Hearing aids

matty liz · ‎03-14-2011

My hearing is bad. I asked my Dr. for help and his response was "good luck". I don't know weither to go to an audiologist first or to pick a hearing place and go out of the blue. If there is any help out there, it is you people, thanks

Imaoldhippie · ‎06-10-2015

Sorry I cant help any but I have the same problem. I am completely deaf in one ear and loosing hearing in the other. What little checking I have done is scary. Hearing aid companies want a fortune for them, and the "cheap" ones are a rip off. This is the only reason I dont wear any now.

Let me know what you decide to do and what you find out.

LIFE IS TO SHORT TOO FOLD FITTED SHEETS

kaydee50 · ‎02-07-2011

I also don't have any specific advice although if it were me, I would start with an audiologist. IMO, however, I would not ignore going deaf. My mother complained for years about a "popping" sound in her ear but did nothing about it. She eventually lost hearing and I am convinced this contributed to her dementia. When she died at 98 there was nothing seriously wrong with her and her quality of life would have been better if she could hear. Being deaf is very isolating. I would do something about it ASAP.

Apple Crisp · ‎04-08-2010

I felt like I was having some hearing loss about two years ago. I went to an audiologist who is connected with my ENT doctor. I tested out with some hearing loss and I purchased hearing aids from them, also. I am very excited that I can now hear things that I no longer heard. I no longer ask people to repeat things and I can hear sermons in church again. I can put the volume on my TV at normal levels. I am thrilled that there is such a thing as a hearing aid that can help us.

They do improve the quality of life. I have read in many places that if you don't get help, it can contribute to dementia.

My aids can also be controlled by my iPhone and it has various settings, for example, in restaurants it can block out the noise around you and let you concentrate on just the people you are sitting with.

Hearing aids come in all price ranges. The more expensive ones have more features. We spend money on a lot of things in this world, we should think about the quality of our lives when we think of hearing aids. The audiologist and hearing institute I went to sold more than one brand. It is wise to choose a place that sells more than one brand as you can find the one that is best for you.

Good luck to you.

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

My doctor sent me to an ENT ... all sorts of testing and he sent me to audiologist for hearing aids. I've been wearing hearing aids for about 12 years now.

Be prepared ... the devices are expensive.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@matty liz Unfortunately, if it's a true loss, there is no regaining of your hearing. IMO, it's always better to go to a licensed audiologist for a diagnosis, at least for starters. You may have a medical condition that's contributing to your problem. An audiologist can tell if you need a cochlear implant, corrective surgery, etc. I've been wearing hearing aids for probably close to 10 yrs. In that time, I've replaced them three times. They are not a once and done kind of thing. Your hearing continues to change/worsen and technology gets better. All this said, my son needed hearing aids but wasn't in a position to get them from the audiologist due to the cost. He got a pair from Costco and is happy with them. At Costco, they only have hearing aid techs or dispensers who can do a hearing test for amplification purposes only. They only sell hearing aids and are not trained in any way to diagnose or treat medical conditions. Now that I've been wearing my hearing aids for several years and know my own situation is one of heredity and aging, that I don't have an acutal medical condition, and as DH & I are nearing retirement, Costco would be a consideration for us in the years to come, if I could. Unfortunately, the mold that goes in my ear is custom made and I cannot use the rubber tips that come with the Costco behind the year version.

As for the style of the aids, I would recommend the behind the ear style. I've tried the in the canal type and they were very aggravating. When you chew, cough, yawn, sneeze, etc, the bones in your ear move and cause the aid to back out of the canal. Depending on what you need, your over the ear device might use an small rubber tip that sits in the canal or you mad need something that completely fills the area.

If you have any questsion, I'll be happy to try and help you. Use the notification feature if you need to reach me.

One more thing to consider - have you had your doctor do a deep cleaning of your ears lately? If you have a lot of ear wax that's packed in there, that can affect your hearing too.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@kaydee50 wrote:
I also don't have any specific advice although if it were me, I would start with an audiologist. IMO, however, I would not ignore going deaf. My mother complained for years about a "popping" sound in her ear but did nothing about it. She eventually lost hearing and I am convinced this contributed to her dementia. When she died at 98 there was nothing seriously wrong with her and her quality of life would have been better if she could hear. Being deaf is very isolating. I would do something about it ASAP.

@kaydee50 Absolutely true! My audiologist said there's a definite connection between hearing loss, isolation, and dementia.

My hearing isn't great, but I'm not deaf. Even with aids, crowded, loud, noisy places make it very difficult to have a conversation - that background noise really interferes. I know I miss a lot and sometimes feel that isolation or even some degree of ignorance at times because I am not hearing the other person correctly or responding to them correctly. Fortunately, those instances aren't very frequent.

jlkz · ‎12-02-2013

@JeanLouiseFinch

Thank you for a very informative post. While I don’t have a hearing problem, I do know others with the issue. I can at least share the info with them.

The point about the ear bones moving wasn’t one I was aware of...it makes sense !

We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.
Sir Winston Churchill

ALRATIBA · ‎07-15-2016

@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@kaydee50 wrote:
I also don't have any specific advice although if it were me, I would start with an audiologist. IMO, however, I would not ignore going deaf. My mother complained for years about a "popping" sound in her ear but did nothing about it. She eventually lost hearing and I am convinced this contributed to her dementia. When she died at 98 there was nothing seriously wrong with her and her quality of life would have been better if she could hear. Being deaf is very isolating. I would do something about it ASAP.

@kaydee50 Absolutely true! My audiologist said there's a definite connection between hearing loss, isolation, and dementia.

My hearing isn't great, but I'm not deaf. Even with aids, crowded, loud, noisy places make it very difficult to have a conversation - that background noise really interferes. I know I miss a lot and sometimes feel that isolation or even some degree of ignorance at times because I am not hearing the other person correctly or responding to them correctly. Fortunately, those instances aren't very frequent.

@JeanLouiseFinch

There are hearing aids that can be programmed to eliminate background noises. Depending on brand, they have a "restaurant" or "comfort" setting that work great. There numerous other settings ... I have telecoil and microphone settings and volume control on mine.

JeanLouiseFinch · ‎10-03-2011

@ALRATIBA wrote:
@JeanLouiseFinch wrote:
@kaydee50 wrote:
I also don't have any specific advice although if it were me, I would start with an audiologist. IMO, however, I would not ignore going deaf. My mother complained for years about a "popping" sound in her ear but did nothing about it. She eventually lost hearing and I am convinced this contributed to her dementia. When she died at 98 there was nothing seriously wrong with her and her quality of life would have been better if she could hear. Being deaf is very isolating. I would do something about it ASAP.

@kaydee50 Absolutely true! My audiologist said there's a definite connection between hearing loss, isolation, and dementia.

My hearing isn't great, but I'm not deaf. Even with aids, crowded, loud, noisy places make it very difficult to have a conversation - that background noise really interferes. I know I miss a lot and sometimes feel that isolation or even some degree of ignorance at times because I am not hearing the other person correctly or responding to them correctly. Fortunately, those instances aren't very frequent.
@JeanLouiseFinch

There are hearing aids that can be programmed to eliminate background noises. Depending on brand, they have a "restaurant" or "comfort" setting that work great. There numerous other settings ... I have telecoil and microphone settings and volume control on mine.

Yes, @ALRATIBA, I know. I'm seeing my audiolist in a couple of weeks and plan to discuss this with him. My aids don't have any kinds of buttons or dials to change anything, they sort of do their thing automatically based on the situation I am in. I just noticed the crowd difficulty within the last couple of months. Maybe my actual hearing is getting worse and I may only need a setting update for right now. Next year it'll be time to replace my aids. He told me of a new style with two microphones; one in the back and one in the front. Technology wise, they are supposed to be very good for "reading" your situation and give better hearing for conversations in those loud situations.