Hearing Aid advice

[txdon]

I knew I could trust TBN to educate and update me in a week. Thank you Jix and pacerron. Last time I had the molds type all in the ear and only a 30 day trial, All the bad things you mentioned I experienced. This time I'm doing the BTE - (behind the ear) with RIC (receiver in the canal) to start off with, and I will be patient and work with the Dr. I still was never able to hear crickets even with the other hearing aids so that hearing frequency may be lost, we will see. (Not that hearing crickets will increase my quality of life but you know what I mean. . . .)

 

[pacerron]

I knew I could trust TBN to educate and update me in a week. Thank you Jix and pacerron. Last time I had the molds type all in the ear and only a 30 day trial, All the bad things you mentioned I experienced. This time I'm doing the BTE - (behind the ear) with RIC (receiver in the canal) to start off with, and I will be patient and work with the Dr. I still was never able to hear crickets even with the other hearing aids so that hearing frequency may be lost, we will see. (Not that hearing crickets will increase my quality of life but you know what I mean. . . .)

Don,
jix makes some good points about the part that will fit in your ear as well. Sometimes however, if you have a lot of high frequency loss the little stick in winged non molded pieces will not
recover enough of the high frequencies and you have to go with the silicone type molded to the ear canal ones with a vent hole in them. The ones I have are very comfortable after having the guy make the far end a bit shorter. Don't really feel them being in there as they are soft and reach body temperature almost instantly. They do tend to trap ear wax and can lead to itching inside the canal unless you keep them clean. I wipe mine with the little square alcohol wipes, like you use for various blood draw tests, and they look like new and are still soft after 3 years. The plastic tubes that go from the BTE unit into them gets quite stiff after about 3 months, from sweat and body acids, which creates a tendency for the ear piece to pull away from the skin in the canal when eating or talking on a landline phone with the earpiece up against the BTE piece. I go back to my dealer for free replacements and cleaning of the BTE pieces with a vacuum every three months, and adjusting anything else I dream up in the meantime.
I shoot the shower wand with warm water into each ear every night at the end of my shower to clean the canals out. This is fine as long as you do not have any punctures in your eardrums. Boiling each ear canal out with a little peroxide for a few minutes a couple times a week keeps the wax soft and easy to remove.
They make hearing aids that self adjust the volume for the environment you are in, but I prefer to be in control of what I hear and how loud it is, so I adjust either one and the other follows. I have a volume/program control that I could carry in my pocket but I am not concerned about other folks knowing that I am hard of hearing, at my age. It runs in my family, as well as I have and continue to abuse ( not protect well ) my hearing around machinery.
Ron

 

[txdon]

Don,
jix makes some good points about the part that will fit in your ear as well. Sometimes however, if you have a lot of high frequency loss the little stick in winged non molded pieces will not
recover enough of the high frequencies and you have to go with the silicone type molded to the ear canal ones with a vent hole in them.
Ron

Ron are these BTE - RIC, or non RIC?
On the brochure
http://www.brio.phonak.com/content/dam/phonak/FRED/Pamphlet_BtC_Brio_028-1312.pdf
which Phonak Brio model number (if it's there).

 

[tkappeler]

Ron are these BTE - RIC, or non RIC?
On the brochure
http://www.brio.phonak.com/content/dam/phonak/FRED/Pamphlet_BtC_Brio_028-1312.pdf
which Phonak Brio model number (if it's there).

Not Ron but ... the brochure cover has a RIC on the left, and the other two are BTE. The RICs have a thin electrical wire with the receiver in the canal. The BTE's have a hollow tube to transmit the sound.

 

[txdon]

Thanks, tkappeler. What is a "silicone type molded to the ear canal ones with a vent hole in them" a BTE-RIC or a BTE with hollow tube?

 

[PILOON]

Interesting discussion as I am entering that phase in my 76th year.
In Canada our medicare system provides the testing and I am scheduled in about 3 weeks. (my wait is like 6 wks, not bad for a non emergency situation)
Also looks like I may be able to get devices under our medicare system as well. My GP says that under workman's comp I'd be eligible for the best quality system however eligibility may be hard to apply as I was mostly the employer and as such workman's comp might not apply. Failing that I'd still be eligible for a lesser quality system.
Love that medicare system!

Meanwhile I have ordered a couple of 'Chicon' systems just to try out. I figure at the low prices I have nothing to lose. Heck in that $10-30 range what's to lose? maybe I am dreaming but what the heck.

I know that my high ranges are kaput as I worked around turbines operated lots of chainsaws and In our avionics shop we had calibrated tone generators whereby I became aware of my limitations. 1000 & 1500 cycles were difficult to hear at low volume. Besides both parents suffered from hearing loss as does my daughter, so it is in the genes as well.
In my daughter's case her company insurance paid for operations on both ears and she is now 100%.

My main 'handicap' is crowded situations (i.e. bars, parties or crowds) otherwise I mostly cope with small gatherings.
I do realize that I also am gradually lip reading to fill in blanks.
LOL, I can sure tell if a sound track is not synchronized with video, but then I am sure that other readers have observed this as well.

 

[QRTRHRS]

I just got hearing aids this summer. They set me up with a pair of Oticon's that are barely visible not that I care.

This is the good part, listed for 4500 bucks, they cost me zip. My wife is deaf but she had a coclear implant put in back about 2009. During one of the many visits to her audiologist, my hearing or lack of (artillery ears) came up. I did not serve in a combat zone so I never pursued the VA for aids. The audiologist suggested a state program that we have here in KY, Vocational Rehab would be better than dealing with the VA anyway.

I had an issue in that since I took SS, I have taken up driving school bus for the medical until I can get on Medicare. I live in a low income area with alot of movement due to rent issues, etc. Often, a new kid would wrongly end up on my bus. Scrared and upset, high level of background noise, I was having trouble understanding these little kids when I talked to them.

So, Vocational Rehab paid for the aids, a bluetooth adopter to use with my cell phone (while not driving the bus), a mic to give to a speaker at a meeting and a dry box to store the aids in at night.

Overall, the aids have improved my life. I do have to turn up the volumn on occasion on the bus which increases the background noise as well but have yet to not be able to understand even the lowest voice. My audiologist just set up a second program to try but we have fall break this week from school so I have not had a chance to try it.

The aids are small enough so if I am going to do something to make to much noise, I can mute them and put on headphones without discomfort for a few minutes else I have to remove them.

So, if you don't have the money and your state has a program, by all means check it out.

 

[jix]

TXDON;

Ron made a point that I forget to tell you about. Hearing aids are very sensitive both humidity and ear moisture.

They require to be removed at night and to be stored in a Jar containing a drying agent. This is an absolute must do.
If this is not done, they will fail after about a year. If it is done, they will last an average of five years. They cannot be repaired, only replaced.
Reputable audiology clinics will arrange for free replacement if necessary for up to five years, even if your dog eats them (which happens often, by the way) Starkey replaced mine twice because my dog snuck them off the table while I was taking a nap. After five years, you will not get free replacements if they fail. You gotta buy new ones. In my case I know that it will cost me about $80.00 per year, plus batteries. All adjustments are perfomed for free by my very excellent hearing clinic.

Batteries, by the way cost about 5 bucks a pair and last about a week..20 bucks a month. Best I can do. Worth every darn cent tho. Rechargeables are not worth it.
Zinc-air batteries have a seal, which keeps air out.Once you open the seal, the battery is energized by the air getting in. Sealed batteries last three years, opened batteries last one week...
No matter if you wear them, or not. I wear mine 18 hours per day, they last a week

 

[txdon]

Qrtrhrs, There is no State or Federal assistance no medicare and my insurance dropped coverage on hearing aids last year so the expense will be all mine.

Jix, that is interesting about the batteries always on as soon as they are exposed to air. Is the longevity of batteries basically the same or does the quality differ with brand/price?

 

[Bird]

There are also multiple programs available in some aids. I have 3 in mine.

I also have 3. I usually only use #1 which is for "normal" conditions. But #2 actually does help in a noisy environment, such as we find in a lot of restaurants. And #3 is supposedly for using the telephone. I've tried it and guess it does help a bit, but I usually have my phones on the speaker when I use them and forget about changing to #3.