The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that, “In 2019, 7.1% of adults aged 45 and over used a hearing aid.” If you’re among this population, you may be wondering how you can make the most of your experience while listening to podcasts, whether you enjoy tuning in at home or with headphones from Detour Coffee on North Jackson Street. We review some tips for enjoying podcasts with hearing aids below.
Connect Via Bluetooth®
If your hearing aids have Bluetooth capabilities, perhaps the best way you can enjoy podcasts is to connect your hearing aids to your smartphone or tablet. This way, the sound of your favorite podcasters’ voices is streamed directly to your ears. To connect, follow these steps:
- Restart your hearing aids to set them to pair, then place them near your smartphone or tablet.
- Go to your tablet’s settings and select Bluetooth. Make sure it’s turned on.
- Select your hearing aids from the list of available devices.
- Wait a few moments for the devices to connect.
Wear Noise-Cancelling Headphones
If your hearing aids do not have Bluetooth capabilities, you can instead invest in over-ear noise-canceling headphones. These block out background noise so you can hear your media clearly, without having to crank up the volume and cause further damage to your ears.
Choose the Right Podcasts
More established podcasts will have better sound quality than newer ones in many cases. In addition, podcasts with just one host may be a little easier to follow along with than a podcast with multiple hosts where people talk over each other. Scripted podcasts may also be clearer to listen to.
Use Captions or Find Scripts
While most podcasts and podcast apps do not offer captions, some do. For example, if you’re using an Android™ phone or Google Chrome to listen, you can find live captions for any audio. Some podcasts even post videos of their recordings on YouTube, many of which are captioned.
If you use an Apple phone or a different browser, you can instead look for podcasts that offer transcripts, including This American Life, S-Town, StoryCorps, Freakonomics and more.
For more information or to schedule an appointment with a hearing aid expert, call ENT Specialists Of Northern Virginia today.