Making phone calls with hearing aids

Talking on the phone with a hearing aid

For hard of hearing, talking on the phone can be a real challenge. Nowadays, however, it is possible to make calls directly via the hearing aids. This makes it much easier to understand the person you are talking to and sometimes you can put your smartphone down completely.

In this article, you can find out what options you have and how to make calls with hearing aids.

Talking on the phone with a hearing aid via loudspeaker

A popular option is to make calls via the phone's loudspeaker at maximum volume. The clear disadvantage of this option is that you have to pay attention to the exact positioning of the phone on your ear so that the sound is actually picked up by the receiver. For IdO hearing aids, positioning on the ear is less crucial and more comfortable than with BTE devices. However, this variant offers little privacy and is therefore only recommended to a limited extent.

Making phone calls with a Bluetooth hearing aid

Calling directly via the hearing aids allows you to set the optimum listening volume for you and ensures sound quality. Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids can be easily paired with a smartphone or Bluetooth-enabled landline phone. Depending on the manufacturer (e.g. Phonak), the phone can remain in your pocket - the call is made entirely via the hearing aids. The critical point here is that in noisy environments, the transmission of your own voice to the person you are talking to may be impaired.

Other manufacturers who sell "made for iPhone" hearing aids (e.g. Oticon) require you to speak into the iPhone while your conversation partner's voice can be heard via the hearing aids. This ensures that what is spoken is clearly understandable at both ends. If you value hands-free telephony, you can purchase phone clips from almost all manufacturers, which are attached to your lapel and transmit your voice to the phone.

Phone calls via T-coil/induction coil

Many hearing aids have a T-coil or induction coil, which can also be used to make phone calls. The coil catches electromagnetic signals from the phone or smartphone like a kind of scraper. However, not all phones are capable of producing a sufficiently strong electromagnetic field.

Phone listening program

Specifically for telephone calls with the hearing aid, there are adjustable hearing programs. These are optimally adapted to the conditions of a telephone call and thus avoid feedback while improving the sound quality. For more information on setting hearing programs, consult your hearing care professional.

Connecting the phone to the hearing aid

The connection between telephone and hearing aid depends on the hearing aid and telephone or smartphone. In some cases, the connection is possible via Bluetooth, in other cases accessories are required to create an interface between the devices. It is therefore important to check the compatibility between your desired hearing aids and your phone/smartphone before purchasing hearing aids.^/p>