Hearing aids?

[whistlepig]

I'll be 73 next month. 60 years of shooting guns and 50 years working in noisy machine shops have finally taken their toll on my hearing that I needed to address. My first try were some ear buds for 1K I bought a month ago and that was a waste of money. Last week I received a set of over the ear @ 2K + and so far really like them. No more ear buds. Extremely uncomfortable and they keep falling out of my ears. Any one with good experiences with hearing aids would be appreciated.

 

[JLinza]

No advice from me. But I have been paying more attention to things like this. I used to think PPE was for p..whimps. but the more wise men I talk to, have convinced me... I better start being concerned.

 

[Fat Old Guy]

20 years younger and my hearing kept me out of the .mil out of HS. I thought too much loud music but it turned out to be biological. When life was in the crapper 2 years ago finally got to looking into my hearing issues and ended up getting a set of Unitron that were covered. They do the job. They amplify everything, which can suck if you work in a loud environment or have a lot of background noise. I actually have had to remove them occasionally when out to dinner with the amount of background conversations and such. I have been able to turn the TV volume down. I no longer go "huh" as much (I still selectively ignore some conversations). I do hear a bunch of things others do not notice or are routine to them.

As to fit, I wear glasses so there is an adjustment there. I use the "tails" to keep them in the ear. They do ta a bit of getting used to, but after a while you do notice when you aren't wearing them. Clean the cups and tips occasionally or replace as needed.

My biggest issues are loud noises and wearing hearing protection with all my corrections. (Glasses, hearing aids, safety glasses, hearing protection. Things don't sit right, seal right.)


Hope this long winded response is of use. You can always PM for other questions I may have glossed over.

 

[Timber II]

Good info….im in the same boat, will need to get them eventually but have concerns as well. Most of the summer I drive a topless Jeep w lots of wind noise and also wear hearing protection a lot when on a tractor or mower etc…..

 

[normanaj]

Four years of being on the firing range daily but more so from me irresponsibly listening to music at very high volume as well as a rather nasty inner ear infection on the right has taken its toll.

This is a subject that has been in my thoughts for quite some time now.

 

[Texascat]

Like you I've had too many years in a noisy machine shop. Loud music didn't help either. It finally got bad enough that i was struggling to follow conversations.

I have some Oticon over the ears that I have had for about 9 months now. It took trying a couple different size domes and even the wire lengths to get them comfortable and secure. It also just takes a little time to get used to them. I just stuck with it and It's been a real benefit for me. I'll take a break form them sometimes on the weekends, but I wouldn't want to be without them now.

 

[Colin1230]

My first set of hearing aids were Widex brand from a local audiologist group for a cost of $5k. The difference they made was incredibly. I really needed hearing aids! The first trip to the toilet I could not believe how loud my tinkle was. They started having issues after the three year warranty ran out and I was not willing to pop for another $5k. I had heard good things about Costco hearing aids so I checked them out. The audio gram and fitting was as professional if not more because, Costco had better testing equipment and environment than the more expensive audiologist group. I chose their top of the line Rexton hearing aids for $1.5k and am very very happy with them. I'll also add that the exam and audio gram were FREE! The app works great and having my phone stream right to my hearing aids is absolutely wonderful.
My advise to people that think they need hearing aid is, you probably do. Just don't over pay for them like I once did. Oh, another benefit to getting hearing aids, your family will love you for it. They will no longer have to keep repeating themselves.

 

[02ebz06]

I don't use them, but wife does.
She had some that partially covered be insurance, but were not that good.
Being forced to get a particular brand with ins, I bit the bullet and went outside the plan.
We got the Oticon Intent 2.

Tip for anyone looking...
Find a place that lets you try different models. Don't just take the one they throw at you.
She tried the Oticon Intent 1, 2 and 3.
For her environment the Intent 2 worked better than the 3 and as well as the more expensive Intent 1.
For the price of these damn things, it pays to do research on them to find out their features.
And whether those features will or won't benefit the wearers environment.
i.e. more filters for noisy environments. Not needed if rarely in a noisy place.
Just my 2 cents

FYI - Not recommending Oticon, just what we picked.

 

[Colin1230]

Over The Counter hearing aids are available now but are of limited benefit and hear (pun intended) is why. They are simple amplifiers, that's it. They amplify everything. True programmable hearing aids are configured to your hearing loss. Think of splitting the hearing spectrum into a dozen segments and being able to adjust each one up or down according to you audio gram. So, they don't amplify everything, just the frequencies that your ears need for both ears because they will be different right to left. Just my opinion on OTC hearing aids; better to spend a thousand or more for something you will use every day than a few hundred for something you won't. Hope this helps everyone.

 

[Ron in Tennessee]

I'm on my third set in the last 15 years. VA supplies them since my hearing loss is compliments of the USMC. Currently have a set of Phonak, which work great, prior set was Oticon, which worked well, but were replaced after 5 years of use, since that's the VA policy. Way back, prior to the VA, I had a set from Costco, which were also adequate.
Both sets from the VA allowed for adjustment for different environments, but the Oticon wasn't user adjustable, except for volume and setting selection: normal, TV, noisy environment, etc. The Phonaks have an app which allows me to fiddle with all kinds of volume, background noise filtering, etc. and set different modes for various environments, each with it's own settings.
Costco was (and may still be) the largest provider of hearing aids in the US, and provides free hearing tests. Not sure of prices on any of these,

 

[civilsmoker]

I have one ear that just went over the ledge from light to moderate loss and my other one is a light loss. My wife got me a pair of the new Apple Air Pod Pro 2's which have a true hearing aid function. They do a hearing test, and you can even input a doctors hearing test. I have been using them in the shop because they are also sound cancelling as well. I am still getting use to them but so far they do work in appropriate cases. Got them on a flash sale for 190 bills.

Since I don't need them, they work, but if I needed them for all day use, I would take @Colin1230s advice. But at 190 bills they were a no brainer for me as they are perfect for the shop!

 

[normanaj]

The Lexie B2+ hearing aids are also real OTC hearing aids. At $999 these are apparently a bargain and are my top choice as of now.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Glad this topic came up... I'm in the same boat, kinda... My situation is a little different... Back in my younger years I contracted bacterial meningitis in my head... It consumed my left ear drum and part of my skull... Was just starting to work on the film between skull and brain... Since it ate up the ear drum they removed what was left and sewed the canal shut... So a hearing aid, or anything for that matter, will do nothing for my left ear...

For the right ear... Hearing is very bad... I don't think it's so much the volume as it is the clarity... I asked my primary for a reference and he sent me to a ENT (ear,nose,throat) Dr.... Went in and they asked me what I was there for today... Told him I was interested in a hearing aid... So he cleaned the wax out of both ears... Charged me the $50 copay and asked if there was anything else ? I said "Do What"... I want to see about a hearing aid... He say's "OH... You'll have to go to a hearing and speech specialist for that"... WTF... Why didn't they tell me that when I was checking in... We all know why they didn't inform me...

So they have a specialist in the same office (kindasorta).. So I went to them to see If I could get in since I was there... They said they would have to call me to make an appointment... Gave them my info went home and waited for the call... Guess what... They never called... GGGRRRRRR...

So I am right back to where i started... I really do need a hearing aid bad... I'm assuming I will be able to buy just one aid since I don't need one for my left ear...

What's nice is sleeping at night... SLeep on my right side mostly so my good ear is in the pillow and I don't hear ANYTHING... Wife ask me all the time... You didn't hear that bad thunderstorm in the middle of the night... uuummmmm... NO... Why, did we have one ?? Or... You didn't hear the dog barking it's head off last night... uummmm noooo... LOL...

Sorry this got so long...

 

[normanaj]

JckDanls 07 I also contracted bacterial meningitis. For me it was between my 14th and 15th birthdays and that time in a young man's life the damage it did to my insides is something most can't even imagine.

 

[JckDanls 07]

Yes.. I'm very lucky to be here for that reason... I was quarantined for a month in the hospital... My girlfriend at the time snuck in and the nurse caught her in bed with me... OOOPPPPSS

 

[normanaj]

The 4 spinal taps I got are burned into my memory.

 

[mds51]

I'll be 73 next month. 60 years of shooting guns and 50 years working in noisy machine shops have finally taken their toll on my hearing that I needed to address. My first try were some ear buds for 1K I bought a month ago and that was a waste of money. Last week I received a set of over the ear @ 2K + and so far really like them. No more ear buds. Extremely uncomfortable and they keep falling out of my ears. Any one with good experiences with hearing aids would be appreciated.

I just saw this message and I am 74 and have used hearing aids for over 20 years due to an accident when I was 19 that damaged the Oscicles or small bones in my right ear and also lesser damage to the left ear. When I reached the 50`s I started losing more hearing and began using hearing aids. They have improved a lot over the last 20 years and I now use an in the ear unit by Phonak. The right ear is so bad that I use a hearing aid in it that transfers over to the left ear. I share these details to show the severity of my situation. Your situation is different but you need to find a good Audiologist or Ear Specialist that will test your hearing and recommend the proper units for your ears. I have to wear them in order to hear so I pay for the best units that I can find and I update them about every five years. I hope this helps you and you are able to get the results you need for good hearing.