Hearing Aids

[firefly1957]

I have a hearing aid and hate the thing wear it only when i need to like going to church .

[Wis. Tom]

My wife made me go get my hearing checked as I couldn't hear her. The Doc said I need them but I never got them( thought I was too young, pride, etc.) but after reading this, I think I will try them.

[C.F.Plinker]

By the time you think you need them all the people around you will know you need them. My hearing loss is moderate in the left ear and profound in the right. I went with the behind the ear (BTE) model because it would give me the amplification I needed at the expense of picking up more background noise especially from the rear. One good thing about them as compared with the in the ear models is that the earmold is separate from the aid itself. This comes in handy when you need a new aid because you don't have to pay for the new earmold every time. With me each aid lasted 2-3 years before it gave up and quit working. While the new aids were over $1200 each Siemens had a program where they would repair or replace the bad aid for about $200. Thanks to Fedex, I was only without the aid for 6-8 days. The replacement aids have a year warranty rather than the 2 years that a new aid has. But, as with all things digital, time marches on and my original aids can no longer be fixed. I have had to replace one of them with a new aid, and if the other fails out of warranty, I wil get it replaced also.
With the BTE aids, the tube gets hard and shrinks. This makes it difficult to get in and pulls the earmold out so the aid doesn't work quite as well. Most of the time there was no charge to replace the tube but, by the time I got down to the office and waited for them to replace it, it took just over an hour. They use a preformed tube and cut it to size. I found that I could buy 1/8 inch tubing at the hardware store, heat it to bend it, and make my own for less than a dime. I also found that Costco batteries cost about a quarter as compared with the drug store batteries at over a dollar. When you use 2 pair a month it can add up.

Shop around for your aids. Most hearing aid stores and audiologists will give a free hearing test. Take them up on their offer and see what features they want your aids to have. More features means more expensive so don't buy features you don't need. If you can get a test via VA or Medicare do so and see what they think you need. Also check Costco, Sam's, and WalMart to see if the one near you does hearing aids. Shop around and go with the provider you are most comfortable with even if it costs a little more. You will be seeing them on a regular basis for years to come because the aids will need to be looked at or repaired occassionaly.

[Wayne Smith]

I have Air Force induced tinnitus and hearing loss, and have a set of remote controlled hearing aids from the V. A. They have eliminated almost all of my wife's mumbling, but the truck immediately developed creaks.

By the way, the V. A. supplies the batteries, domes, and wax guards at no cost via mail or phone order.

I urge all veterans with hearing loss and/or tinnitus to contact the V. A.

After reading this I gotta ask; Who keeps the remote control, you or your wife??

[462]

Actually, Wayne, the remote stays hidden in my bathroom. I don't what her to know that the amplification level can be increased. As it is, she can always tell when I'm not wearing the aids.

[Down South]

When I first got hearing aids about 4-5 years ago, I went deer hunting the first day that I had them. I was sitting in a lean to stand behind my house and I heard crickets chirping. I thought to myself, wow those crickets sure are loud and I don't remember hearing them sitting here last week. I pulled my hearing aids out and dead silence. Just before dark, the crickets really got loud. I thought to myself, I bet I can hear them now without these hearing aids. Pulled the hearing aids back out and dead silence again.
The day I got them, the guy that was programming them crumpled up a piece of paper in front of me. I was almost startled. He said, that's what paper really sounds like when it's crumpled up.

Mine are remote controlled too. They are controlled by key tones from a cell phone.

[dakotashooter2]

I've thought about them.................but I'm not sure I WANT to hear all the damn noise that is out there.....................

[popper]

Wish my wife would get them before she causes me to need them. She gets angry when I use those orange thingys.

[MtGun44]

For those that can't afford the expensive hearing aids, I have seen them advertised on dinodirect on
the web for unbelievably cheap, like $30. Chinese people go deaf, too, so maybe they are something
that is better than no hearing aid if you can't afford a $3000 unit.

I have no idea how good or bad they might be but for the low price, if I was in that situation, I'd
try it. I am NOT recommending them, just pointing out an option. I have bought some flashlights
from these guys and they were exactly as advertised, shipped directly from China. Might be
crummy, but maybe they work, don't know but they sure are cheap.

http://www.dinodirect.com/se-hearing%2520aid/

Bill

[jcwit]

Had a buddy who lost his hearing aids and bought a pair of the cheap ones advertised on TV till he got his replacements. He said they worked well and as advertised, not as good as the prescription ones but they were much better than nothing and got him by.

As MtGunn44, I'm not recommending them just relating someone elses experience.

Myself, I've had both in the ear and behind the ear types. I MUCH prefer the behind the ear style. The hearing is much closer to normal hearing.

[EMC45]

I have service connected hearing loss and tinnitus. Too much heavy equipment ops and live fire, flightline etc (95-01 USN, 05-11 USAFR) My hearing is still pretty good according to the VA, but I have loss that is noticeable they say. They did mention hearing aids to me as well though. My problem is if I am talking to someone and the wife is also talking to someone nearby it gets to aggravate me. Maybe it's just my wife talking that aggravates me...(just kidding!) Background noise is the killer for me. More of an annoyance than anything really. My wife asks me all the time "are you listening to me?" I remind her I have "mild hearing loss".............

[jcwit]

My problem is if I am talking to someone and the wife is also talking to someone nearby it gets to aggravate me. Maybe it's just my wife talking that aggravates me...(just kidding!) Background noise is the killer for me. More of an annoyance than anything really.

This is the very reason I like the behind the ear aids I've switched to. I can even carry on a conversation with a passenger in my car with the windows down, also the background noise at a restaurant doesn't bother me like it did with the in the ear aids.

BTW, if you qualify for aids thru the VA, you should be able to get new ones every 5 years.

[firefly1957]

I remember a previous conversation about hearing aids and how the best deal on them was at Harbor Freight it took a while to find but here it is the reviews are not bad either . http://www.harborfreight.com/ultra-e...ier-66577.html

[jcwit]

Those from H/F are NOT hearing aids, they are noise amplifier's. They do work somewhat in a pinch as I stated in a post above, but they are nowhere near what a quality set of aids are/do.

Would one be satisified with reading glasses when they needed perscription glasses?

[Dutchman]

I just recently learned that the company I retired from has a hearing aide benefit for retirees. $3,000/ear every 3 years. I've been retired since 1996 and never knew this benefit existed. My hearing in my right ear is very bad. Diesel engines, compressors, loud music, motorcycles.. I've always worn ear protection when shooting but there have been some few times a round got off without ear protection and man o man are guns ever loud!

Living alone and having bad ears is really no problem. But now I live in my daughter's household with 3 grandkids and I'm always saying "huh".

Dutch

[smokemjoe]

I just got batteys from a place called eco gold, mail order from Ill. very good and about 1/2 price of store, look it up on the web ecogold. hope this helps some, sure like my new aids. Joe

[2HighSpeed]

My 13 year old has a Oticon as well. The thing is amazing. Hes 80% deaf in his left ear but has perfect hearing in his right. Sensorioneural hearing loss. His is tiny, The gadget goes behind his ear and there is a ultra thin clear tube that goes in his ear with a dome on the end that transmits the sound. By far the best hearing aid he has ever had. He just got this one last week. I cant even notice he is wearing it unless I look for it!

[waksupi]

If you buy batteries at a place like Walmart, never get them at the jewelry counter. Find the battery area, and save a few bucks, for the exact same battery. Same thing happens in grocery stores. They will have beans and rice in a couple locations, one always quite a bit cheaper. I don't know why, but that is how a lot of businesses are.

[Down South]

Flebay is another good source for batteries in quanity. Just make sure that the seller lists the expiration date.

[Adk Mike]

I' ve had them for 25 years. I'm 57. Life changing if you need em get them.