goeduck
Super Member
That is the same conclusion I came to. Going in I thought in-the-ear ones would be the ones I went with but changing micro batteries vs rechargeable sold me.
Hearing Aids?
- Thread starter Sigarms
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OP
Sigarms
Super Member
Since I went to a doctors office to clean my one ear out (not very pleasant to be honest with you) and they offered hearing aids, I had two choices...
1-Cheap at Costco with no audiologist
2-Doctors office with audiologist
Wife picked #2 for me LMFAO
After they gave me a hearing test, I was sold on them. NOTHING like the Army did back in the 80's. I was actually kind of amazed at how thorough they were and explained everything to me on why and what they did.
Might have mentioned it, but went to a "audiologist" a couple of years earlier and never gave them a call back because they seemed like amateurs compared to the doctors office.
My wife however was getting to her wits end with me and my hearing though...
cqaigy2
Super Member
Are the over ear one comfortable?
Avenger
Veteran Member
Mine are! Most of the time I forget they are there!!
newbury
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Along the line of need for hearing aids - Told here before, but bears repeating.
Long term background - Since I was a teen I swam frequently every summer up until about age 55. Then with the kids grown up and a heavy travel schedule I stopped going to the pool.
Then I had my first back surgery, went almost deaf in right ear, slightly deaf in left.
Went to HMO doctors, had a rudimentary ear cleaning, no improvement. Condition persisted, couldn't hear squat. Doctors started recommending hearing aids.
Went for another ear cleaning, this time they labored over me for about an hour, ended up pulling out wax that looked like a little worm about an inch long. They told me I had unusually deep ear canals.
For a few days my hearing was super sensitive.
Hearing restored. Now take longer showers with a few minutes for soaking ear canals.
Long term background - Since I was a teen I swam frequently every summer up until about age 55. Then with the kids grown up and a heavy travel schedule I stopped going to the pool.
Then I had my first back surgery, went almost deaf in right ear, slightly deaf in left.
Went to HMO doctors, had a rudimentary ear cleaning, no improvement. Condition persisted, couldn't hear squat. Doctors started recommending hearing aids.
Went for another ear cleaning, this time they labored over me for about an hour, ended up pulling out wax that looked like a little worm about an inch long. They told me I had unusually deep ear canals.
For a few days my hearing was super sensitive.
Hearing restored. Now take longer showers with a few minutes for soaking ear canals.
Avenger
Veteran Member
My grandfather had a similar experience.
When I was a kid, he had hearing aids. The kind that whistle all the time. Even with his hearing aids, he had to have the TV blaring to uncomfortable levels. Nothing quite like hearing the laugh track on MASH from the next county!
When my grandfathers doctor retired, he was assigned a new guy. But this new guy didn't just take diagnosis at face value. He checked my grandfathers ears and found massive amounts of wax build up deep within his ears. If I remember correctly, they actually knocked him out to remove the wax. The end of the story was, he didn't actually need hearing aids at all! He had really good hearing for someone of his age when he died at 80. Doc said it was likely due to Q-Tips, pushing the wax where it shouldn't go. Ears are 'self-cleaning' and using those Q-tips causes more damage than anything. Simply let your ears soak, or soak them with hydrogen peroxide to dissolve the crud.
I know this advise. Have been told by more than one doctor to not use Q-tips inside my ears. But after the shower, nothing feels better. And now that I wear hearing aids, drying the canal before inserting the hearing aid only seems right.
Oaktree
Super Member
Yeah, my wife nags me to get mine tested too, too many years of loud music and power equipment! Probably just fear of the unknown but one of those things I'm not sure I want to find out...
Costco not really an option here...they don't have much of a presence in this area, nearest one is 3+ hr. away, and in a state with sales tax.
Are there any qualifications that need to be met to call yourself an "audiologist", or is it something that pretty much anyone can call themselves? I'm leery of chain hearing aid stores, but also reluctant to pay twice the price at a doctor's office.
Can you use them if you wear glasses or do they get in the way of each other?
OP
Sigarms
Super Member
I went to one a couple of years before going to the doctors office. I wasn't impressed with them and let the issue go. I do know the audiologist I see at the doctors office has a 4 year degree from the University of NC. That said, I also think I could call myself a audiologist LMAO.
One reason why my wife told me to spend the money and do it right the first time....
Doctors office isn't cheap, but my MIL went to a doctors office and she was happy, help sold me on the idea of spending the money in the medical industry which honestly I know can be a racket...
I wouldn't be afraid of the unknown... probably like myself, you know you have a hearing loss no ifs ands or butts.
Avenger
Veteran Member
I don't wear glasses except for my sunglasses. My sunglasses have the straight ear piece, not the curved around the ear style. My sunglasses do not interfere with the hearing aids, but I can see how the glasses that hook onto the ear would.
What I find more annoying are masks. Even though the vid is over, hospitals and clinics still require everyone to mask up in my state. The loops on the mask do interfere with my hearing aids, and are extremely annoying. I prefer to forgo the mask.
goeduck
Super Member
I was wearing glasses when they test fitted me. They actually seemed to hold my glasses on (I need new ones). Internet picture of the Oticon Mini-rite model I am getting attached.
