Posted on 12/11/2024 5:44:59 AM PST by LouAvul
Who to consult for preliminary considerations? The guys at Costco? Or a licensed ENT? I seem to recall some specific hi-tech test for best results.
Which type hearing aid is best? In the ear canal? Outside?
Cons? Short battery life? Don't do the job?
My situation is I like the tv louder than my wife; can't always hear her; miss dialogue in Bible class at church; etc.
thanks
Hearing aids won’t perfectly replace the ears but they can help you and those around you. Sometimes, your insurance will pay a goodly amount of the cost, but you are limited as to what brands you can deal with.
An audiologist can test your ears to find out the amount of loss, but they usually want to sell you their brand which gives them a pretty penny. Be prepared for a hard sell. I mean it can be ‘time-share level’ of pressure. Remember, it is your money, your ears, and your decision. No pressure!
I went with a brand called Widex, which caters to musicians and I liked the blend of the natural sound of music and the speaking quality. They were not covered by insurance and they were expensive. I chose them over the inexpensive ones that would have been provided by my insurance company, as at this point in my life, I felt it was worth it.
My first few encounters with sales people were less than stellar but finally I found a nice bunch and things moved along.
A side note: My hearing loss was uneven in both ears, so the audiologist suggested an MRI, which I had. Turns out, I had had a stroke with no symptoms. Am now getting that addressed.
Correct!
I, too, got mine through an audiologist. My issue was not not being able to “hear” as much as “interpret” certain people’s voices. My daughters all have very soft voices and I could “hear” them, but I could not understand what they were saying. My wife’s voice was similar. When I finally went to an audiologist and had a hearing test, I definitely had hearing loss (due to noise in my career and probably playing music too loud in headphones and in a garage band back in the day, too), but the loss was in specific frequencies which, as explained to me by the audiologist, was why I could “hear” some people with no problem, but not others (my wife, daughters, etc.). It had to do with the frequency, what range their voices were.
There are many types/brands out there. I would agree with others here and recommend rechargeable and also, most importantly, don’t expect an epiphany of having perfect hearing again...that ship has sailed. It will be improved, but not perfect. Also, the hearing aids will need to be “tuned up” as time goes on. In my experience they started them at 75% capability and increased as time went on and I got used to them. I’m long due for a follow up appointment to have them “re-tuned”...I can tell.
Can’t do anything about aging, however, I would certainly impress upon those who are younger to protect your hearing whenever possible...once it is gone, it is gone.
If you are not eligible for VA... Costco has excellent hearing aids and. audiology techs who are well-trained. I have the Jabra versions from Costco - $1699 I believe and almost identical ones I tried from Miracle Ear were over $7000.00. Great follow up care at Costco at no charge too.
Second hand info here. My friend is a roofer and got the type of aids that have the microphone that loop to the back of the ear. They were very expensive and he paid around $1600. after the insurance. Total bust. He works out in the heat and wears a cap. The cap rubbing on the microphone created a crackling noise you could hear when you standing near him and his sweat shorted out the microphone. They barely lasted a week.
I’ve had hearing aids for a little over 30 years as a result of a head injury when a drunk driver slammed into my parked car at freeway speed. The biggest thing about hearing aids that causes most people to fail, is they do not function like your ears, and you have to wear them to train your brain to hear again. At first sounds won’t be natural but over time you will adapt.
I have a couple friends who now use hearing aids due to age, they don’t like them, so they don’t wear them, so they don’t like them.
Behind the ear hearing aids are actually the best, it was explained to me that the electronics are better. They are so discreet now people usually don’t even recognize you’re wearing them. The technology in hearing aids now is unbelievable, my current pair actually communicate between each other with Bluetooth so one ear is not louder than the other. But honestly, I would prefer to go back to the hearing aid I had 30 years ago, I’m not all that happy with the technology.
I get mine from the VA and although they are very high tech, they don’t work very well.
WHAT?
Cc
once it is gone, it is gone.
‘’’’’’’’’’’
Yep, kinda like other body parts also. gone is gone.
Apple is starting to get into the hearing aid business. I think what they have set up is for those with mild hearing loss they are converting their AirPods Pro 2 earphones into hearing aids with a special app which first tests your hearing loss and then the app will customize them for you. It’s fairly new so I’m not sure what the feedback is on them but it’s a fairly cheap alternative since the pods only cost about 2 to 300 US. Even cheaper if you can find them on sale.
Before you spend thousands of dollars on “hearing aids” from big ear (equivalent to big pharma), consider these two steps:
1) FREE: Turn on closed captions; then you can read the words that you aren’t hearing exactly at the lower volume your wife can tolerate.
2) Less than $250: Consider Apple Airpods instead.
A) They can receive bluetooth signals from a smart tv, so you can hear the sound at whatever volume you want on them and the regular tv sound can still be projected for your wife (you’ll have to look on your tv’s on-screen menus for the setting to use both tv speakers and your airpods). Buy the best model you can afford.
B) AirPods Pro 2 now feature a scientifically validated Hearing Test and clinical‑grade Hearing Aid capability.
https://www.apple.com/airpods/
https://www.apple.com/airpods-pro/
https://www.npr.org/2024/09/14/nx-s1-5112400/fda-airpods-hearing-aids-software-update
3) Less than $150: Consider other wireless bluetooth headsets, which can be used the same as the airpods but are usually over the head and not in-the-ear-canal.
Best wishes.
And the Airpods can be used at church, etc. as hearing aids. See my note above. Not just for tv.
What? You mean I’m not supposed to hear cicadas 24/7 after all?
If you are a veteran contact the VA. Free hearing Aids.
get a free check at costco. if theres a problem then make a real Dr. appt
I suspect that will be me, as well. I don't really need aids on a daily basis. Yet.
Maybe it's the "yet" I'm preparing for.
I just gave in and got a pair of behind the ear microphones with speakers in the ear to fix the problem of inability to hear conversational speech with other speakers, TV, or noise in the background.
They actually fix the problem completely (I am actually surprised how well they work) and are paired with an app that (once you learn how to use it) allows sensing and setup for multiple environments.
However.
All that is amazingly expensive and if my work benefits didn’t pay 90% I certainly wouldn’t have spent thousands of dollars on my own.
I started with an audiologist and proper testing, that’s money well spent IMO. I wouldn’t get anything more expensive than over the counter generics without a test to map out what your specific frequency losses are and how to best correct them.
I damaged my left ear with 70+ years of inadequate protection while using firearms. My audiologist recommended a hearing aid from Starkey. If I had it to do over, I would buy an over-the-counter product for a couple of hundred dollars instead, although my hearing has improved to the point that the hearing aid stays in the box most of the time.
Interesting. What brand and what model?
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