hamilton Mobile Cap Tel
- Live Caption
Most voice to text apps are affordably priced even though not all of them are free.
There is a Phone For That
Some phones work the same way as an app for those looking for a landline solution. They make it easier to hear by amplifying the voice on the other end. High pitched sounds on the other end become clearer because they can equalize the sound.
There is also the option of getting a captioning phone. The captioning service requires a special phone that has an LCD 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. The words are then displayed 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 in a similar way to the captioning phone. You need to get a TTY device that sits next to the phone to display the text, though.
Hearing Aids Are The Best Alternative
It used to be, whenever a hearing aid got near a phone, you would get ear piercing feedback, but those days are over. You can get hearing aid compatible phones that remove background noise and other interference to enhance sound quality. Modern hearing aid technology is compatible with these phones. Even when you are not on the phone these wireless hearing aids still work.
Compatibility with both landlines and smart-phones is possible with modern, high 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.
Most digital hearing aids are also Bluetooth compatible. You simply pair the phone up with the hearing aids just like you would with wireless headphones or earbuds. When the phone rings, the sound goes directly to your hearing aids.
Don’t let hearing loss to wreck your friendships and other relationships. Get back on your phone whatever it takes so you can start talking again. You can check out the newest hearing aid technology by making an appointment with a hearing care specialist.