Community Chat

[Jo1313]

A couple of years ago DH could hardly hear..I thought it was selective hearing that was ignoring me..The TV was on vol. 95!

Our primary took a look in his ears..he had years of embedded wax down in his ear canal...it couldn't be seen by the naked eye....It took 2 treatments at her office then he was fine..WE were so  shocked at the amt. of wax that came out. He still hears fine..although he has many other parts that don't work properly..

I'm was not trying to be funny but hopefully it's as simple as that for you..GL

[SilleeMee]

I have mild hearing loss. I bought the least expensive Audien Atom One hearing aids just to try them out and see how bad my hearing was. They turned out to be just what I needed and nothing more. Basic and simple to use. Parts are easy to find also. Free shipping and no-risk 45-day free trial directly from Audien.

[Janey2]

@SilleeMee  Did you ever have an ENT look at your ears? As others have stated I also had a slight hearing loss and had a doctor check my ears. I had a large wax build up. Never in my life did I have an ear problem before this. I go every 4 months to get my ears " cleaned" and now hear perfectly.

[RedTop]

@smoochy 

You start with your medical provider who will likely do a basic hearing test in the office.  From there you are referred to an audiologist for the more defined hearing test, which will be covered as a medical need.  Once you have those results you can determine what type of hearing devices are best for you.  

[SilleeMee]

---

@Janey2 wrote:

@SilleeMee  Did you ever have an ENT look at your ears? As others have stated I also had a slight hearing loss and had a doctor check my ears. I had a large wax build up. Never in my life did I have an ear problem before this. I go every 4 months to get my ears " cleaned" and now hear perfectly.

---

@Janey2 

I had my doctor look in my ears and she told me I had extremely dry ear canals. I knew I had that b/c they itch like crazy. No wax problem here. My problem is not enough ear wax b/c of my AI disease and that's the culprit of my hearing loss.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

The first thing I will tell you is to run far away from Costco.  They are sales people, not audiologists.  Hearing assistance is not a one size fits all situation and it involves much more than ambient sound amplification.  You need to see a licensed audiologist who knows how to make a proper diagnosis, knows all about current technology, and knows how to fit you accordingly.  Yes, good hearing aids are expensive but you your ability to hear better is worth it, and you get what you pay for.  If you can't pay all at once many offices offer payment plans.  

[Caffeina]

If the cause of your hearing loss is determined to be benign, less expensive hearing aids can be bought OTC. You can even get one from the Q.

https://www.qvc.com/c/health-and-fitness/personal-care/daily-living-aids/hearing-aids-and-amplifiers...

[Q-Checker]

• @JeanLouiseFinch I recall that you had a terrible experience with a Costco Hearing Aid and was so sorry to read about it then. There are some licensed audiologists at Costco but, unfortunately, not many. In my earlier post, I neglected to add that the term "licensed hearing aid dealer/specialist" is far from synonymous with "licensed audiologist." An audiologist with a state license and also the national credential of The Certificate of Clinical Competence from The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association holds, at minimum, a Master's degree in Audiology and, more typically today, a Doctorate in Audiology. And, yes, hearing aids are very expensive ....and totally worth it as a critical medical expense. Without going into scientific detail, there have been credible studies of a correlation between hearing loss and dementia. Google this for further information. Buying a hearing aid may require financing or ..... maybe cutting way back on QVC "vanity purchases,"

[deepwaterdotter]

---

@4kitties wrote:

If you belong to Costco they do very thorough hearing evaluations for free.  

Mr4 kitties had one and I was very impressed with it.  In fact our doctor recommended we go there!  Our audiologist was wonderful.

---

I am wearing hearing aids purchased at Costco.  The audiologist is a state-licensed professional who performs a very thorough examination.  Also free cleaning every three months.  I wouldn't think of going anywhere else.

[JeanLouiseFinch]

Yes, @Q-Checker, you remember correctly.  That's an experience I won't be repeating.  Knowing that aides need replacing as loss increases and technology improves, we plan for it financially.  

My audiologist shared with me years ago about the correlation between unaided/improperly aided hearing loss and dementia.  He has numerous credentials, serves on boards, and is also a part time professor in addition to his private audiology practice.  I don't think I could get any better.  One of our kids sees him too.