Hearing Aids - how goes it?
Discussion
solo2 said:
I’m after experiences with hearing aids as my dad has an NHS one and he’s not getting along with it
He says he hears background noise but not those speaking to him as clearly as back ground.
That's not the hearing aid, it's just been programmed badly. As I said upthread, a digital hearing aid is only as good as the person that programs it. A great audiologist will get better results from a £500 aid than a crap audiologist will get from a £3K aid. That's the big problem.He says he hears background noise but not those speaking to him as clearly as back ground.
Edited by TwigtheWonderkid on Sunday 27th November 22:01
solo2 said:
I’m after experiences with hearing aids as my dad has an NHS one and he’s not getting along with it
He says he hears background noise but not those speaking to him as clearly as back ground.
He’s thinking of going to purchase one but is worried he’d be just sold something that’s still no better and it’s not your everyday item that he can ask friends their experiences of. Especially seeing as these things cost several thousand pounds.
Any advice or experience with any particular company and we’re you given the hard sell or not please?
I went to Leighton in HASLEMERE surrey and they let me try the in ear but told me they were not as good, I then had a 2 week trial using Oticons and they were amazing. Mine were about 2.5k each for the top spec ones. They were not pushy in the slightest.He says he hears background noise but not those speaking to him as clearly as back ground.
He’s thinking of going to purchase one but is worried he’d be just sold something that’s still no better and it’s not your everyday item that he can ask friends their experiences of. Especially seeing as these things cost several thousand pounds.
Any advice or experience with any particular company and we’re you given the hard sell or not please?
It’s amazing just how much I can hear now and it took about 1 month before I got the full benefit - the brain adapts to being able to hear again…I think.
Just after any more experiences. I had my hearing tested about 18 mths ago (Boots quick check) and it's showing Mild (towards moderate) in the 2k to 6k frequency range.
TV is definitely getting higher volume numbers these days and work PC speaker is set to a high volume. I also notice in high background noise (pub / restaurant) that I have to focus hard sometimes, especially if its softly spoken.
Went to private audiologist (good rep, walking distance from home) last week and had full re-test. The good news is that it hasn't deteriorated. They also tested my ability to pick out conversation in varying talking backgrounds. She actually said I did better than average on some of those tests so have good ability to focus and pick out the voice. I did try some Oticon on (Oticon R I think) and did notice a difference so have decided to have a trial with them in a couple of weeks. She said a new model was due out this week so we should wait a couple of weeks and try the latest.
I guess my question, is anyone out there in a similar situation (Mild towards moderate loss) and have decided to go for hearing augmentation. I'm going to be really interested to see if they make enough of a difference for me to invest the ~£4k so looking forward to the trial run. Thoughts anyone ? What should I look out for / trial when I have the hearing aids ? Any advice to get the most from the trial would be much appreciated as neither I not any of my family have had hearing aids before.
TV is definitely getting higher volume numbers these days and work PC speaker is set to a high volume. I also notice in high background noise (pub / restaurant) that I have to focus hard sometimes, especially if its softly spoken.
Went to private audiologist (good rep, walking distance from home) last week and had full re-test. The good news is that it hasn't deteriorated. They also tested my ability to pick out conversation in varying talking backgrounds. She actually said I did better than average on some of those tests so have good ability to focus and pick out the voice. I did try some Oticon on (Oticon R I think) and did notice a difference so have decided to have a trial with them in a couple of weeks. She said a new model was due out this week so we should wait a couple of weeks and try the latest.
I guess my question, is anyone out there in a similar situation (Mild towards moderate loss) and have decided to go for hearing augmentation. I'm going to be really interested to see if they make enough of a difference for me to invest the ~£4k so looking forward to the trial run. Thoughts anyone ? What should I look out for / trial when I have the hearing aids ? Any advice to get the most from the trial would be much appreciated as neither I not any of my family have had hearing aids before.
Key advice is to wear them all the time once you get them. It takes time for your brain to adjust to the new sound and that never happens if people constantly take them in/out or only wear them part time. The same people then complain their hearing aid doesn't help them.
They're not like glasses and this can result in an expectations gap. They don't correct hearing, merely aid it.
They're not like glasses and this can result in an expectations gap. They don't correct hearing, merely aid it.
Ive got NHS hearing aids, Nottingham audiology department are brilliant, apart from one rather butch woman who told me to man up with my tinnitus, I no longer ask her for advice. I sent my left one in for repair as it went dead, 3 days after receiving it they sent a new replacement free of charge, they always post my batteries out as well. I tend to take them out if im in. a noisy environment as its painful, but I can't fault the product.
Steve Campbell said:
J
I guess my question, is anyone out there in a similar situation (Mild towards moderate loss) and have decided to go for hearing augmentation. I'm going to be really interested to see if they make enough of a difference for me to invest the ~£4k so looking forward to the trial run. .
I suffer from tinnitus which, apart from being very irritating, has reduced my high frequency hearing.I guess my question, is anyone out there in a similar situation (Mild towards moderate loss) and have decided to go for hearing augmentation. I'm going to be really interested to see if they make enough of a difference for me to invest the ~£4k so looking forward to the trial run. .
I bought a pair of these:
https://www.hearingdirect.com/collections/in-ear-h...
I tend to wear them in the office or when going out for dinner as I find hearing what someone says in a noisy environment difficult. They do totally restore the high frequency, possibly too much - but that can be modified in the app.
I probably wouldn't pay £4k. £1.1k felt reasonable.
Steve Campbell said:
I guess my question, is anyone out there in a similar situation (Mild towards moderate loss) and have decided to go for hearing augmentation.
I'm 53, sounds like my results were pretty similar to yours, I had the same issues in pubs etc.Paid £3.2k at Boots for Virto P aids last May. Wanted the invisible ones as I'm vain.
They are amazing. Everything was so loud, didn't realise how much I was missing out on.
On the other hand, I work from home 100% and haven't been out much recently so they've sat in the box for the last two months... I keep meaning to get back into the habit of putting them in in the morning.
QuartzDad said:
I'm 53, sounds like my results were pretty similar to yours, I had the same issues in pubs etc.
Paid £3.2k at Boots for Virto P aids last May. Wanted the invisible ones as I'm vain.
They are amazing. Everything was so loud, didn't realise how much I was missing out on.
On the other hand, I work from home 100% and haven't been out much recently so they've sat in the box for the last two months... I keep meaning to get back into the habit of putting them in in the morning.
You need to wear them constantly to have an affect - your brain does an amazing job at amplifying / deadening noise depending on the volume around you (apart from when it doesn't and you get tinnitus) and if you just put them in now and again your brain will just go "oh it's louder than normal, I'll make everything quieter to compensate". It takes a while for your brain to adjust to the noise level coming from your aids to be the "normal" and be happy with that. I was told it takes adults a month or two to adjust, in children it takes a week.Paid £3.2k at Boots for Virto P aids last May. Wanted the invisible ones as I'm vain.
They are amazing. Everything was so loud, didn't realise how much I was missing out on.
On the other hand, I work from home 100% and haven't been out much recently so they've sat in the box for the last two months... I keep meaning to get back into the habit of putting them in in the morning.
Thx for insights so far. Very interesting. The audiologist already explained the "wear them all the time to adjust" scenario. I asked a lot of questions about in ear v on ear and why Oticon. The brand was due to good results with patients primarily.
The on ear was primarily due to the fact that apart from those higher frequencies, my hearing is perfectly normal so her perspective was "why block out with an "in ear" what you can hear perfectly well". eg you don't need to increase volume, just enhance certain frequencies and on ear does that better. Not sure what the latest model will bring (apart from more £££ probably :-))
Makes sense but we'll see for me personally. I'm not vain so don't care too much so long as they are comfortable and work in "most scenarios" .... glasses / sunglasses / helmet (track days and skiing)
17th Mar is my appointment so will report back on results and will keep a watch on this thread for other advice. Not sure how long I'll have them to try yet.
What circumstances are likely to make the aids struggle (so I can test them). Wind noise seems to be one....anything else ?
The on ear was primarily due to the fact that apart from those higher frequencies, my hearing is perfectly normal so her perspective was "why block out with an "in ear" what you can hear perfectly well". eg you don't need to increase volume, just enhance certain frequencies and on ear does that better. Not sure what the latest model will bring (apart from more £££ probably :-))
Makes sense but we'll see for me personally. I'm not vain so don't care too much so long as they are comfortable and work in "most scenarios" .... glasses / sunglasses / helmet (track days and skiing)
17th Mar is my appointment so will report back on results and will keep a watch on this thread for other advice. Not sure how long I'll have them to try yet.
What circumstances are likely to make the aids struggle (so I can test them). Wind noise seems to be one....anything else ?
Trick with wind - in the winter at leader - is a wooly hat. Works like the fluffy windshields on the TV reporter microphones.
See if the latest model comes with Bluetooth LE Audio (not to be confused with the earlier Bluetooth Low Energy). It's the biggest game changer for hearing aids in the past 5 years at least.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-future...
See if the latest model comes with Bluetooth LE Audio (not to be confused with the earlier Bluetooth Low Energy). It's the biggest game changer for hearing aids in the past 5 years at least.
https://www.discovermagazine.com/health/the-future...
The Bluetooth on my Oticons is brilliant, I can be driving in my car and answer the phone and I hear the caller with crystal clarity and they can hear me really clearly as the hearing aids send back my voice - I bought the top of the range noise cancellation spec at the time of buying (I think minirite 312 IIRC)
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