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Thread: Hearing Aids – What do I need to know?

  1. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Henderson View Post
    I would HIGHLY recommend that you get aids with Bluetooth - it's really worth while.
    phone calls thru my hearing aids is truly fantastic and hands free

    also listening to my music is great too

    I get my hearing aids thru the VA I had a major hearing loss while in the service, they say it is from the high pitch wail from the turbos on the diesel trucks we drove
    Carpe Lignum

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Weber View Post
    50 years of hearing aid need has given me a cynical opinion of a lot of the consumer sales end of the industry. I'll leave it at that as I could rant for pages about some of what I perceive as marginal ethical practices in an effort to maximise profits at a customer's uninformed disadvantage. Rant off. I have never dealt with Costco but find them generally well regarded on a few forums I read. Given options of where to purchase aids I would go to Costco then a non profit medical organization and absolutely last to a retail distributor.
    There are unfortunately a lot of outfits out there that try and take advantage of folks for many things including "hearing aids"...the ads are everywhere. Low-low prices for what "looks like" hearing aids, but are not anything more than some simple amplification. "Real" hearing aids do need to come from a professional so they are a good match for an individuals needs including with frequency compensation, but it's nice to have options now like the professional practice at Costco.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  3. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Page View Post
    Ken, this is probably a stupid question but how do you make these program changes, is it an app on your phone?

    Bill, as far a I know there is no cure for tinnitus. I have tried a few over the counter wonder treatments to no avail.
    I did read somewhere that too much salt in your diet makes it worse and alcohol makes it better. Go figure..
    Bruce, there is a button on both sound processor for my CI and on the hearing aid that you push to switch programs. A separate button/switch on each device adjusts volume up/down.

    BTW, there are a lot of theories out there about tinnitus with few that I am aware of with any real scientific evidence or majority of professional opinions of related cures. I have found that, for me, drinking a weak or decaffeinated coffee provides some minimal aid. I have constant tinnitus in my right ear and occasional tinnitus in my left ear. The HA on my right ear decreases the effect of the tinnitus. I have also noted my tinnitus seems to be at its worst when there are weather fronts coming through which seems to arrive with increased pain in my right hip which is arthritic. Those are just my personal observations with no scientific evidence or backing.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  4. #19
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    My situation is slightly different from Mike's. I have "Bluetooth" in both my CI and HA but it's a "proprietary" Bluetooth that requires a neck coil device to be worn. Normal Bluetooth communicates to the neck coil device (ComPilot) and it converts to the proprietary Bluetooth which talks with my HA and CI. With that neck coil device in mind, I have a "base station device" that can plug into my television or stereo and communicates with the neck coil device so my hearing of television audio is greatly improved. I can plug that same base station device into my stereo with greatly resulting in greatly improved stereo music hearing!

    My cell phone using regular Bluetooth connects to the neck coil device (ComPilot) so my ability to hear on the telephone or recorded music on the telephone is greatly improved.

    The hearing my right ear is so bad, profound deafness, that I have to wear a behind the ear HA with a ear mold.

    I agree with Mike, get a HA with Bluetooth capabilities as it can result in dramatic improvements for several devices!
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 02-03-2019 at 3:13 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  5. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    There are unfortunately a lot of outfits out there that try and take advantage of folks for many things including "hearing aids"...the ads are everywhere. Low-low prices for what "looks like" hearing aids, but are not anything more than some simple amplification. "Real" hearing aids do need to come from a professional so they are a good match for an individuals needs including with frequency compensation, but it's nice to have options now like the professional practice at Costco.
    Jim, that was the reason for my original apprehension. Since turning 60 I’ve gotten a plethora of junk mail touting miracle breakthroughs in HA tech (now LOML is getting them too, LOL). My FIL probably spent more money on that crap than he would have on a professional set of hearing aids.
    Please help support the Creek.


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  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Fitzgerald View Post
    My situation is slightly different from Mike's. I have "Bluetooth" in both my CI and HA but it's a "proprietary" Bluetooth that requires a neck coil device to be worn. Normal Bluetooth communicates to the neck coil device (ComPilot) and it converts to the proprietary Bluetooth which talks with my HA and CI. With that neck coil device in mind, I have a "base station device" that can plug into my television or stereo and communicates with the neck coil device so my hearing of television audio is greatly improved. I can plug that same base station device into my stereo with greatly resulting in greatly improved stereo music hearing!

    My cell phone using regular Bluetooth connects to the neck coil device (ComPilot) so my ability to hear on the telephone or recorded music on the telephone is greatly improved.

    The hearing my right ear is so bad, profound deafness, that I have to wear a behind the ear HA with a ear mold.

    I agree with Mike, get a HA with Bluetooth capabilities as it can result in dramatic improvements for several devices!
    Ken, Advanced Bionics Naida CI with Phonak Naida UP Link up aid?
    My three favorite things are the Oxford comma, irony and missed opportunities

    The problem with humanity is: we have paleolithic emotions; medieval institutions; and God-like technology. Edward O. Wilson

  7. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael Weber View Post
    Ken, Advanced Bionics Naida CI with Phonak Naida UP Link up aid?
    Yes, the AB Naida sound processor and the Phonak Naida UP hearing aid, the ComPilot and Phonak TV Link II. It's worked well for me.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  8. #23
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    I used to work for Frontline Test Equipment, the leading protocol analyzer for Bluetooth. I worked on Bluetooth 4.0 and 5.0 which included Audio Streaming from hearing aides. At the time, Resound was at the bleeding edge. The industry had some lofty dreams.

    You would have an app on your smart phone which could act as a sort of graphic equalizer. You could set all sorts of parameters in your hearing aide and then save them. You might have one setting for church and another for noisy restaurants. You can switch modes using the app. Additionally, you can tell the app to switch automatically based on your location. So when you enter the church, the HA goes into church mode.

    My wife has bluetooth enabled HAs but nothing that sophisticated. She does get audio from her phone through her HAs which she finds very convenient. I find it a bit disconcerting to hear only her side to the conversation. But it's no different from BT ear-buds.

    Be mindful of the batteries. The wifes HAs are rechargable but the batteries are $60 a set. A ripoff but the HAs are under warranty so we have to toe the line. Her batteries aren't giving a full day's service anymore (a year in) but she is trying to stretch them.

  9. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by Roger Feeley View Post
    I used to work for Frontline Test Equipment, the leading protocol analyzer for Bluetooth. I worked on Bluetooth 4.0 and 5.0 which included Audio Streaming from hearing aides. At the time, Resound was at the bleeding edge. The industry had some lofty dreams.

    You would have an app on your smart phone which could act as a sort of graphic equalizer. You could set all sorts of parameters in your hearing aide and then save them. You might have one setting for church and another for noisy restaurants. You can switch modes using the app. Additionally, you can tell the app to switch automatically based on your location. So when you enter the church, the HA goes into church mode.

    My wife has bluetooth enabled HAs but nothing that sophisticated. She does get audio from her phone through her HAs which she finds very convenient. I find it a bit disconcerting to hear only her side to the conversation. But it's no different from BT ear-buds.

    Be mindful of the batteries. The wifes HAs are rechargable but the batteries are $60 a set. A ripoff but the HAs are under warranty so we have to toe the line. Her batteries aren't giving a full day's service anymore (a year in) but she is trying to stretch them.
    My rechargeable Cochlear batteries are $270 each but they seem to last about 2 years. No complaint, it's better than being deaf which I to experience for 6 months back in 2014.

  10. #25
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    Ok, not to steal this, but I spend lots of time in the shop and this is why I have postponed looking into getting hearing aids.
    What do you do when your in shop, turn them off. or remove them.
    Great thread.

  11. #26
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    I am bimodal so I have a cochlear implant and a hearing aid. I wear a lapel microphone windscreen as a dust cover over the microphone for my cochlear implant sound processor for my left ear and I wear my HA (hearing aid) on the right ear when I'm working in the shop. I put both in a noise program and work. I listen to music on a stereo.

    The only times I take either of my hearing devices off is when I go to the gym to work out or when I go to sleep at night. At night I take both of the hearing devices off and charge the battery for the CI. In the gym, I work out aggressively and sweat profusely as a result. I've found through experience that sweat damages the dust covers for the microphones in my hearing aid causing the dust covers to need replacement. So, I take my hearing aid off when I go to the gym to work out and become monoaural using only my CI for that length of time.
    Last edited by Ken Fitzgerald; 02-06-2019 at 7:40 PM.
    Ken

    So much to learn, so little time.....

  12. #27
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    Update: I have an appointment with Costco Hearing on the 14th to get checked out. I talked with a friend that wears Oticon Opn1’s and is very satisfied with them. From what I’ve been able to find out, they are pricey.
    Please help support the Creek.


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    Andy Rooney



  13. #28
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    I had read something recently, that it is advisable for someone with a hearing loss to get a HA sooner rather than later. The article said that if you waited too long, that your brain's ability to understand voice drops.

    My Father-in-law has a high-tech set of hearing aids but always keeps them turned down to the point that people need to talk with an "outside voice" even in quiet environments. A couple of times, he had to remove the hearing aids for cleaning, etc., and our ability to talk to him and have him understand is about the same as with the hearing aids in place. I'm concerned that by keeping the volume so low that his ability to understand speech is going to continue to deteriorate.

    What do you users of hearing aids think. Was the article accurate or inaccurate?

  14. #29
    Quote Originally Posted by Bruce Page View Post
    Update: I have an appointment with Costco Hearing on the 14th to get checked out. I talked with a friend that wears Oticon Opn1’s and is very satisfied with them. From what I’ve been able to find out, they are pricey.
    Costco doesn't carry all brands of hearing aids. I have no idea if they carry Oticon.

    The hearing aid people have to compete with each other so you'll usually find that they offer similar technology in their aids so don't be afraid to try other brands.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

  15. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by Brice Rogers View Post
    I had read something recently, that it is advisable for someone with a hearing loss to get a HA sooner rather than later. The article said that if you waited too long, that your brain's ability to understand voice drops.

    My Father-in-law has a high-tech set of hearing aids but always keeps them turned down to the point that people need to talk with an "outside voice" even in quiet environments. A couple of times, he had to remove the hearing aids for cleaning, etc., and our ability to talk to him and have him understand is about the same as with the hearing aids in place. I'm concerned that by keeping the volume so low that his ability to understand speech is going to continue to deteriorate.

    What do you users of hearing aids think. Was the article accurate or inaccurate?
    I don't know if that's true or not, but if your FIL has the volume turned down the aids won't help him. If he's been hard of hearing for a long time, the louder sounds may not be pleasant for him. He would need to increase the volume slowly (over time) so that he gets used to hearing sounds at a level that would give him "normal" hearing. That is, if he has 20dB of loss, and he uses 20dB of gain, the sound he will hear will be approximately what he heard before he lost his hearing. I'm sure he has more than 20dB of loss - I just used that as an example.

    Mike
    Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.

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