When you talk to someone, you don’t just listen to the words they’re saying. You also pay attention to their facial expressions and body language, even if it’s subconscious. If you have hearing loss, those cues are extra important. Unfortunately, that can make talking on the phone a little tricky.
Let’s look at a few tips you can employ to add a little more clarity to your next phone conversation.
Use Bluetooth® Hearing Aids
Most modern hearing aids can connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth. Take the following steps to pair your devices:
- Place your hearing aids in their case with the case open.
- Go to “Settings” on your phone and turn on Bluetooth.
- Select your hearing aids when they appear in the menu.
After connecting your hearing aids, you can stream phone audio directly through them, just as you would with wireless headphones.
Try Video Calling
Video calling is especially beneficial for people with hearing loss. Being able to see the person’s face will offer those visual cues that regular phone calls often lack.
Find a Quiet Place
Hearing loss can make it difficult to understand speech in background noise. Where a person without hearing loss will separate two distinct sounds in one environment, someone with hearing loss may fuse them, resulting in muddled speech. If possible, take phone calls in a quiet room like a personal office or bedroom.
Ask for Clarification
Hearing loss affects specific frequencies. That’s why high-pitched sounds like children’s voices or birds singing in Stephen F. Austin Park may fade first. Because it affects specific frequencies, it may not be helpful to have the person you’re speaking with repeat themselves when you don’t understand something. Instead, ask them to rephrase or add context to their point. A new set of vowels and consonants may help you understand them better.
Wearing hearing aids, trying out video calling, quieting your surroundings and asking for clarification when needed are excellent paths to a clearer phone call. For more information on managing your hearing loss, contact Amarillo Hearing Clinic today.
