Didn't want to derail the "I have discovered a downside to hearing aids" thread.

My hearing is crap. I mean really, really bad. So bad that, were it not for closed captioning I would not watch TV because, other than the "news," I cannot understand dialogue to save my soul--even with the volume at levels uncomfortably loud for others.

I've entertained the idea of hearing aids several times over the years. Problem is: Nearly everybody I know who has ever gotten them has ended-up abandoning them. Latest: Next door neighbor to one side paid $5k for hearing aids. Eventually took 'em out and put 'em away because they created more annoyance then help hearing.

I would be very annoyed if I spent $5k on hearing aids only to find I hated 'em.

The main complaint I've heard is "Yeah, they make peoples' voices louder and clearer, but, if there's any background noise in the room they make that just as louder, so you can't hear/understand the people to whom you want to listen any better."

I'm pretty certain of one thing: Any hearing aids I get I want to have a link to my phone and/or watch so I can: 1. Use them like earbuds, as well and 2. Control them.

So, please share your experiences with hearing aids, good, bad, and ugly.

I have had them for several years. There are a couple different types (flush with the ear, inside and over the ear). Everyone is different, my hearing loss is from extreme ringing.
I wish I would of gotten mine sooner, but put it off for around ten years. They do make a difference and you do have to get used to them.
At first I wanted to throw mine out, they do make everything louder, but it's better than the alternative of not hearing.

I've been wearing them for about 3 years now.

I like being able to hear conversations, the television, the phone, etc....

The downsides are they can be annoying in a crowded area, restaurant's, or anyplace there is a lot of background noise. There are programs in the ones I have to filter some of that out. Other sounds that can be annoying is the metal tags on my dogs collar, silverware against dishes, and things like that.

Over all in my case the upside has outweighed the downside. another advantage I forgot is you can take them out when you want quiet.

If you have to buy them out of pocket, I suggest Costco, they have the best pricing I have seen anywhere and if you have an issue, go to any Costco in the country that has an audiologist and they will fix them. Also they are by far, the cheapest place I have found to purchase batteries for them.

Make sure you schedule them on your homeowners policy in case of loss. Much better to pay a deductible rather than 4k-5k again.

Spend a couple bucks and get the current-year edition of this book. "The Little Book of Hearing Aids" ( link to Kindle version at Amazon )

Gives an excellent, very readable overview of what hearing aids do, and outlines specific features and their benefits. It gets updated annually with specific make-and-model recommendations, so avoid any older editions.

After a lot of research, including the 2018 version of the above book, I wound up getting Phonak aids at Costco in 2018, and love them. That was the right thing for me, might not be for you. The Phonak phone app lets you select modes and change the volume in each ear independently (great for car rides with road noise in one ear and conversation in the other) or both together. If you want, you can have the aids hook up to the phone via bluetooth, and have one hearing aid be the speaker for the call and the other be the microphone.

Anyway, that book is a great use of $10 and if you Kindle it, you could get it and have it read in a short afternoon, and thereafter be spun up to speed. Highly recommend that early in your process.

I've had mine for two weeks, come Monday, so all I really have is initial impressions. Read the following with that in mind. Like most things, there are good and bad points.

1. Yes, conversations are clearer. Still not perfect, but better. It still helps to have the person facing you so you can see their face. You don't really realize just how much communication depends on facial expressions and subconscious lip reading. Having Mrs. PHPaul yell at me from the other room isn't any more effective than it was BHA (Before Hearing Aids)

2. Bluetooth connectivity is nothing short of amazing. I used to HATE trying to talk on my cell phone. While talking on any phone is still way down my list of fun things, I now MUCH prefer people to call me on my cell. Also, the mikes on my hearing aids pick up my voice so I can leave the phone in my pocket and accept/end the call by pressing a switch on my aid. A Bluetooth adapter (<$20) for my TV has for the most part eliminated the need for turning captions on.

3. Even the behind-the-ear style are very inconspicuous. My grandkids didn't even realize I was wearing them until I pointed them out.

4. I got used to wearing them much more quickly than I anticipated. There are three very minor annoyances I still deal with. One is fumbling to put them in. Just me, I expect. Another is interference with wearing those goddamn masks. About half the time when I take the mask off (which I do roughly .0003 microseconds after exiting the facility that requires them) I wind up pulling one or both aids off. Finally, I do get a bit of itching in the ear canal where the earpiece goes.

5. Other than my half-humorous bitch about WalMart, I haven't been in situations with a lot of background noise so can't speak to that. I didn't notice any issues on a trip to Home Depot. Wind noise is an issue, I find myself turning my head or cupping my ear(s) to block it. I'm thinking a pair of those ear-mounted earmuffs might work like a wind sock on a microphone. Gonna find me a pair and check that out.

"Ear Caps" on Amazon

Edit to add: Mine are Phonak Audéo M models, with wireless recharger station. No batteries to futz with

This message has been edited. Last edited by: PHPaul,

My suggestion is if you have to wear a mask and have behind the ear hearing aids is to use a mask that ties behind your head, tie the top up high and the bottom around towards your neck or get one of the plastic deals that connects to the ear loops. Mask Extenders like these https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I posted in the other thread, but I'm coming up on 6 months on mine which are Sonic Captivate minirite TR brand. It has an app for iPhone and Android, although it seems they are more designed for the iPhone than the Android. I paid extra for the rechargeable batteries, so cost was just under $2,500.00.

They have a tinnitus masking setting which so far has reduced the ringing by about 40%, but there is no way to get rid of it completely.

I can control the volume, tinnitus wave sound, check battery life, and can even have it locate one if it falls out. They also have a setting for situations like in a restaurant, etc.

After the hearing test, the audiologist set them up and about the only thing that I can't change volume wise is the tinnitus masking, which I can decrease only. I go back in in a couple of weeks for my 6 month check up and to have them adjusted.

He said that the first 6 months is to allow the brain to get used to hearing stuff that it hasn't heard in a while and not overload it with all the new sounds. At around the 6 month time frame they will need to be adjusted to take that all into account. Not sure what that all means, but so far so good.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:
My suggestion is if you have to wear a mask and have behind the ear hearing aids is to use a mask that ties behind your head, tie the top up high and the bottom around towards your neck or get one of the plastic deals that connects to the ear loops. Mask Extenders like these https://www.amazon.com/gp/prod...01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks. The plastic adapter seems like a solution. I don't wear a mask but about twice a week, if that and I sincerely hope that they'll go away altogether soon.

I've had mine since 26 June (4 months). I agree with PHPaul.

When wearing a government imposed muzzle, remove the mask from front top, over the ear. If you remove from the bottom it may get between the aid and the ear.

My hearing was damaged by massive amounts of gun fire while in the army. Tank guns, various machine guns, 10's of 1000's of small arms ammo, artillery, etc.

Tried hearing aids a few years back. First set was miracle ear. Very expensive! Worked fairly well but they required a LOT of trips back for constant re-adjusting. And that required about an 80 mile round trip! Every time we went there we got the Hey you need to buy this new set for $12K.

On the way home from that last trip to miracle ear, we were driving past COSTCO and I suggested we stop in there and see what they had to offer.

Went in, did some testing. She young woman agent suggested a new set. I asked how much they cost, and she said "about $2500. I asked how much the best ones cost, got a price of just over $3000. Bought them on the spot, and have been using COSTCO hearing aids ever since. I currently have the latest version.

Only one control (volume), rechargeable so no battery replacement.

I would prefer not having to use hearing aids, but given the alternative?

I can whole heartedly recommend COSTCO hearing aids, for the quality and the cost. They have a couple models for the mid $1500 range, as I recall.

I understand there is a newer version out that does a LOT of fancy stuff with the sound. Don't know anything about them, don't want to get tempted into buying another set.

8 years + with hearing aids. First set I went with the best ($7k) Oticon Epoq. Four years with first set. Second set Costco KS6 $1599. Four years very satisfied with aids and Costco. Third set Costco KS9 $1499.

I could still be using my second set but I wanted more features of the KS9. I’m happy with the KS9. I have had a few issues with phone connectivity which I’ve found a solution.

I have only found one hearing aid forum with a fair amount of activity. Google hearingtracker to find forum.

Search for Dr. Cliff Olsen in you tube he has a lot of no nonsense videos about hearing aids.

I put my hearing aids in when I get up and take them out at bedtime.

Many of the new generation of hearing aids have rechargeable batteries. Costco has the lowest cost on disposable batteries.

Go with name brand hearing aids. There are no good real cheap hearing aids

PHPaul gave a good review in my opinion on a new hearing aid user.

Costco has a lot to recommend them search the forum here there are multiple threads on hearing aids.

I just paid last week for a new set of aids. 7500$ from real doctor. Not a dispensary store. First set are 8 years old (they say 5 years is average life) and work fine, but my test has changed and there is new technology. So another 7500$ will get me bluetooth etc.
The 8 years cost me about 2.50$/day
Darn things are worth their weight in gold sometimes. A pure nuisance other times. You have to learn how to use them.
These days with masks, aids and glasses all on the ear is a pain in the butt.

Hearing aids and dentures are two things which require patience. Both need fine tuning by a professional and determination on the part of the patient. It is important to realize that neither restores full function. There are some people that cannot wear in the canal aides due to eczema and others that cannot wear dentures. There are also cochlear implants for certain conditions. Hope this helps.

My hearing was damaged by measles when I was 1 year old my mother says. I never knew what full hearing was until I got hearing aids. I thought my hearing level was normal. But what a difference good aids do.

Whatever type/brand you get, don't expect them to be perfect right out of the box. They will need to be adjusted to your circumstances, i.e.; noise at work, noise at home, ride a motorcycle, that noise. Mine have three settings. Normal for just that, a step down mode for noisy situations, and almost off mode, for say shooting.... Not cheep, but better than missing the sounds around you!

Question specifically to PHPaul and motorcycle riders.
Are hearing aids compatible with motorcycle helmets and wind noise? Specifically non-faired and adventure bikes and peaked helmets.

I have the same issue: If there's a lot of people around, it's like a "wall of sound" that seems like it overwhelms all conversation.

I'm not the most social person to begin with and avoid events and parties even more than I did before because of this. But, if it's an important event (i.e., something involving my grandkids), the trick I use is to take out one of the hearing aids. That allows me to still hear ok on the side with the hearing aid, but I don't get the "wall of sound" effect.

quote:

Originally posted by phydough:
Question specifically to PHPaul and motorcycle riders.
Are hearing aids compatible with motorcycle helmets and wind noise? Specifically non-faired and adventure bikes and peaked helmets.

I ride and do not ride with hearing aids in my ears. No sense amplifying wind and engine noise.

Couple of comments:

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

1. Yes, conversations are clearer. Still not perfect, but better. It still helps to have the person facing you so you can see their face. You don't really realize just how much communication depends on facial expressions and subconscious lip reading.

It is amazing how much we take for granted when it comes to communication.

During my hearing test, I caught on to a technique the audiologist was using. They were asking me to repeat familiar phrases back, but occasionally substituting some words. The trick is that we tend to "fill in the blanks" even though we aren't hearing what's being said. The purpose in substituting different words enabling the audiologist to see when I was really hearing and when I was filling in the blanks.

Now, even with hearing aids, I notice that it's more difficult to understand people I don't know or people who speak with a heavy accent.

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:

Having Mrs. PHPaul yell at me from the other room isn't any more effective than it was BHA (Before Hearing Aids)

This must be part of universal wife training.

I love my wife dearly, but it drives me crazy that she will start a conversation with me when she's on the other side of the house, and can't understand when I don't respond. And, yes, she was like this BHA too.