One last comment: When you do get hearing aids, they will seem to focus on certain sounds and drown everything else out. This is part of the adjustment others have mentioned and takes some getting used to.

When I first got mine, stuff like the blower on my furnace or road noise while driving was very noticeable and annoying. After a while, those sounds fell back into the background.

That being said, little kids screeching is almost physically painful.

Mine came from Costco and they told me there was a 6 month trial period to return them if they did not work out for me.

quote:

Originally posted by 95flhr:

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.

Even BHA, I rode with ear plugs under my helmet due to wind noise. A brief experiment on the Cabota has shown that muff-type protectors over the hearing aids is ineffective. A helmet has virtually no sound-deadening properties.

Between Life and the weather, I haven't ridden since I got them but the plan is to leave them home and wear plugs as always. Part of the kit is a small padded pouch I can tuck them in if I want to take them with me.

I've had mine for maybe 4 years. Went with Costco as it was the most affordable option and provided the best warranty, service, return policy, etc. It cam still be difficult in noisy situations and crowded places. Sometimes I turn them off. Face to face or in small meeting settings they absolutely shine. My life is much better with them.

My wife and I are very happy with our Costco hearing aids. Have had them two years, they were one step up from the “base” model.

Resound brand name, iPhone app for control, phone will also BT calls, music to the HA. Add on box plugs into the TV, pipes audio straight to the HA as well.

$2500 a pair, no complaints. Six month return policy, free cleanings, follow ups, free replacement if lost or damaged during first two years.

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.

After temporarily loosing one when taking my helmet off I decided to not wear them when on my bike. Besides I didn't need to amplify the bike noise.

If I needed them when I got to where I was going I would just take them along.

Bob

I've had hearing aids for about 10 years now. Before I got them, I couldn't hear bells, chimes, birds singing, or any sounds above mid-frequency.

The first couple days with them were kinda scary. I kept stopping & looking around, "WTH was that?", or "Do the dogs always make that much noise just walking through the room?"

I don't wear them all the time. Sometimes, like in the evening when I'm reading, it's nice to just take them out, and everything becomes nice & quiet. Or like when all the kids & grandkids are here for Thanksgiving.

I remember when I first got mine how loud water and paper sounds were, because of how much of that is in the higher frequencies.
Also, it was amazing how many birds and insects I could hear.

The best part is being able to actually hear and understand what my little grandchildren are saying.

quote:

Originally posted by WaterburyBob:
I remember when I first got mine how loud water and paper sounds were, because of how much of that is in the higher frequencies.
Also, it was amazing how many birds and insects I could hear.

The best part is being able to actually hear and understand what my little grandchildren are saying.

I remember pulling out of the parking lot at the ENT place after I got mine. When I pulled away from the parking space I slammed on the brakes because my keys were jingling in the ignition & I thought something came loose on my truck. Then how loud those damn clicking turn signals were!

Thanks for the recommendations and relating your experiences, everybody.

One take-away I'm getting from all this is the people I know who've tried and discarded hearing aids probably didn't give them the time necessary to adjust--and perhaps didn't do the follow-ups.

I've acquired and am reading The Little Book of Hearing Aids. Keeping what I read there and the comments here in mind: I'll decide how to proceed.

I once had a referral from my GP for an ENT, which I failed to follow-up. I think getting that referral renewed will be my first step. Then, I think, Costco.

One thing I know: I definitely want to avoid anything behind-the-ear if possible. I wear eyeglasses with wrap-around behind-the-ear temples. That sounds like a bad mix. It seems perhaps the technology has evolved enough that totally in-the-ear may be viable for me.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:
Thanks for the recommendations and relating your experiences, everybody.

One take-away I'm getting from all this is the people I know who've tried and discarded hearing aids probably didn't give them the time necessary to adjust--and perhaps didn't do the follow-ups.

I've acquired and am reading The Little Book of Hearing Aids. Keeping what I read there and the comments here in mind: I'll decide how to proceed.

I once had a referral from my GP for an ENT, which I failed to follow-up. I think getting that referral renewed will be my first step. Then, I think, Costco.

One thing I know: I definitely want to avoid anything behind-the-ear if possible. I wear eyeglasses with wrap-around behind-the-ear temples. That sounds like a bad mix. It seems perhaps the technology has evolved enough that totally in-the-ear may be viable for me.

Yes, having to wear glasses does impact hearing aids. Those "all in the ear" styles make it easier. I don't have much/any trouble wearing my aids when I wear glasses, like driving wearing tinted sun glasses, etc. Any trouble would seem to be when taking off the glasses, without removing the aid at the same time.

I have behind-the-ear aids and the behind-the-ear wrap-around temples. It hasn't been a problem.

I just remember to slide the temples along my skull and they slip right past the aids.

I have behind the ear hearing aids and wear glasses and it hasn't been a problem.
Behind the ear hearing aids are better for greater levels of hearing loss. It depends on your loss which type are best, but the audiologist should make the right recommendation.

Costco has very good prices on their hearing aids.

Many people don't understand that your brain changes as your hearing goes south. You lose the ability to differentiate sounds. For example, the sound of air rushing thru the ac/heating vents, or a refrigerator running, sometimes even a wall clock humming. Hearing aids will restore the hearing, but your brain needs time to learn to process the sounds again. I learned this the spring after I got mine. I kept hearing an odd chirping noise. I went to the audiologist, and he took me outside and asked if I heard it. I said yes, and he laughed and told me it was crickets. I hadn't heard them in many years.

The point is, get quality aids, and give yourself time to learn to use them. Many medical insurance policies cover them, or offer them at reduced rates. Costco offers high quality units at about 1800 bucks a pair. (Also the batteries-they're dirt cheap at Costco. ) Start by wearing the aids two hours a day, gradually increasing the time you wear them.

Don't go to the places you see advertised for "older" folks. They re-lable units made by the same factories as Costco and will charge you between 6 and 10 thousand for a 2000 dollar pair.

Good luck!

I've been wearing Phonak Marvel and like them
You should know hearing is directly related to brain function.....

I wear BTE (behind the ear) hearing aids because of my loss, which is severe to profound. There is nothing other than the molds in my ears. BTE aids, depending on the model, cans be more powerful and have more headroom to handle severe/profound hearing loss. Your audiologist will recommend which type of hearing aids best work with your type of loss. Research the internet so when you meet with your audiologist you can make an informed decision.

I only understand 60 to 70 percent of the words I hear. However, since my phone connects to my hearing aids, I can have a conversation without fear of missing something important.

If you're going to check out Costco, just a note that you don't have to go to the ENT first, if you don't want to. It may be cheaper (save you an office copay) to just go to Costco - I did not get charged for the testing/and demo programming visit (but that might have been because I bought a pair during that visit - or maybe they are all free)

Costco has licensed audiologists that do the testing. You call them, set an appointment and when you come in, they do the testing, program up some examples based on the results, and you get to try out the programmed loaners, even walk around in the store with each type you're considering if you like. Once you've settled in on a model, you go over options (color?!?!) and the audiologist orders your set built to your spec, then calls you to schedule the fitting once they have arrived.

Took me a bit over a week from the first visit to picking up my set.

While I certainly appreciated everybody's comments, suggestions, and related experiences, this was probably the most useful of all:

quote:

Originally posted by joel9507:
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 )

The author spends way too much time on the psychology of hearing aids for my needs, and can be a bit repetitious, but this little book is an invaluable resource, IMO.

From this book I determined exactly what I wanted--down to the brand and model line.

Costco is out: They don't sell what I want.

What I want is a half-shell or full-shell ITE (In The Ear) hearing aid, with direct Bluetooth connectivity and tinnitus suppression. The company and model line with which I'm going to go, subject to the audiologists evaluation and recommendations, is an Oticon Opn™ ITE hearing aid.

The feature that makes this product stand out is Oticon's Opn™ sound processing technology, which, unlike many (most? all?) other hearing aids, allows one to discriminate between surrounding sounds, and particularly conversations, rather than have them sound like an indiscriminate "wall of sound."

The only feature I wanted that this brand and model does not have is rechargeable batteries. I may just wait for the next generation of Oticon Opn™ ITE hearing aids before continuing. I've been half-deaf this long, what's a few more months?

I've also identified a respected nearby hearing aid business and found out my GP's favored ENT's, should that prove necessary.

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

The mask ear loops have been driving me even further insane, getting tangled with my hearing aids.

I just noticed this post of yours today.

The particular extenders that you reference are not in stock at Amazon, but there are dozens of similar items. My big gripe is that I can't find any that are NOT made in China. I would be willing to pay double for made in the U.S.A., can't find any, so I ordered the China ones. Will be delivered tomorrow if Amazon keeps their promise. I'll be back with a product report after I have tried them.