Posted on 06/03/2023 7:38:45 PM PDT by TNoldman
My Hearing had degraded over time. I used TVEars for a while. In 2018 I purchased an inexpensive Hearing Aid for $59.(Britzgo) I started with one end later got a second. I found that in noisy environments I had difficulty hearing - the only thing the hearing aid did was make all sounds louder.
As time went on I found one hearing aid in either ear - depending on surrounding work best but not in noisy area or when multiple people were talking.
As technology improved I get a smaller pair for $300. (Britzgo).
Result smaller buttons - harder to adjust and 10 day battery life. Same problems in noisy environments and when multiple people were talking.
Jump ahead to October 2021 and then got Listen Lively(Jabra now) hearing aids for $1300. They connect to my Smart Phone for special programming. After a 1-1/2 years I am back to my $59. Britzgo - because of clogged Ear buds, change Wax Filters,4 day battery life, changed program numerous time, receiver and wire failures and no better performance with Listen Lively Hearing Aids.
I am back to one $59. BRITZGO!!
What is your experience???
I get new ones every 4-5 years from the VA (service connected). They changed my life. If one’s hearing is bad enough that colleagues and family get frustrated with one, audiologist-prescribed and -adjusted can make a real difference. The ones I have, with all the tests and tuning, would be around $6-10k, but I’d pay it in a heartbeat. I have great credit.
if you're a vet, the VA gives out pretty good hearing aids to those that need them.
you know my husband did active duty and then joined the Guard...his pension is nothing like regular military but the savings in prescription costs and hearing aides is worth a ton to us...
Later
Only when you’re one on one in a quiet environment. If there’s any back ground noise at all, no!! They’re absolutely miserable....
Top quality digital programmable hearing aids are crucial to my ability to communicate. Without them, I struggle to hear 2 words in 10, especially with women’s voices.
They are expensive, but yes they help. IMMENSELY. Depending on your magnitude and type of hearing loss. For me, they are indispensable to good communication.
Also, I use subtitled DVDs, but so many today are not subtitled, I rely on my hearing aids to understand the plot and dialogue.
I’m in the same place. Got to have them.
Always find an AUD that will do REM or real ear measurement. There’s no way esp. with feature rich aids someone NOT fitting them without REM can do a decent job. It’s like skipping the Doc while getting an Rx; and instead some non MD says well I rely on what Merck or Eli Lilly tells me, is the std. dosage you should take. You are not std. and only get the most out of an aid with a detailed REM. NO compromise on that point.
You get what you pay for. Over the counter (OTC) hearing aids have their place, but in my opinion, they do not offer the same level of performance as prescription, custom fit hearing aids purchased from an audiologist.
Hearing aids that amplify all hearing frequencies are pretty much useless. To do it right you need an updated audio exam and then custom tuned hearing aids that are adjusted to your hearing loss frequencies so they don’t amplify everything.
I’ve had mine for 4 or so years paid for by the VA thankfully and I’m getting new ones this week again from the VA. I don’t wear them all the time... I kind of like the silence which is usually drowned out by the tinnitus.
Id go with the unit that allows you to test and boost frequencies to find problem frequencies and then boost only them to fill in the troughs in your hearing. I’ve often wondered if brute force boosting of everything doesn’t hammer the frequencies you still have.
Can anyone explain why a little Hearing Aid would cost many $1000’s when a much more complex iPhone can be just $1200.
I don’t believe VA pays $10k!
Big SCAM going one.
I have profound hearing loss in my left ear and severe loss in my right ear. I have been going to the hearing clinic at a local university for 20+ years where the faculty use me as a training tool for audiology students and in exchange, I get top of the line hearing aids for 50% off.
Hearing aids are just that — aids not replacements, but high end aids with multiple channels and programs, feedback and wind suppression, superfast processing speeds, etc., are truly awesome.
In my opinion, over the counter hearing aids (OTC) have a similar function as over the counter magnifying eyeglasses purchased at the pharmacy: They are a less expensive option with limited function, that are adequate for many people in certain circumstances, but are not a substitute for custom fit, prescription devices.
OTC aids are for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. They are less effective for moderately severe hearing loss and useless for severe and profound hearing loss. One of the problems with OTC hearing aids for people with severe to profound hearing loss is that the OTC aids can make hearing and understanding speech even more difficult in certain situations, resulting in frustration and stress to the point where the user stops using the hearing aids because they don’t work; when the real problem is that they are not the correct aids for the user’s degree of hearing loss and lifestyle needs.
Have signal generator and oscilloscope, can test.
I have severe hearing loss so yes I have bought hearing aids.
And I did not need a prescription from a doctor
I struggled with OTC aids for years. Finally my Aetna Medicare Advantage covered programmable aids. I got a pair and the difference was radical. Simple amplifiers just do not work for true hearing loss.
Mine “PHONAK” are also rechargeable so I simply put them in the recharger when I go to bed and they are always fine.
After reading various comments in the thread it occurs to me that what the feds call over the counter is buying hearing aids without the services of an audiologist and a thorough hearing test and consultation. One has never needed a prescription to go to an audiologist.
They make the tinnitus less pronounced? I’ve got tinnitus and some hearing loss...but I don’t know what I am missing if my wife doesn’t ask “Can you hear that bird?”.
I have tinnitus and it dries me crazy at times. I like to have some sort of other sounds on like the TV or radio to help mask the bussing in my ears. I have an appt. with a hearing specialist next week and sure hope they can help!
I have the Oticon OPN 1. I just ordered Oticon Real 1, which came out in February, 2023. I did not get the rechargeable model out of fear that the charge will run out when I am at an important event or that I will forget to pack the charger when I travel.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.