Well it's that time in life to get hearing aids. I went to the VA and they did another hearing test and my hearing was a bit worse since my last visit Nov 2020.
I chose the behind the ear rechargeable units and go back the 20th for fitting and instructions.
Any advice of do's and don'ts other than taking them off before showering and swimming or shooting?
I have an I phone that I guess they can hook up an app.

Except for the fact that I don’t like rechargeable devices like that, it seems as though you chose the same kind that I did a few months ago.

They should give you all the instructions and cautions about using them. I don’t need mine most of the time, and so don’t wear them most of the time, but I need to go back with a question because I get a sharp, metallic impulse noise when they pick up certain sounds. I admit, though, that I haven’t made too much effort to try to see how changing the volume might affect that and the fact that conversations get overwhelmed by background noise in restaurants or other gatherings. Mine were programmed during the session when I received them, so I wonder if that can affect how they work in that regard.

I will be interested in how they work for you, so please keep us posted.

Wear them. That's really the number one advice not heeded by people who have them.

Other than that, follow what the person fitting you tells you to do.

And do store them in one and only one place when you take them off. Don't make a habit of taking them off and laying them just any different place.

One thing that bugged the heck out of me was the itching (apparently a fairly common complaint of new users). I placed a little hydrocortisone on a Q-Tip and swirled it around my ear canal before putting them in. Cured it.

Soon enough, you'll wonder how you did without them for so long.

quote:

Originally posted by Gustofer:
I placed a little hydrocortisone on a Q-Tip ....

Thanks for that tip.

Mine came with a little clamshell storage case, but I wanted something that provided more protection when I wasn’t wearing them. They now travel in a small Otterbox 1000 (that model is evidently no longer available, but there are countless similar dry boxes available).

quote:

Originally posted by rexles:
Any advice of do's and don'ts other than taking them off before showering and swimming or shooting?
I have an I phone that I guess they can hook up an app.

The best advice is to wear them. They'll sound bright at first as you get used to them, but you can turn them down a notch (on your phone app) until you get used to them...don't have them adjusted down.

You'll find that as you get used to them that your non-assisted hearing will become less sensitive. What is happening is that you are no longer straining your hearing to hear softer sounds.

Keep the inserts, that go into your ear, clean. You'll need to brush off the wax from your ears that they are stopping from flowing out...they should show you how when they fit you...your set should come with a brush for this.

I have a pair from Philips out of Denmark and have it linked to my Samsung via the Hearlink app. What works for me in a crowded room is switching to Movie/Theater mode and increasing gain by one level...also works really well when watching TV

I've been wearing VA-provided BTE rechargeable aids for about 3 years now.

If I'm not asleep or in the shower, they're in my ears. The only exception to that is if I'm doing something REALLY loud that requires muffs. Using aids to amplify under muffs to cut down on noise is a little silly.

After the first year I asked the audiologist to tweak the balance a little (my left ear is much worse than my right) and I got a replacement set not too long after that as the originals wouldn't hold a charge. Other than that, trouble free.

My audiologist mentioned the phone app but said most folks get carried away tweaking things and wind up bringing them back for a factory reset. Knowing myself, I passed on the app and have no reason to regret that decision.

They will provide you with extra wax guards and "domes" (the little silicone rubber bit that holds the transmitter in your ear canal) that you can change out when performance drops off. The usual culprit is a plugged wax guard. Easy to change.

Keep them and your ears clean and soon you'll forget they're even there. I usually touch my ears several times a day to ensure they haven't fallen out for some reason (they never have). I have developed an itching issue in the last couple of months. I've been using a very light application of Vaseline, but I bet the hydrocortisone will work even better.

After a few weeks, depending on how severe your hearing loss is, you'll be stunned at the difference when you take them out.

EDIT TO ADD: The bluetooth function is a Godsend. Coupled with my smart phone, I can actually talk on the phone again, much as I hate it. And my newer TV will pair to them as well, eliminating the need for headphones. Marvelous.

I had the over the ear type for a few years. I absolutely hated them though I wore them every day all day. Where they really piss me off is the interference with my glasses. Every time I took my glasses off or switched to sunglasses and back, the damn things popped off. My new ones are in the ear. I actually look foreword to placing them in as soon as I get up in the morning. No more bitching about go put your ears on I'm tired of repeating myself.

opt for phonak brand if you can, they work great with my cell phone!!

they originally put me in resound...kept up-pairing in one ear!!

I feel like I'm sitting on the bottom of a pool if I don't have mine on. Mine has three programs that I control with my phone. Regular, restaurant, and television. I can turn them up or down. Noisy restaurants with lots of people I turn them way down. They are not a magic bullet and they do have drawbacks, but you'll wonder why you waited so long. I opted for the expensive route. My aids were fitted and over the course of three months, they were slowly reprogrammed upward. They state it's part of retraining the brain. I had borderline medium to severe high-frequency hearing loss. When I was close to my prescription they did probe tube measurements. Commonly referred to as real ear measurements. Tubes are placed in the ear under your hearing aids to measure what the aids are really providing. My aids are Starkey.

If you want to do a deep dive a member here a couple of years ago recommended The Little Book Of Hearing Aids by Geoffrey Cooling.

quote:

Originally posted by airbubba:
opt for phonak brand if you can, they work great with my cell phone!!

they originally put me in resound...kept up-pairing in one ear!!

+1 on the Phonaks.

Learn how to replace the tubes in case you have an issue while away from home (trips, etc.). Ask what size tube and which thickness.

The tools to change them are available everywhere. Send me an email if you need help locating them.

I started changing Dad's tubes after one broke while we were out of town. I found a hearing aid place near our hotel and drove over to see if they could help. Once they heard he was a veteran, they changed tubes on both sides and refused to take any payment.

Get some Oral-B Superfloss - looks like a bit of foam or yarn on floss. Once you learn how to remove your tube and earpiece, you'll be able to run it through both the main and auxiliary holes to remove earwax and keep them clean.

Finally, invest in some type of cleaner/dryer. There are chemical ones that can be used a few times. The electronic type with UV and heat are good for drying out the system occasionally (really good if you're in a humid environment). Take the batteries out, put it in the unit before bed and they will be ready for you in the morning.

I have the behind the ear Oticons from the VA. They work well enough but I tend to dislodge them when putting on or taking off my glasses. So I find myself not wearing them as often as I should out of fear of losing one.

I have behind the ear Phillips from Costco. almost 5 years. I like that they're rechargeable and blue tooth to my IPhone. I've had the batteries replaced once and other than that no real issues.