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What to look for...and avoid...in a hearing aid.

 
 
dlowan
 
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 02:59 pm
I may actually be able to afford one hearing aid!! My private health fund has just put up the hearing aid benefits to where I may be able to manage the gap.


So come all ye deaf!!!!


I have progressive inherited nerve deafness.......it's now quite noticeable. It's mainly (or was when I was last tested) on high frequencies.


I have a vague sense that the world of hearing aids is quite high pressure sales and that there's a bit of a trade in audiologists to send you to one company or another.


Any tips or signs to watch out for?

Any advice on what is best?


I'll have to make do with one ear only for five years....while both ears are pretty bad....(one is noticeably worse than the other, though)...and the first one better still be ticking along after five years or I'll only have one again!!!
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Type: Question • Score: 20 • Views: 25,364 • Replies: 322

 
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:00 pm
@dlowan,
Wow, that's good news.
chai2
 
  3  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:05 pm
@ossobuco,
ossobuco wrote:

Wow, that's good news.



pssstt, osso, she can't hear you.

WOW, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

Remember on Saturday Night Life when Garrett Morris would do the news for the hearing impaired?
chai2
 
  4  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:07 pm
@chai2,
Starts at second 13...



God, that still cracks me up after all these years.
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:12 pm
@chai2,
'K, I laughed out loud, and heard both the skit and my own laughter. So far so good.

I need to get retested to see if when my ship comes in my ears are still eligible for h/aids. Oh, wait, I live in the desert..
0 Replies
 
ehBeth
 
  0  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:17 pm
@chai2,
chai2 wrote:
that still cracks me up after all these years.


word
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  3  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:20 pm
@dlowan,
Very cute she said dryly.


But, after you have finished laughing at the deaf....WHAT ABOUT SOME POINTERS!!!!

sozobe
 
  4  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:33 pm
@dlowan,
You called?

First, congrats! That's exciting.

Second, I wore only one hearing aid (back when it helped) and while I didn't really have any basis of comparison, that worked great. I had to swivel my head around a bit to figure out where a sound was coming from, but in terms of communication etc., one really did the trick.

Now, in terms of advice, I'm at a bit of a disadvantage because I haven't worn a hearing aid for over 15 years. And the field has developed a LOT since then.

The fact that your loss is in the high frequencies is good. Hearing aids can make a HUGE, life-changing difference there. (Do you know your db loss?)

As for the salesmanship, I experienced that with cochlear implants (HUGE moneymakers for docs) but it was more laid-back at my ENT's 15+ years ago. I don't know if that's a function of time or of my ENT.

I think you can just get a lot of info, refuse to make any decisions right away, and do research etc.

Oh one other thing I know from my own recent experience and helping others, you should be able to try a variety of hearing aids before deciding. You have to pay for the earmold (the part that goes in your ear) but you should be able to try them free. Possible different in Oz.

Oh also if you tell me more about the db loss I can tell you more about what general kind of hearing aid is indicated (behind the ear, in the ear, etc.)
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dyslexia
 
  3  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:44 pm
@dlowan,
well, I'm thinking you should go with a really bright happy colour like sunshine yellow or orange or maybe magenta; while possibly rendering a lack of balance to your head it could offset your bland personality.
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  4  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:44 pm
@chai2,
Take it out of yours.

You don't get irony, do you?

I was laughing with you all.

Jesus wept.

You manage to make even a cheerful advice thread nasty.

I've been laughing at my deafness for years and I don't need your crap.

dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 03:48 pm
@sozobe,
Thing is I have no time and less for research.....I understand that you are out of date but your comments are always useful. It's good to know re the high frequencies stuff.

Any ideas anyone where there's a good website with thoroughly researched info?

ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 04:06 pm
@dlowan,
You might pm Eva...
0 Replies
 
sozobe
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 04:23 pm
@dlowan,
This is pretty good:

http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/ha/ha.htm

"Which Hearing Aid is Right For Me?"

http://www.hearinglossweb.com/res/ha/ha.htm#which

Eva has been through this recently, yep, a good contact.

I don't know how different things are here vs. Oz.
ehBeth
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 04:31 pm
@dlowan,
Timing's a bit of an issue eh.

Here, we have very good free local services that provide advice re hearing devices and additional funding sources. They're also terrific at warning folks off the money-grubbers. They were wonderfully helpful to hamburger when he was looking for assistance. Would you have time to hook up with such a group?
Butrflynet
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 04:58 pm
Bookmarking this thread so that BBB might stumble upon it, get her hearing tested and then do something about it.

I am currently in a bedroom with the door closed and can still hear perfectly the QVC hosts on the TV in the living room. Sometimes I feel like I am living with my teenaged self and the hard rock music is constantly cranked up to ear splitting. I bought some sound isolating headphones for the TV, but they got worn for only 2 minutes before they were removed and ignored.

Maybe a hearing aid will do the trick.
Eva
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 05:36 pm
I tried several different kinds, and the "open fit" ones are by far the most comfortable. I forget they're there.

BTW, five years is about how long one generation of technology lasts in hearing aids these days...at most. Five years later, you wouldn't be able to get the same model for the other ear.
ossobuco
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 05:48 pm
@Butrflynet,
Butrfly and BBB - there is a hearing clinic at UNM, which I need to go to. Bit of a trek, I think it is on Zuni. I haven't rushed, as I can't afford even the lowest end hearing aid, but I do need to be retested. Soz saw my last test, whenever that was, let me just guess 2004, and where is that? my files... but a long time ago.

None of my business, but does BBB have hearing aid insurance?
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 06:11 pm
@ehBeth,
ehBeth wrote:

Timing's a bit of an issue eh.

Here, we have very good free local services that provide advice re hearing devices and additional funding sources. They're also terrific at warning folks off the money-grubbers. They were wonderfully helpful to hamburger when he was looking for assistance. Would you have time to hook up with such a group?


I might.

Years ago when I thought of getting a hearing aid made an appointment with one, but had to cancel because of a crisis at work.

They were FURIOUS!!!
0 Replies
 
dlowan
 
  1  
Reply Tue 22 Mar, 2011 06:12 pm
@Eva,
Eva wrote:

I tried several different kinds, and the "open fit" ones are by far the most comfortable. I forget they're there.

BTW, five years is about how long one generation of technology lasts in hearing aids these days...at most. Five years later, you wouldn't be able to get the same model for the other ear.



Open fit?


I hadn't expected to get the same one, just possibly have two working, but different ones...or would that drive me madder?
 

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