I've been wearing hearing aids for several years now and it's not just walmart. Just about any large public place, like say Home Depot, will become annoying real quick.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:

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Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
Maybe the gain is set a little too high ? When I got my first set of hearing aids about eight years ago, I could hear dogs barking in the next county.
When I told the audiologist about how far away sounds were so pronounced, she made adjustments.

I think the balance is off a touch as well. IMO, the left side could go down a notch and the right side could go up one or even two.

I've had them just over a week now and I'll go several hours without even noticing. I'll wait out the full 8 weeks and if I still think the levels need tweaking, I'll mention it.

When I got my hearing aids at Costco, it included a fitting to make sure the sound levels were correct. I don't remember exactly but I think it was in two parts. The first part was with me giving feedback. Then the second part was a microphone to the hearing aid to test it electronically.

Mine were set up with me facing what looked like an oscilloscope. Separate displays for left and right ear.

On each display, there was a fixed graph of my hearing loss as determined by various tests.

Superimposed over that graph was a live display of hearing aid response across the range of audible sound.

The Doc tweaked the aids separately to provide what appeared to be an equal degree of amplification and bandwidth (if that's the right term) across the range in both ears.

Probably a perception issue on my part as I'm not used to hearing much with my left ear.

I’ve been wearing hearing aids for a long time. I hate restaurants. The noise cuts me off from everything else. If the waiter/waitress asks me something, I automatically look at my wife for help.

Its the same in a doctor’s office. It seems like the air handlers and ceiling tiles mask / absorb any chance for me to comprehend what is being said. I always have my wife with me as my translator. Without her I’d be lost. She has seen things done to me which most nurses haven’t seen. The mild one would be my “complete” yearly physical.

I pick up my first set of hearing aids from the VA on November 9th. I also have an eye test scheduled for early February. I should have done both a long time ago. It would have saved me a lot of money. I went to the VA in 1975 and it was such a miserable experience I swore I’d never go back. The VA sure has changed since then.

My brother has a pair from Costco. He can focus these damn things so he can hear behind him, or to the side or ahead. I want a set like that. Blue tooth also so he listens to music over these damn things. Cool.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:
I could feel my IQ dropping as I listened to the elevator music and the mouth-breathers babbling.

Sadly, there are a few items that we can only get at WM. Next time, I'll leave my hearing aids in the car.

Doesn't your hearing aid have a wife button? If so, hit that button when you enter Walmart.

I've had mine for about 6 months now. Sonic Captivate is the brand. It has an app for the Android phone which tells the battery level, and lets me somewhat adjust the level and variation of the tinnitus mask or turn that part off all together. The other setting is for surroundings like in a restaurant which doesn't have the tinnitus mask and I can adjust the volume up or down. The audiologist set them up based on a hearing test and I go back in for a 6 month adjustment in a couple of weeks.

I was allowed a trial run in the Costco store. I really didn't notice any improvement so I have held off. Recently was told I can get them through the VA.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Mine were set up with me facing what looked like an oscilloscope. Separate displays for left and right ear.

On each display, there was a fixed graph of my hearing loss as determined by various tests.

Superimposed over that graph was a live display of hearing aid response across the range of audible sound.

The Doc tweaked the aids separately to provide what appeared to be an equal degree of amplification and bandwidth (if that's the right term) across the range in both ears.

Probably a perception issue on my part as I'm not used to hearing much with my left ear.

Make sure they used the "real ear" test where tiny mics or speakers are placed in ear before putting aids in to measure what the ear actually is hearing thru the aids.

//Quote: Real ear measurement is necessary because every ear is unique and needs to be treated as such. Without the use of real ear measurement equipment, it's likely that anyone with hearing aids is receiving either too little or too much volume at different frequencies and pitches. //Quote.

Many hearing aids have multiple settings. Mine can be set for several enviornments using either my phone or buttons on the units. And Walmart sucks.

My neighbor was recently fitted with one of those super expensive hearing aids. Said he paid several thousand dollars for it. He said it could pick up every word clearly.

I asked him what kind is it.

He looked at his watch and said: "It's a quarter to three".

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Originally posted by GWbiker:
My neighbor was recently fitted with one of those super expensive hearing aids. Said he paid several thousand dollars for it. He said it could pick up every word clearly.

I asked him what kind is it.

He looked at his watch and said: "It's a quarter to three".

Oldie but goodie.

Related story you might find funny:

My grandmother had bad hearing for a long time. We had gotten used to saying stuff about her when her back was turned, etc. Nothing horrible - she was a great person.

She had a surgery that fixed her hearing late in life. Suddenly, she was catching us saying stuff, because we kept forgetting that she could hear now...

Sad part: She also couldn't sleep as well, because she kept hearing things outside the window when it used to be blissful silence at night.

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Originally posted by PHPaul:

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Originally posted by bendable:
Very busy restaurants might send you over the edge as well

Wife was, at various times, a dishwasher and a prep cook and KNOWS what goes on in restaurant kitchens. The only time we ever eat out is if we're on the road.

OMG What did she do???

Has she been to Confession?

My buddy Mick told me to warn you.

If you wear pull over hoodies ,jackets or vests.
Take care when you are taking them off, as some tend to pop out, during the taking off portion .

One popped out in the parking lot of a diner, he went back out and found it.

Another popped out at a pick Nik, someone actually found it and he got it back.

He claims it never happens at home, where you can locate it ,right away.

Yup, already paying close attention. The dang masks snag them regularly.

I've gotten used to them to the point that every once in a while I have to touch them to make sure they haven't fallen out.

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've gotten used to them to the point that every once in a while I have to touch them to make sure they haven't fallen out.

Shouldn't you be able to hear it if they come out?

or, not hear it? wouldn't that be the clue?

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Originally posted by HRK:

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've gotten used to them to the point that every once in a while I have to touch them to make sure they haven't fallen out.

Shouldn't you be able to hear it if they come out?

or, not hear it? wouldn't that be the clue?

The left one, certainly. The right one not so much. Also depends on how much and what sort of noise is around at the time.

I was getting ready for a shower and took the left one out just as the phone started ringing (yet another fucking robocall) and the difference was immediately apparent.

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Originally posted by RogueJSK:

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Originally posted by bendable:
Very busy restaurants might send you over the edge as well

Really busy restaurants, with live music or televised sporting events in the background so everyone feels like they have to talk even that much louder to be heard over it, is one of my least favorite settings.

Makes me wish I had hearing aids, so I could turn them off.

I cannot turn off my hearing aids. But I can lower the volume to the point I don't have to hear that crap! Between Lowe's and wallyworld, I don't know who has the worst control of the PA system.

Sadly, they are not the only ones.

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Originally posted by ChuckFinley:
A guy came in for his hearing aid followup. He remarked how much better he could hear. The tech said that, by the readings, his new results were outstanding. She commented to him that his family must be thrilled.
His response,
"I haven't told them yet."
I've changed my will three times already."

LOL!