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Hearing Aids...is anyone else here hearing impaired? (1 Viewer)

Brian Harnish

Screenwriter
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Dec 15, 2000
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Well, it's about time I get a new hearing aid. The current one I have is ten years old and pretty much worked very well for me until yesterday. It made a small noise and my hearing was reduced quite a bit (I'm sure it's not my hearing as hearing [the little I have left] without the hearing aid is the same). And yes, before anyone asks I also attempted to use a new battery to no avail.

So, is there anyone here that knows of good hearing aid communities/discussion forums (as well as review sites) online? I've searched and haven't come up with any results yet. I want to get the best damned digital hearing aid that I can afford.
 

Grant B

Senior HTF Member
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Mar 29, 2000
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3,209
Hey Brian
I have ringing in one ear from a car accident. It drives me crazy so i thought a hearing aid might help.
Belltone said it would help mask it and I got the latest digital one.
Well it was $$$$ and it sucked. It kept distorting when I watched a movie or listened to music and the asshole kept trying to convince me it was not possible because it's digital and everyone knows digital is perfect!
So it's been sitting in a box for over a year.
I Should have bought that swamp land in Flordia instead.
grant
 

JimColeman

Agent
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Nov 12, 2001
Messages
46
Brian,

If you're looking for the best digital aid on the market, look for an audiologist that dispenses Oticon Adapto or Resound Canta. There are a few other top of the line models out there, but I have had great success with these two. It's also very important to find a competent dispenser. A good dispenser can make almost any aid work. A bad dispenser can't make a good aid work.

IMO, shop for the best audiologist in your area, don't shop for the hearing aid.

Oh, and to answer your question, there are not any real good hearing aid forums. Check out google groups: alt.support.hearing-loss. Some good user opinions but also a few whack-o's on there.

Good luck!

Jim
Audiologist
 

Scott Strang

Screenwriter
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May 28, 1999
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1,146
Well it was $$$$ and it sucked. It kept distorting when I watched a movie or listened to music...
That brings up a question I've always had about hearing aids. I've always assumed that a hearing aid would never allow high quality sound (as in audiophile terms)to pass through.

Is this true? I would think that the hearing aid companies would only be interested in designing a unit that would only pick up the sound well enough to hear speech but not of anything else.
 

Brian Harnish

Screenwriter
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Dec 15, 2000
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Thank you for the responses, everyone! I was beginning to think we didn't have any hearing impaired individuals here. ;)

Scott wrote:

That brings up a question I've always had about hearing aids. I've always assumed that a hearing aid would never allow high quality sound (as in audiophile terms)to pass through.

Is this true? I would think that the hearing aid companies would only be interested in designing a unit that would only pick up the sound well enough to hear speech but not of anything else.
Hey, Scott.

In my case, I am able to hear music relatively well (I can distinguish instruments and voices which are on key and off key. Plus, it probably helps that I have musical training; I play keyboard and sing). I also think a lot of it has to do with the degree of hearing loss an individual experiences as well as the programming of the hearing aid itself.

At my current hearing level, my left ear is so far gone that a hearing aid would not help at all. So, I am left with my right ear to hear with at about 50% hearing capability (somewhere close to 100% with a hearing aid). I say somewhere close because there is no way I'll ever be able to hear at a 100% level like a normal human being. I've been hearing impaired since around 3 years old.

Anyway, I digress...

Hearing aids can be programmed for many purposes besides speech. There are several models available (such as GN ReSound's Canta 7s) which have programs specifically designed to pick up music. Several interesting features of hearing aids include a telecoil (a telephone-aiding device in a hearing aid which blocks out background noise but still allows one to hear on the telephone), and even an option that allows one to hear just the television without other background noises.

More advanced hearing aids also have directional sound capabilities (the Canta 7s mentioned above have this), as well as remote control access. Many features abound in hearing aids and I've only touched upon the tip of the iceberg here. I have only just begun my research into the latest models and it's almost like researching home theater equipment! Hopefully soon I'll be able to make an educated decision.

Hopefully that answers your question. :)

Thanks for the responses, everyone! BTW, in case anyone is interested, I found a Yahoo! group that dicusses hearing aids. While I despise Yahoo! this group has been more than helpful in my search for a new hearing aid. If anyone would like the link let me know.
 

Johnny Angell

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I'm reviving this thread since I've just had a hearing test. For several years I've known my hearing was not optimal. My wife can hear at a much lower volume level than I can. Background noises make it diffcult for me to make out words.

According to the test, my hearing is basically normal until we get to the high frequencies and there it drops off. It is not a profound loss, but it does effect my hearing.

The Audiologist recommended either a ReSound Plus5 or a Oticon Delta. According to this thread, both of these are top brands. They should be, they both cost $2100 each, so it would be $4200 for both ears. Of course, its not covered by insurance.

I'm particularly interested in improving my hearing when there's background noise and I still want to enjoy the sound from my home theater. Any one want to sound off (pun intended) on whether a hearing aid is worth it?

I understand this is a personal preference kind of thing, but I'd like to hear your opinions.
 

Colton

Supporting Actor
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Jan 12, 2004
Messages
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I got ITCs for nerve deafness since I was 7 years old. I think they are Beltones, but I've had them for over ten years ... and, yes, it's time to upgrade to the latest-and-greatest.

What I don't understand is ... why don't they make water-proof aids? Why do they have to be flesh colored ... ITCs and CICs should be black, not to look like your ear is filled with flesh. How about some Dolby intergration so music doesn't sound like shit? I see alot of areas for great potential in hearing aids. Also, the little battery doors are cheap. Plastic little hinges that wear off after a few battery swaps. Ridiculous!

Well, I'm venting ... hope it works out for you.

- Colton
 

Steve...O

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I use the audiology doctors at my local hospital because they treat me as opposed to trying to sell something they can make a big commission from; cough**Sears**cough.

I tried digital several years ago and didn't them at all. Too directional and too artificial sounding. Maybe the technology has progressed to the point where those problems are resolved.

I agree that it's a shame these are not covered by insurance. I can't afford $2000 per ear so I get models that are more affordable, but probably don't help as much as they could. I use Siemans. One had to be rebuilt after 5 years and the other probably needs to be, but I just haven't made the time to do it.
 

JoeyR

Second Unit
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Well here goes the story, I'm getting ready for the jokes

When I was 5 or 6 we were having Black Cat wars, I lit one, cocked back and it exploded by my right ear, before and after until about the age of 12 I would get bad ear infections, started finding out I was losing hearing in upper elemetary, continued to hunt(I am in LA after all) without using hearing protection and I was a horrible shot(one year my grandma gave me a shotgun shell belt that held 2 and a half boxes of shells).

Fast forward, last year the week before Katrina hit, my ears were giving me problems, was going to Promise Keepers Katrina weekend didnt want to get sick so I decided to clean my ears at 1 am in the morning on a Sunday morning, long story short the cotton comes apart in my ear from the qtip, go to the emergency room and the doctor says I have wax buildup keeps putting hydrogen peroxide in my ear and trying to dig out the cotton, after about 5 times she finally gives up(by this time I was almost crying it was hurting so bad)go to the ENT the next day and first words out her mouth your ear got butchered, I can see cuts and scrapes all over, she sucks my ear out with a small vaccuum tube, gets out the cotton.

Wooh I have to take a breath, now I have lost about 85% of my hearing in my right ear, I have to ask people 4 or 5 times what they said, funny thing is sometimes they say stuff and it sounds completely different(with I could think of an example) anyway I hate not hearing but doing commercial HVAC work I would have to have a heavy duty hearing aid to put up against the beating and the sweat it would take.

But, short version, I'm hearing impaired too.
 

StephenA

Screenwriter
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Nov 30, 2001
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I used to have repeated ear infections as a kid, which required me to have tubes. The tubes ended up causing damage to my hearing from scar tissue and all that. As I get older, my hearing is getting a bit worse, especially in my left ear. I was told I'll probably need a hearing aid when I'm older. It also doesn't help that both my grandmother and aunt have bad hearing and need hearing aids.
 

Johnny Angell

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BTW, the audiologist told me that I can try the hearing aides fo a month and return them if I don't want to keep them. It would cost me a fee of $50 (not sure if that's a total fee or per device) if I did not buy any hearing aid.

I can return one type and try another at no charge. So at least I'd be able to know if they are worth the money at a minimal risk.

Is anyone using the Oticon or ReSound devices?
 

Mike Heenan

Second Unit
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Aug 7, 2001
Messages
405
Iam pretty much deaf in my right ear and have very little hearing in my left ear, but with an over the ear Senso Diva (was top of the line when I got it) digital aid, I can hear fairly well. However, clarity levels suck, so unless I'm used to someones voice I can't really understand them unless I'm facing them, in which case lip reading helps out a bit. While listening to music, tv, or movies, I really cannot distinguish the words very well, maybe only 10% or so. I can hear the words but dont understand them I guess. However by using the tcoil mode on my aid, along with headphones, I can usually hear a little better as it will block out external sounds.
 

Arthur S

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Did anyone else see the story on the evening news last week about the scientist who got the cilia in the ears of rats to regrow using, umm, stem cell technology. Sorry to say, human repair is probably 10 years off...
 

JimColeman

Agent
Joined
Nov 12, 2001
Messages
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If you have a copy of your audiogram, the results would be helpful. The Oticon Delta and the Resound5 are two completely different instruments. The Delta is an "open fit" hearing aid using Oticon's most sophisticated technology while the Resound5 is a bigger aid with an open fit tube using Resounds middle of the road technology. The benefit of an open fit is no occlusion (you won't even know you are wearing it) and very discrete. The fitting range is limited though, so not everyone is a candidate for this style aid. The two best open fit aids on the market, in my opinion, are the Oticon Delta and the Resound Air+. Most companies make an open fit product. Resound was the first company to do it and most others have followed. Oticon's Delta is different in that the "speaker" (receiver) is actually in your ear canal, near the eardrum. With this more natural position, you get better sound quality. The downside is that the receiver is susceptible to damage from wax, oil, and moisture. All other open fit and traditional behind the ear aids have all of the electronics behind the ear so they are more durable. I've fit many Resound Air's and many Delta's and my patients LOVE them. If you are an appropriate candidate for an open fit aid, I'd go that route.

As far as hearing aid manufacturers, Oticon, Phonak, Resound are the best in my opinion.
 

Johnny Angell

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The two devices the audiologist was recommending the Resound Pixel and the Oticon Delta. I understood them to be both open fits. He did say the Resound could be converted to a standard hearing aid if necessary.

As I understood it, the sound was being piped into the ear canal by a plastic tube in both models. The sound was generated in the part of the device that is outside the ear.

You are saying the Oticon Delta has the actual speaker in the little tube going into the ear. Better sound, but more susceptible to damage. What does it cost to replace that part of the Oticon?

Is either one of these better at filtering out background noise or improving hearing in background noise situation, such as a crowed rooom or driving in a car?

Do these devices ever go on sale? May guess is not, but thought I'd ask. Is it fair to ask if $2100 is a fair price for either of the models? Is the month trial typical?

If I wanted to shop around in Little Rock, how would I do that?
 

JimColeman

Agent
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Nov 12, 2001
Messages
46
Sales? I'm sure some dispensers have sales but be careful shopping based on price alone. Around here, the ones that have "sales" are the ones that are desperate for business. They're desperate for business generally because they aren't that good. Remember, you're paying as much for professional services as you are the aid. Find a good audiologist and you'll be ok. The aids you are looking at are all good. Find an audiologist that is comfortable working with the product you are interested in you should be fine. Also, don't forget to keep realistic expectations. No matter how much you spend, they are all heairng AIDS. They will help but they are not perfect and will not restore normal hearing.

Re: 30 day trial period...It's a requirement by the FDA, so they aren't doing you any favors. :D Unless they're giving you more than 30 days. I give 45 days.

The pricing seems quite reasonable. We charge $2500 for Delta, Syncro, Savia, Metrix, and other "top of the lines". But I'm in Chicago so consider your location.
 

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