Hearing aid question
Moms View Message Board: General Discussion: Archive January 2008:
Hearing aid question
Me again -
I have not had any time for phone, friends or internet the past month, so I'm getting my board time in tonight. LOL
I feel really weird even posting this here, but does anyone have a family member or friend who uses a hearing aid?
I am looking for information about hearing aids, and would really like to hear some personal views/recommendations/BTDT's, etc.
NO, it's NOT for me! LOL
LOL, I was going to say man you are truly falling apart aren't you.
I have no idea, although I wonder if my kids need them sometimes.
No Bobbie, at least my ears still work! ROFL Actually, it's for DH. He has hearing loss in one ear and it's getting worse. I have to repeat everything I say, and now that he hasn't heard his cell phone ring recently, he's FINALLY taking this seriously!
I've brought it up before, and he's poo-pooed the idea, saying he's *not going to wear a button* in his ear. But Jen told him, *you wear glasses so you can see, what's the difference?!*
Hoping to get some replies!
LOL good for Jen. Good luck... I think those inner ear ones are nice, you can't even tell most people have them in, but I would be afraid of loosing it.
Don't have time now, but I'll "try" to respond tomorrow.
Don't know much, but from what I've read there is a strong potential for fraud so you have to be careful. The first thing is to go to a good Ear/Nose/Throat specialist and get his hearing tested, and a diagnosis of why he is experiencing hearing loss. There are many different causes, and the cause can have an effect on what should be done.
I know just what you mean - my ex began experiencing hearing loss before we separated, and it drove me batty, but didn't bother him much. He finally, many years later, got tested and got hearing aids, and his hearing has continued to deteriorate but he can hear most of the time. In crowds he can't because he can't pick out the voice of the person he is talking to from the background noise, and in general it is difficult to have a conversation with him.
I agree, good for Jen.
I will say, when my ex first got the hearing aids, he was delighted. He said he didn't realize how much he had been missing out on without them. He is a music lover, and it was important to him that he could hear music again and enjoy it in full.
Well, I'm not an expert but I can tell you what I learned when I worked with hearing-impaired children. PamT can probably give you better reasons and more of an experts opinion since speech and audio people work closely together.
Your DH should go to an ENT for a full evaluation. ENTs employ fully-certified and qualified audiologists who will test your DHs hearing and do what is best for him. Plus, they are trained to look for other medical issues that may be causing the hearing loss.
Often times, the hearing aid place on the corner doesn't have true audiologists and don't always know how to properly test people for hearing aids. They are in it to sell the hearing aids, not diagnose the problem.
bumping up - Pamt, if you can, I am very interested in what you have to say!
My mom has hearing aids. She is quite vain, as most people are, and chose the smallest ones that fit right inside her ear. They have really helped her. She goes to a great audiologist, who didn't push the best and most expensive, just what my mom needed.
I have a dear friend who is almost completely deaf. She has a whole system that she wears, so that she can tune in to a group, individual, someone on the phone, etc. She's has recently had cochlear implant surgery, and it was very successful. 
My hubby needs to go to an audiologist, because he sounds like yours. It drives me nuts that he hasn't gone yet!
I'm back. And MAN!!! Is it ever cold in Wisconsin?! Windchills around -40 today and our high was -2 (real temp). Plus, I survived my first blizzard last night.
Anyway, back to your questions Karen...
Your DH doesn't need to go to an ENT. He needs to go to an audiologist (NOT a hearing aid dealer like Beltone or Miracle-Ear). Keep in mind though that audiologists can dispense hrg aids so don't let the fact that they sell them turn you off. An audiologist should have a master's degree or an Au.D. (doctor of audiology degree) and have a Certificate of Clinical Competence (CCC-A). Many audiologists are in practice with ENTs, but that can also be at hospitals or in private practice for themselves.
An audiologist will do a full workup to determine if the loss is sensorineural, conductive, or mixed. The testing will include pure tones (beeps) , speech reception, and speech discrimination. He/she will refer you to an ENT if necessary. It is very likely that your DH has a hearing loss given his symptoms and age. EVERYONE loses hearing as he/she ages, just like our vision starts going at 40. If your DH does indeed have a hearing loss and it's not a quick fix (like impacted ear wax or and ear infection), then hearing aids will likely be recommended. They come in all shapes and sizes. Most hearing aids now are digital and some are quite invisible like these. Usually the smaller the hearing aid, the more expensive. And smaller is not necessarily better. More sophisticated equipment can fit better in a slightly larger aid.
If a hearing aid is recommended...
*Ask specifically why that particular hearing aid is recommended. Most hearing aids come in a line of hearing aids, so ask about the aid one step below as well. If the aud. says it won't meets his needs , ask why.
*Compare comparable hearing aids from different manufacturers for cost, look, etc. Siemens, Oticon, Phonak, and Starkey are some of the more common and well respected brands.
*Once you have a type of hearing aid and suggestions across manufacturers, shop around. Prices can vary widely from audiologist to audiologist, so comparison shop. Frequently audiologists will do an initial screening for free with the assumption that the person will likely need a hrg aid. (Most people who swallow their pride and get their hrg checked usually do). So, if you get a better deal elsewhere, get the original aud. to see if he/she will match or beat that price. If not, get a copy of the audiogram and go elsewhere.
Hope this helps. When/if he gets his hearing tested and you don't understand the results I'll be glad to help interpret them.
Hearing aids are very expensive (usually upwards of $1000/ear) and most insurance plans don't cover them. If your DH does get a hrg aid, he'll probably be amazed at what he's been missing. My MIL got a hrg aid about 18 mos. ago and it has been a godsend. She doesn't know how she functioned without it.
Thank you Pam! I am forwarding all this info to DH, so he can read and research on his own.
He says he's always had bad hearing in his right ear. He has a lot of trouble when flying, always has. He's also had wax issues (I know, GROSS!) and there was something about some structural part of the ear being very narrow. The hearing loss is getting worse. He doesn't hear his cell phone, he doesn't hear what I say, when he DOES, he hears something different than what I actually say. He doesn't hear certain things, like, if we are listening to music he won't hear all the different instruments. Background noise - forget it, I might as well just write him a letter. LOL I have to try to sit on his left when we go out, so he can hear me. The TV is often so loud it's deafening to me. Most often, in restaurants, he has no clue what the servers/waiters rattle off to him, he just smiles and says *yes*. ROFL Sometimes I've asked him if he even knows what he said *yes* to - more than once it was something he didn't want.
Thanks for all the replies, ladies, and thanks for your professional thoughts, Pam!
Wow, good advice Pam. I sometimes wonder about my hubby, too, but I don't know if he just isn't listening, or really doesn't hear.
Last night's weather was pretty wicked. I haven't been through that many windstorms in my life, but I think last night was the worst I'd ever seen. It just howled at my house.
My dh has a hearing aid, but never wears it. He has about 40% hearing loss in his right ear and he also has tinnitus--ringing in his ear. The hearing aid the military gave him (and will maintain for him for the rest of his life--perk of getting it months before retiring!!!) creates "white noise" that's supposed to mask the tinnitus. Dh says it's like having a fan blowing in his ear all the time! I tried to get him to have it checked out, because that CAN'T be how it's supposed to work, but he wouldn't.
Anyway, Pam has great advise (as always ). Good luck with your dh.
Well, I have a hearing aid..got it about 4 months ago and it's a godsend. I'm 45 and hearing loss runs in my family, I've discovered. While I've experienced marked hearing loss in both ears, I only wear a hearing aid in one ear (right now). It's not cheap, but the kind I have can't even be seen...it's not like the "old fashioned" kind my mom wears, where they are molded into the ear. Instead, it goes up over the back of my ear and uses a teeny microphone that goes into my ear. Plus is that I got to choose a really cool color (mine's purple!) but no one really sees it anyway (I have super short hair, and it's still funny how many people aren't aware of it). Here's a link to the website, in case you're interested. Not cheap, but it's been wonderful at work and at home.
http://www.my-delta.com/eprise/main/Oticon/com/SEC_Products/SEC_Delta/_index
Any questions I can answer, let me know!
Janet, that's the link that I embedded into my post. Those are cool hearing aids, but oh-so-expensive. Our audiologists were excited when they came out with them though because they are so invisible.
Thanks so much! DH was reading the stuff already!!!
|
Members
