If you are considering hearing aids

[Laura Corin]

I know that they are not easy for everyone, but I'd like to highly recommend trying them if they fit in your budget.  My hearing isn't very bad, but I was starting to find meetings at work difficult if they were in large rooms, and one colleague's voice happens to be at a pitch that I found hard to catch. 

I've had them for two weeks and I'm really enjoying them.  Not only can I understand my colleague perfectly, but I can watch most television without subtitles and better hear the sound of birds and streams on my walks.  Wearing them was tiring for a few days, but that's over now.  They also act as earbuds (podcasts etc., stream directly to my ears).  I can hear someone speaking to me even when I am listening to a podcast, and I can stop the stream using my hearing aid controls when I need to.

I have standard NHS Phonak ones (free to me at the point of need) that fit behind the ear with a clear tube to a tiny dome in the ear canal.  I'm happy to answer any questions that I can.

[Kidlit]

American here so nothing's free (🤣), but my mom got a set at Costco that were less expensive than elsewhere.   
 

I am glad yours are working well for you. @Laura Corin!

Edited August 8, 2023 by Kidlit

[Carrie12345]

I’ve been trying hard to convince Dh. He’s a hard sell! Sometimes he’ll Bluetooth to earbuds so the TV isn’t insanely loud, but that doesn’t help with conversation!

[lauraw4321]

Hearing loss is so strongly correlated with dementia, so helping your hearing helps your brain!!

[Idalou]

My parents have them, but even their insurance pays nothing towards it. They had to pay $6000-$8000 for a pair most recently. They lasted 6 or 7 years. They tried the Costco ones and said they would not work at all for their level of hearing loss 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Idalou

[stephanier.1765]

I wish I could get my DH to get a hearing test because I can tell he's not hearing as he should, especially in the lower range. When he was in the Navy, his job was on planes so I'm sure after years and years of being around those loud engines left him with hearing loss.

[Laura Corin]

36 minutes ago, lauraw4321 said:

Hearing loss is so strongly correlated with dementia, so helping your hearing helps your brain!!

It's interesting: I don't think it has been sorted out yet whether eta uncorrected hearing loss causes dementia directly, whether people with early dementia have processing issues that cause hearing loss (eta or have a hard time dealing with hearing aids), or whether the isolation of hearing loss leads to dementia. 

Edited August 8, 2023 by Laura Corin

[maize]

Thanks, I needed a reminder to make an appointment for my son.

We were hopeful that dh's hearing impairment wouldn't appear in our kids but two of them already having mild hearing loss and it's getting worse. Convincing a teen to wear hearing aids is an uphill battle though. 

[pinball]

1 hour ago, stephanier.1765 said:

I wish I could get my DH to get a hearing test because I can tell he's not hearing as he should, especially in the lower range. When he was in the Navy, his job was on planes so I'm sure after years and years of being around those loud engines left him with hearing loss.

He should talk to a lawyer about getting a disability rating

[zimom]

Previous audiologist here.  Phonak hearing aids were always one of my favorite brands.  I'm glad you are doing so well.   As others have indicated, unfortunately, in the US, most insurance does not cover hearing aids, although coverage is much better than it was 10-20 years ago.  My advice to patients was always to get the best hearing aids they could comfortably afford but they should never be a hardship.  Fortunately, they have improved so much over the last couple of decades too, so they are not anything like what your parents wore.   The style you describe, small ones that sit behind your ear with a thin tube that goes down into your ear, also tend to be the most durable, and for women, hide so well in our hair they really aren't noticeable.   

[Jaybee]

I don't need them yet, but I will. My dad and paternal grandmother both had a lot of hearing loss. My mom now has it as well, though hers was when she was older than they were. She spent thousands of dollars to get what was considered more top of the line (I can't remember, but I want to say maybe $7000). But she told me not long ago that her friend bought the less expensive ones, and is very happy with them, and she wishes she had gone with those herself. She's not sure the expense was worth it.

I don't seem to have too much trouble with needing more volume, but I have trouble with distinguishing the sounds. If someone is facing away from me when they talk, it is hard, and I always use subtitles. I have had trouble with distinguishing media conversations for a long time (movies and TV mainly--not so much radio). 

[saw]

Is there a particular type of hearing loss that is more easily helped by hearing aids than others? Asking because my mother has hearing aids and says they don't help much due to where in the register her loss is; my dad has hearing aids and refuses to wear them, quite possibly because the loss is processing rather than hearing; and DS just got a headband with hearing aid for conductive hearing loss (thank you NHS) and might eventually want a bone-anchored hearing aid. Trying to figure out whether there are better options out there. 

[Laura Corin]

49 minutes ago, saw said:

Is there a particular type of hearing loss that is more easily helped by hearing aids than others? Asking because my mother has hearing aids and says they don't help much due to where in the register her loss is; my dad has hearing aids and refuses to wear them, quite possibly because the loss is processing rather than hearing; and DS just got a headband with hearing aid for conductive hearing loss (thank you NHS) and might eventually want a bone-anchored hearing aid. Trying to figure out whether there are better options out there. 

Hearing aids are tuned for the particular frequencies that are missing,  based on the tests. How much does your mum wear them, as it can take several weeks of dedicated wear for the brain to start fully interpreting the sound?

 

[saw]

16 minutes ago, Laura Corin said:

Hearing aids are tuned for the particular frequencies that are missing,  based on the tests. How much does your mum wear them, as it can take several weeks of dedicated wear for the brain to start fully interpreting the sound?

 

She wears them reasonably often and has had them for a while, but insists they don't help much. Apparently they're very good hearing aids and she received very good service when getting them, so I don't understand the problem! It may well be that she's not wearing them enough for her brain to learn to interpret the sound. I'll try mentioning that. 

[Laura Corin]

18 minutes ago, saw said:

She wears them reasonably often and has had them for a while, but insists they don't help much. Apparently they're very good hearing aids and she received very good service when getting them, so I don't understand the problem! It may well be that she's not wearing them enough for her brain to learn to interpret the sound. I'll try mentioning that. 

My mother only wore hers intermittently until she moved in with us.  Once she was wearing them all day, she heard much better. 

[Resilient]

9 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

It's interesting: I don't think it has been sorted out yet whether eta uncorrected hearing loss causes dementia directly, whether people with early dementia have processing issues that cause hearing loss (eta or have a hard time dealing with hearing aids), or whether the isolation of hearing loss leads to dementia. 

The audiologist explained to me that it is not your ear that hears but your brain. When you don't use it, you lose it. So if you are not hearing words, you forget their meaning, and forget their usage.  I read a couple of articles that explained it better than this, but that is the upshot.

And I have also read that it is the isolation; apparently, hearing loss is more devastating as far as conducting a normal life than is blindness. That seems shocking, but I think that I'm starting to understand it, watching my parents go through increasing hearing loss.  

[Resilient]

3 hours ago, Laura Corin said:

Hearing aids are tuned for the particular frequencies that are missing,  based on the tests. How much does your mum wear them, as it can take several weeks of dedicated wear for the brain to start fully interpreting the sound?

 

Yes! It is a lot more complex than just increasing the volume...at least with more advanced (and more expensive) hearing aids. 

In addition, each manufacturer has a certain "sound." When I got my first hearing aids, I got used to the sound of that manufacturer's set up. When I tried another kind 5 years later, the aids did all the frequency correction but the "sound" was tinny (to me).  I tried three different kinds before I found the ones that had the best sound, meaning, the one I liked the best.  The three kinds were all in the same price range; some of the features differed.  

[bookbard]

There was an article about hearing aids in Australia recently - your first pair are covered (or subsidised maybe), but after that it's all up to you. So you have to be really careful that the first pair are good ones - they were saying to beware of the hearing places you see in shopping centres, instead getting a referral to a proper audiologist and finding the right hearing aids for you. They are really expensive, I think my parents have been able to put them on their homeowner's insurance? I  know my Dad has lost a couple of pairs but insurance has covered them. 

[PeterPan]

11 hours ago, Carrie12345 said:

I’ve been trying hard to convince Dh. He’s a hard sell

My dh wasn't very motivated because the only frequencies he couldn't hear were the sound of my voice. 😂 Fwiw he LOVES them now, but he did dawdle a good 5-7 years from the initial eval before getting them, which the audiologist said was pretty common. 

10 hours ago, maize said:

dh's hearing impairment wouldn't appear in our kids

Some of the genes for early onset hearing loss show up in the 23andme testing, sigh. I looked them up and kinda wished I hadn't. I've had both kids tested and probably need to keep retesting one of them. 

[kokotg]

Aww...my oldest kid had a phonak hearing aid; they gave us a book when he got it that featured Oliver the Phonak elephant. memories! He has a moderately severe unilateral hearing loss, diagnosed when he was 5...he doesn't wear a hearing aid for it at the moment and has learned to compensate well, but his audiologist really pushed for one at the time (insurance wouldn't cover it; I'm not sure if that's changed with Obamacare), and we were amazed at what a difference it made for him with social anxiety stuff. 

[Farrar]

I wish I could convince my mom. When they first approved them for the market and the price started to come down she said, yep, she'd be looking into them in a few months when the reviews were more out and more options were there. That's now. I brought it up again and she acted like that conversation had never happened and like her hearing is totally fine.

So frustrating. She tunes out our family conversations and doesn't participate. She doesn't listen to me on the phone. Sometimes dh is in the room with me and he's like, you just said the same thing to her six times. A couple months ago she was saying she'd been watching such and such TV show. Had I seen it. No, but I've read the book, I told her. Oh, you haven't seen it. So she starts saying all the stuff about it. "I've read the book," I said. And then I said it again. And then again. And then AGAIN. And she's like, "I don't know if maybe it's based on something..." And I'm like, "IT IS BASED ON SOMETHING. I HAVE READ THE BOOK." "What? Oh, is there a book? I haven't read it." "I HAVE READ IT." Finally. "Oh, you've read the book?" OMG. Dh was like, why do you even bother?

[Amethyst]

My dh got them recently. They are very subtle looking. Most people don’t notice them. 
 

Two problems though. He has always had a tendency towards itchy ears. These make that worse. So he only wears them in certain situations (concert, play, social gatherings). 
 

The other problem he discovered the first day he wore them to work: he can't put a stethoscope in his ears with them in. 🙁

[popmom]

RE the cost: my sister in law had a profound hearing loss and wouldn't get hearing aids because they were so expensive. dd2 is an audiology student and figured out that our state has a program that provides hearing aids completely free of charge for those who qualify. She qualified, so she finally can hear again. She was ecstatic. It's a big problem that these programs aren't advertised. Not many people know such services are out there. It's super frustrating. My dd says that (I am sorry I don't know what the proper term is) those special phones that do speech to text...those can be free, too. 

So if cost is an issue, check with your state's departement of rehabilitation services or the equivalent. 

Edited August 9, 2023 by popmom

[Tenaj]

My mil finally got hearing aids two weeks ago and the difference is like night and day.  She was misunderstanding so much that I had been afraid to tell her anything because she would turn it into something completely different and then be confused about it later.  

A funny about the hearing aids.  After she got them and we were all commenting about how it was nice she could hear our conversations she said, "Well, you know, I really don't need them.  It was only human voices that I couldn't hear".  🤣🤣

I think I'm going to go get my hearing checked and talk my dh into it.  I'd like to keep an eye on it as I age so I catch the need for aids before it becomes obvious to everyone else.

[Harriet Vane]

10 hours ago, Farrar said:

I wish I could convince my mom. When they first approved them for the market and the price started to come down she said, yep, she'd be looking into them in a few months when the reviews were more out and more options were there. That's now. I brought it up again and she acted like that conversation had never happened and like her hearing is totally fine.

So frustrating. She tunes out our family conversations and doesn't participate. She doesn't listen to me on the phone. Sometimes dh is in the room with me and he's like, you just said the same thing to her six times. A couple months ago she was saying she'd been watching such and such TV show. Had I seen it. No, but I've read the book, I told her. Oh, you haven't seen it. So she starts saying all the stuff about it. "I've read the book," I said. And then I said it again. And then again. And then AGAIN. And she's like, "I don't know if maybe it's based on something..." And I'm like, "IT IS BASED ON SOMETHING. I HAVE READ THE BOOK." "What? Oh, is there a book? I haven't read it." "I HAVE READ IT." Finally. "Oh, you've read the book?" OMG. Dh was like, why do you even bother?

Gently—this really sounds like dementia. My darling mother-in-law had both hearing loss and dementia, and it was hard to tease out the intertwining layers of that for a while. Are you sure her issues are entirely hearing loss? 

[PeterPan]

10 hours ago, Amethyst said:

stethoscope in his ears with them in. 🙁

i'm surprised they don't make a bluetooth stethescope.

ETA: Google says there are a variety of bluetooth and amplified stethoscope options.

Edited August 9, 2023 by PeterPan

[BeachGal]

7 hours ago, popmom said:

RE the cost: my sister in law had a profound hearing loss and wouldn't get hearing aids because they were so expensive. dd2 is an audiology student and figured out that our state has a program that provides hearing aids completely free of charge for those who qualify. She qualified, so she finally can hear again. She was ecstatic. It's a big problem that these programs aren't advertised. Not many people know such services are out there. It's super frustrating. My dd says that (I am sorry I don't know what the proper term is) those special phones that do speech to text...those can be free, too. 

So if cost is an issue, check with your state's departement of rehabilitation services or the equivalent. 

Very good recommendation, @popmom. 👍🏼

Additionally, some universities have audiology departments that will test hearing and fit you with hearing aids for not too much money. I am getting a hearing test today at Northwestern University and will probably be getting hearing aids. Cost is about $650, which our insurance is supposed to pay, and because I’m enrolling in a study, I will get back about $165 or so in gift cards. NU has three locations: Evanston, downtown Chicago and Tinley Park, a suburb in the south. The initial appointment takes three hours.

 

[Farrar]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

Gently—this really sounds like dementia. My darling mother-in-law had both hearing loss and dementia, and it was hard to tease out the intertwining layers of that for a while. Are you sure her issues are entirely hearing loss? 

Yes, I'm sure it's hearing loss. And this illustrates why hearing loss and dementia are easily confused.

The interaction I described was because it was the phone. One on one, she'd never have done that. She would have seen that I was talking and stopped to listen. But on the phone, she practically monologues sometimes because she has no verbal cues to indicate that I've responded or cut in with a question, so she just keeps going.

Same thing in person one on one versus groups. She's fine one on one or just talking to me and dh or me and her neighbors. I mean, sure, she sometimes mishears something, but not even that often. I think she's good at guessing and compensating. And it's not that profound yet. But when it's me, dh, and my two young adult sons with deep voices who don't project the way dh the actor does, she just tunes us all out. And then acts like she's bored or distracted by something else and usually just gets up to leave in the middle of conversations. But then she'll complain that we don't really include her. And yeah, the kids talk about their own cultural, gaming, and political references that she doesn't always get. But that's only like, a quarter of the problem at best.

ETA: As for acting like our conversation about it didn't happen, that was a bit of an exaggeration on my part there. I mean, she agreed she really wanted to explore them, now she's like, I don't think I need them, I don't have a problem. It's not like she forgot the conversation exactly. It's like she was open when it was in the future and now that it's here, she wants to not face the issue.

Edited August 9, 2023 by Farrar

[Laura Corin]

6 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Yes, I'm sure it's hearing loss. And this illustrates why hearing loss and dementia are easily confused.

The interaction I described was because it was the phone. One on one, she'd never have done that. She would have seen that I was talking and stopped to listen. But on the phone, she practically monologues sometimes because she has no verbal cues to indicate that I've responded or cut in with a question, so she just keeps going.

Same thing in person one on one versus groups. She's fine one on one or just talking to me and dh or me and her neighbors. I mean, sure, she sometimes mishears something, but not even that often. I think she's good at guessing and compensating. And it's not that profound yet. But when it's me, dh, and my two young adult sons with deep voices who don't project the way dh the actor does, she just tunes us all out. And then acts like she's bored or distracted by something else and usually just gets up to leave in the middle of conversations. But then she'll complain that we don't really include her. And yeah, the kids talk about their own cultural, gaming, and political references that she doesn't always get. But that's only like, a quarter of the problem at best.

My mother developed, quite naturally, quite good lip reading skills when she was refusing to use her hearing aids consistently.  They only took her so far - in the kind of situations you describe, she was lost.  I remember her 90th birthday party - the event wasn't a good design for her and she really had no idea what was going on.  One-on-one, that same day, she was fine.

[QueenCat]

On 8/8/2023 at 7:25 AM, Laura Corin said:

I know that they are not easy for everyone, but I'd like to highly recommend trying them if they fit in your budget.  My hearing isn't very bad, but I was starting to find meetings at work difficult if they were in large rooms, and one colleague's voice happens to be at a pitch that I found hard to catch. 

I've had them for two weeks and I'm really enjoying them.  Not only can I understand my colleague perfectly, but I can watch most television without subtitles and better hear the sound of birds and streams on my walks.  Wearing them was tiring for a few days, but that's over now.  They also act as earbuds (podcasts etc., stream directly to my ears).  I can hear someone speaking to me even when I am listening to a podcast, and I can stop the stream using my hearing aid controls when I need to.

I have standard NHS Phonak ones (free to me at the point of need) that fit behind the ear with a clear tube to a tiny dome in the ear canal.  I'm happy to answer any questions that I can.

I am similar to you in this, except that I didn't need subtitles. I finally went to the ENT in April and got my hearing aids in June. The delay was due to my family emergency, not due to shortages or anything. My ability to hear and process in meetings is so much better. There were sounds I didn't realize that I was missing. 

My hearing aids are very discreet. My hair covers my ears unless I wear it up, which is rare when not at home. They are also almost the color of my hair. There were 10-12 color choices. They were expensive ($6800) with only $1000 covered by insurance but a much better option than the cheaper ones, at least for me. I like that they are rechargeable, discreet, excellent quality, and much more. They are expected to last 7 years. So now we know to budget for that every 7 years. 

[wintermom]

I really appreciate you starting this thread, Laura. I know that both my parents waited far too long to invest in hearing aids, and they made such a positive difference once they did take the plunge. Hearing aid quality has improved so much over the past few decades, that I think they were basing their reluctance on past negative stories of poor quality products.

I may have to start thinking about hearing aids for myself before too long. I know I've got issues with wax build-up and small, very curvy ear canals. My ds has pointed out that I'm "shouting" or talking too loud at times, when I do not notice. Trouble is that I dislike anything touching my ears for too long. Glasses, ear buds, water in and around my ears all bother me. I'll have to do some exploring to find the right product.

[dsmith]

My mother-in-law always said she would hate to get hearing aids, but now she can't wait. She misses so much in group conversation, she looks so lost. Her brother gave her $2000 to put towards them, but until she sees the audiologist we have no idea how much it will cost. The only thing we're worried about is her losing them. My father-in-law constantly lost his hearing aids. He purchased new ones shortly before he died, but either the hospital or rehab lost them.😠 They were over $4000 and maybe she could have used them.

[Laura Corin]

4 minutes ago, dsmith said:

My mother-in-law always said she would hate to get hearing aids, but now she can't wait. She misses so much in group conversation, she looks so lost. Her brother gave her $2000 to put towards them, but until she sees the audiologist we have no idea how much it will cost. The only thing we're worried about is her losing them. My father-in-law constantly lost his hearing aids. He purchased new ones shortly before he died, but either the hospital or rehab lost them.😠 They were over $4000 and maybe she could have used them.

The key is to not take them out during the day - once you are used to them. I put them on in the bathroom when I brush my teeth, take them off in the bathroom when I brush my teeth. My mum lost hers when she was out of the habit of wearing them.

[saw]

15 hours ago, Farrar said:

 

So frustrating. She tunes out our family conversations and doesn't participate. She doesn't listen to me on the phone. Sometimes dh is in the room with me and he's like, you just said the same thing to her six times. A couple months ago she was saying she'd been watching such and such TV show. Had I seen it. No, but I've read the book, I told her. Oh, you haven't seen it. So she starts saying all the stuff about it. "I've read the book," I said. And then I said it again. And then again. And then AGAIN. And she's like, "I don't know if maybe it's based on something..." And I'm like, "IT IS BASED ON SOMETHING. I HAVE READ THE BOOK." "What? Oh, is there a book? I haven't read it." "I HAVE READ IT." Finally. "Oh, you've read the book?" OMG. Dh was like, why do you even bother?

This is how conversations with my dad generally go. Repeat twice or thrice so he gets the words, then another time or two for the processing. Potentially more if the subject is something he's not familiar with. English is his second language, although he's spoken English as his main language for the vast majority of his life, and I think it's possible that this partly explains why the English processing is becoming harder.

My mother may or may not wear her hearing aids, so conversations with her are either me speaking too loudly and annoying her, or me speaking normally and her missing bits, or, most of the time fortunately, a match between me speaking and her hearing.

DS has mild to moderate unilateral hearing loss that he copes with quite well, except when he's in larger groups, watching tv, or missing visual cues (language listening tests eg). Most of the time he's okay. BUT his speech is mildly affected so he can be mushy-mouthed, so my parents have a hard time understanding him on occasion. 

Living with all three of them at the moment can be a bit of a challenge. 

[QueenCat]

Another thing that I love about wearing hearing aids is that I'm no longer constantly asking people to repeat themselves or asking the person next to me what another said in a meeting. 

I also love that they are programmed to my exact hearing modulations and can be reprogrammed as needed. I will go in every six months for adjustments but can go in sooner if needed. And if I lose or damage them, for one time for each side, I can get replaced for $350 within the first 4 years. 

[Lawyer&Mom]

Hearing aids don’t work well for all kinds of hearing loss.  I have significant unilateral loss, and struggle to understand speech in that ear.    But when the audiologist amplifies the speech all I hear is just really loud nonsense.  For now I’d rather go without.  (For now. As I age, I’m starting to lose the residual hearing I have.  Hearing aids are probably in my future!)

[Amethyst]

5 hours ago, PeterPan said:

i'm surprised they don't make a bluetooth stethescope.

 

They do. But it involves a gadget that looks nothing like a stethoscope so it sort of advertises that he can’t hear. We were delighted that his pts wouldn’t know that he had hearing aids because they are so subtle looking. But then he’d have to pull out something that says “hey I’m an old guy, so I’m gonna use this thing instead “  Fortunately, he can hear just fine with the stethoscope. It’s amplification after all. But it’s a pain to take the hearing aids off and on multiple times a day. So he leaves them out. In a pt room, one on one, hearing is not a problem. It’s usually crowded or social situations that are problematic. 

[kokotg]

44 minutes ago, Lawyer&Mom said:

Hearing aids don’t work well for all kinds of hearing loss.  I have significant unilateral loss, and struggle to understand speech in that ear.    But when the audiologist amplifies the speech all I hear is just really loud nonsense.  For now I’d rather go without.  (For now. As I age, I’m starting to lose the residual hearing I have.  Hearing aids are probably in my future!)

That's interesting! I remember when my kid was first diagnosed with his unilateral loss, the ENT told us a hearing aid wouldn't help (and I read that in a lot of countries they pretty much never use hearing aids with unilateral loss), but his audiologist was adamant that he should get one. And it definitely seemed to help and he preferred wearing it to not once he got used to it. I wonder if it has to do with age (he was 5)--how easily one can adapt to it?

[PeterPan]

14 minutes ago, Amethyst said:

... then he’d have to pull out something that says “hey I’m an old guy, so I’m gonna use this thing instead “ ...

Yeah, privacy is such an issue. I was surprised with the way the bluetooth version looked. He could wear a stethoscope around his neck and whip out the small device like he's McCoy from Star Trek. 

Maybe with time he'll get more comfortable with it. My dh is comparatively young and in face front jobs, so it's pretty brave of him to just own it. 

[PeterPan]

48 minutes ago, Lawyer&Mom said:

struggle to understand speech in that ear

Have you worked with an SLP who specializes in hearing loss? Ds uses as part of his team an SLP who works on auditory processing of language (which is what you're describing) who had previously worked in the deaf/hoh community. She's METICULOUS about language processing and can isolate every sound, every everything and has worked to get him not only processing it but in lots of situations. She is really precise in a way I hadn't seen before. They told us that when the hearing goes down the processing of the language goes down, resulting in the need for speech therapy for language processing. 

[rebcoola]

On 8/8/2023 at 5:28 AM, stephanier.1765 said:

I wish I could get my DH to get a hearing test because I can tell he's not hearing as he should, especially in the lower range. When he was in the Navy, his job was on planes so I'm sure after years and years of being around those loud engines left him with hearing loss.

Oh im sure my DH doesnt have earing aids yet but he has significant hearing loss in upper ranges from being around engines. Mine will have to give in at some point to keep his job

[saw]

25 minutes ago, kokotg said:

That's interesting! I remember when my kid was first diagnosed with his unilateral loss, the ENT told us a hearing aid wouldn't help (and I read that in a lot of countries they pretty much never use hearing aids with unilateral loss), but his audiologist was adamant that he should get one. And it definitely seemed to help and he preferred wearing it to not once he got used to it. I wonder if it has to do with age (he was 5)--how easily one can adapt to it?

We've had a similar issue. DS trialled a hearing aid around the age of 8 but refused to wear it. The ENTs and his cleft team generally agreed that he was doing okay with the level of hearing loss he had, until the loss worsened over the last couple of years. At this point DS (15 then now 16) decided he needed a hearing aid and began to advocate for himself with the audiologists involved. He decided on the headband and is still getting used to it. He might get the bone-anchored aid but right now is adamantly opposed to all surgery so that won't happen.

The audiologists generally said that, if DS had been in school and in a classroom, they would have recommended a hearing aid, but as he's homeschooled, thought it could be left up to him. This was UK and a bit in the US.

[PeterPan]

1 minute ago, saw said:

began to advocate for himself

Just wanted to say that's awesome!!

[AnneBlessedx4]

17 hours ago, Amethyst said:

My dh got them recently. They are very subtle looking. Most people don’t notice them. 
 

Two problems though. He has always had a tendency towards itchy ears. These make that worse. So he only wears them in certain situations (concert, play, social gatherings). 
 

The other problem he discovered the first day he wore them to work: he can't put a stethoscope in his ears with them in. 🙁

My son has been wearing hearing aids most of his life.  He has a stethescope that works for his hearing loss.  His EMT buddies say it has better sound than  their stethescopes.

[saw]

2 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Just wanted to say that's awesome!!

Thanks! I was so proud of him. He's a cleft kid so has had more doctors' appointments than most kids (although not nearly as many as some), and I've been encouraging him to be able speak for himself. He'd had a November appointment a few years ago with an audiologist who said, if the results are the same in six months, you should get a hearing aid. Six months later, a different audiologist in the same service, with the same results, said, no you're fine. Well DS was NOT happy and pushed back. It took a little while to sort out as we were going away for a while, but he really stood up for himself and decided that he needed the headband aid and told the doctors what he needed. 

[BeachGal]

Well, I just got my first hearing aids today and they are great! I can hear everything clearly now even the tv with no captions, even when I’m looking away. Two huge thumbs up.

Mine are made by ReSound. They are being used in a trial at Northwestern U (and maybe U of Texas Galveston?) so I will pay about $500 or so ($650 - gift cards) when the trial finishes in six months provided I go to my 6-week and 6-month follow ups which I plan to do.

My audiologist mentioned that if I know anyone who would like to partake in the trial, they could call and make an appointment. It’s expected to have enough enrolled in a few months and then it will be closed. So if anyone out there would like to do this and can get to the testing sites, here is more info:

https://p-chat.soc.northwestern.edu/

 

[Condessa]

I’ve had hearing loss for most of my life.  I hated hearing aides when I sampled them—I know you’re supposed to wear them for a while to get used to them at first, and I didn’t do that.  But because there was a tiny delay in the sound relay, everything I heard through the hearing aides was slightly off from visual cues.  I learned to lip read as a child without realizing I was doing it, and “hear” as a natural combination of sound and sight.  It is maddening and distracting to have the sound off from people’s lips—like playing two copies of the same soundtrack off but overlapping each other, and trying to follow the conversation.

 I expect that as I age I will eventually have to resort to hearing aides, but I am not looking forward to that day.

[PeterPan]

25 minutes ago, Condessa said:

a tiny delay in the sound relay,

I'll have to ask dh if that is happening to him. In his case, because it's early onset, it's just certain frequencies. So he might understand one person and then completely miss me. I asked him how it is in a noisy environment like a restaurant and he said it's great. I don't know if they've improved or if it's easier when it's just for certain frequencies or what.

In his case it made a HUGE difference in behavior. I'm not commenting on anyone else, but in our house it alters behavior, like night and day. With them in, he's like when we were first married. With them out, well it isn't pretty. Can't lip read if you're not seeing me, and if you don't respond, I can't tell why, which makes him come across like he was in some bubble or ignoring me or something. He got them, and it was like boom, honeymoon! And he didn't realize it because he was just living his experience, sigh. 

That would be hard to have an experience where the hearing aid was not making it feel good or natural or whole. I think he would be pushing back against that too. 

[katilac]

10 hours ago, dsmith said:

The only thing we're worried about is her losing them.  

I think the best way to avoid this is commit to them only being in one of two places: in your ears or on the charger/in the case.  

If the person is the type who will take them out and decide they can set them down for a bit before bringing them to the bedroom charger/case, I would have a second location, or even a third if it's a big house or a particularly impatient person, lol. Each location should always stay the same.

They're so small that they're a terrible thing to set down randomly. 

1 hour ago, BeachGal said:

Well, I just got my first hearing aids today and they are great! I can hear everything clearly now even the tv with no captions, even when I’m looking away. Two huge thumbs up.

 

So awesome that they are helpful even on the first day! And they are not lying when they say that's a highly discounted price; Resounds range from about $3,500-$6,500. 

Edited August 10, 2023 by katilac

[Laura Corin]

7 hours ago, Condessa said:

I’ve had hearing loss for most of my life.  I hated hearing aides when I sampled them—I know you’re supposed to wear them for a while to get used to them at first, and I didn’t do that.  But because there was a tiny delay in the sound relay, everything I heard through the hearing aides was slightly off from visual cues.  I learned to lip read as a child without realizing I was doing it, and “hear” as a natural combination of sound and sight.  It is maddening and distracting to have the sound off from people’s lips—like playing two copies of the same soundtrack off but overlapping each other, and trying to follow the conversation.

 I expect that as I age I will eventually have to resort to hearing aides, but I am not looking forward to that day.

I haven't noticed a delay. I'll check when I next talk to someone.