Need hearing aid advice.

[RSKY]

I have known for months that I was going to have to get hearing aids. I just finished a three day treatment for Meniers Disease of the inner ear and have lost 80-90% of my hearing in the right ear and maybe 20% in the left. Been sedated, taken into operating room, having steroids and drugs injected into my inner ear, having to lay on my left side and NOT TALK for three hours while the drugs were hopefully absorbed into the damaged ear parts. For three days in a row no less....

Anyway, I now need advice on hearing aids. I understand that Costco has them reasonably priced but that is a two and a half hour drive. Prices quoted at Shea Clinic were upwards of $5700. I'm gonna look local but one guy at church bought some for $6000 and three years later replaced them with a $300 pair bought off the Internet. Any advice is appreciated.

RSKY

 

[reb]

I have used two sets of Costco hearing aids. I have also used about a dozen over the counter hearing aids. None have worked for me. The Costco sets cost less than $2k. Some folks say they work. Maybe that is a good choice for you.

 

[oldnslo]

From what audiologists have told me the type of aides required depends on the type or frequency range of hearing loss you have. If similar loss across all frequencies the OTC aides may help.

Loss like I have of higher frequencies only it took trying three different styles before I found some that helped enough to justify the cost.

Best wishes on finding some that work for you.

 

[ponytug]

@RSKY sorry for your troubles. That sounds unpleasant.

Folks that I know have generally really liked the Costco hearing aids. However, any hearing aid is going to need testing, programming, fitting, and readjustment over time, so it may not be worth the multiple two and half hour trips. Finding a good technician can make a big difference.

From what I understand of Menier's disease is that is somewhat variable over time, so you may need more adjustment that folks with other types of hearing loss. (I'm not an MD, and don't play one on TV.)

All the best,

Peter

 

[workinonit]

I have vastly different freq loss in each ear. has need to be tuned for this. I've never used Costco and probably never will. I get my Phonaks from a hearing center near me. Last pair was around 3K. They are truly amazing and I couldn't function in the real world without them.

 

[oosik]

Last 4 or 5 months - though I was rapidly going deaf. Audio on the TV was emphasizing the background sound and obliterating speech.

My son and the remainder of the "clan" visited me last weekend. My son finally said - "Dad, how can you tolerate that TV. It sounds like total CRAP". It WAS the TV and not my hearing. Whew!!!!

 

[Oaktree]

Last 4 or 5 months - though I was rapidly going deaf. Audio on the TV was emphasizing the background sound and obliterating speech.

My son and the remainder of the "clan" visited me last weekend. My son finally said - "Dad, how can you tolerate that TV. It sounds like total CRAP". It WAS the TV and not my hearing. Whew!!!!

Is it the tv itself or the programming? I've noticed a lot of modern tv shows mix the background music way too loud, and oftentimes the actors mumble. Drama shows seem to be the worst. Newscasts, documentaries, etc. all perfectly intelligible.
I put an equalizer between the tv and the amplifier and boosted the 2-4kHz (speech) levels and it helped quite a bit.

 

[Oaktree]

I have vastly different freq loss in each ear. has need to be tuned for this. I've never used Costco and probably never will. I get my Phonaks from a hearing center near me. Last pair was around 3K. They are truly amazing and I couldn't function in the real world without them.

Curiously, how long does a set of hearing aids last? Wife keeps bugging me to get my hearing tested. I know I have high frequency loss, but overall it doesn't bother me much. She's always commenting about birds chirping, most of the time I can't hear them.
How does one choose where to get the testing done? Don't really trust the big splashy ads, can't shake the notion they'll find something wrong whether there really is or not. Is it best to get any aids from the same place that did the testing even though it's likely to cost more?

Costco not an option for me either, like the OP the nearest store is several hours away, and in a state that has sales tax so any savings would be minimal, certainly not enough to offset the inconvenience.

 

[oosik]

Oaktree - you are spot on. It IS the programing - not the TV. After doing a little research I found some shows are not bad at all - other's - garbage.

It is abundantly clear that those who do the programing are not forced to watch/listen to what they program.

Two things have developed because of this. My favorite show - Law & Order - I'm getting very adept at reading lips. And pro football - easy to watch muted.

 

[workinonit]

Hearing aids last until the technology runs out for me. The difference between my last pair and this pair was vastly different. These are so much better in terms of amplification and clarity. The Bluetooth technology has gotten so much better also. I typically use a set about 5 years but have gone 7 or 8.