Hearing aids!

[fixit]

My wife has been complaining for a few years about my inability to hear her clearly and she's not wrong, but I cringe at the cost of hearing aids, thus my question.... what would anyone with experience recommend.... I'll add that I have moderate tinitis, which I'm aware is adding to my inability to understand when spoken to. Also , I would love for something to tone down the tinitis when in the woods.... It's hard to tell the buzz in my ears apart from the rustle of the woods in the fall!

[steveu]

Lots of affordable options out there. I have some that will generate white noise to deal with the tinnitus, but it doesn’t bother me so I don’t use that function. I would recommend you see an audiologist to see where your deficit is, but they will probably try to sell you “their” brand.

[Dom]

If your hearing loss is not sever , try the " Walkers Game Ear". Inexpensive compared to regular hearing aids.I believe you would be surprised how well they work.

[CastingFool]

If you're a veteran, call the VA.

[littlejack]

I have a real problem with my hearing aids. Gradually, my hearing became worse over the years working in the steel/fab shops during my career. I received my first hearing aids about three years ago. I was able to get them paid for because my hearing loss was on the job. So, here's the problem. When I wear them, the surrounding sounds/noises are a way to loud. Road noise, trucks driving by, large groups of loud people (restaurants). My wife even has that voice that carries to well. I ask the audiologist to turn them down when I went to get them checked. She told me they were already set on the lowest setting. So, I hardly ever wear them. Even in rooms with lots of loud people, sometimes the noises are excruciating to me. Fixit, sorry to hijack your thread, but just wanted to let you know that hearing aids do have their drawbacks.

[Thundarstick]

Some of the best money I've ever spent! I've got the ringing as well, but it doesn't bother me at all, but the not being able to understand people was getting to be a real problem. Until the pandemic, I had no idea how good I was at reading lips, then all the sudden I couldn't understand anyone's muffled voice behind a mask.
What has worked for me. Research the different functions you want in a hearing aid, then find an audiologist that sells that brand and buy the best you can reasonably afford. Mine has multiple program options and is controlled by my phone and has the ability to manipulate the settings for an individual environment. They also allow me to talk on the phone through them as well as stream multimedia.
For hunting I'm a fan of the electronic hearing protection and I don't wear my hearing aids shooting or running loud equipment (tractor, mower, etc).

Do your research, buy the best you can afford, learn how to take advantage of the features available, then you'll go outside one day and realize the birds do still sing!

[G W Wade]

Went to an audiologist for an ear problem several years ago. Convinced me I needed hearing aids. $6000 bucks, hated them, nothing but trouble. 2nd pair were from Costco.. Cost 41400....Still not crazy about them. Fans, road noise,and g kids squealing all annoying. But have not had nearly the problems as the first pair.Really like being able to connect to phone via bluetooth, Have learned to ignore the bad and try to enjoy the benefits GW.

[GhostHawk]

I'm with littlejack, I spent big money for my first set. They made it no easier to hear my wifes voice. Just cranked the sound up on all the outside noise which made it harder to hear what I wanted.

For me the Walkers Game Ear (roughly 100$ on Amazon) worked better than my 3000$ set that was supposed to be tuned to my needs.

But over time my wife's voice dropped a notch or 2 and I can hear her if she is in the same room. So I have been going without for the last couple of years.

[legend 550]

Costco. Same hearing aids as audiologist half the cost. Hearing tests and fittings are all done by computer nowadays PS. You don't need to be a member to use Hearing center, pharmacy or vision center, You just get a bigger discount for being a member.

[Hogtamer]

+1 on the costco version. Behind the ear, fairly sensitive and adjustable from an app on your phone.

[scattershot]

Yep.Another vote for Costco. None are exactly cheap, but Costco beats any price I have seen anywhere. I’ve been using Costco aids for years with no problems.

[Handloader109]

+1 on the app on a phone. I don't use them, but I know an older fella that does and he loved them. Could tune them to the room in a few seconds. So if at home one setting, if in a room with many, he could easily adjust.

[rockshooter]

another vote for Costco.
Loren, retired VA audiologist

[high standard 40]

A little back story. I got called up by Uncle Sam in 1969 and failed my entry exam because of my hearing and some other issues. Until then I didn't realize I had a hearing problem. I just lived with it until about 10 years ago. I got tested again and found I had a near total hearing loss for high frequency sound. There are new hearing aids that can amplify only the frequencies you have problems with. I bought a pair. Here's the problem I had with them. Since high frequency sound is where my problem is, and I have a near total loss in that frequency, you can't amplify zero. Zero times ten is still zero. Those things drove me nuts. I kept turning them higher and higher to try to understand the wife and grandkids (all high frequency voices) and all I got was a roaring jumble of sound. I gave up and enjoy the bliss of my position in life. So will hearing aids help you? It depends on the level of your hearing loss and which frequencies are the problem. I truly hope you can find a suitable remedy.

[TCFAN]

Another vote for Costco.Check them out if you are a member.As I understand it the hearing test is free.The cost of the hearing aids are less than any others for the quality you get.
I really like mine.

[DocSavage]

I wear hearing aids when I go out for errands,movies etc. I have found that the aids do amplify everything the trick is you have to wear them enough that yout brain adapts and ignores the excess amplified sound. Even with hearing aids woman's voices are still hard for me to hear unless I turn up the volume on my aids.

[firefly1957]

For 8 years i did a very noisy job OSHA actually outlawed the work as it was my high frequency hear is toast has been for years have had ringing of the ears since 1983 . I got a Miracle ear non digital hearing aide and have never been happy with it If all is quiet it does help me understand voices but in a crowd it is just noise!
I have tried the cheap sound amplifiers that protect hearing while amplifying sound with a little more luck for some reason maybe it is the sound reduction of the earplug with them? I where them on the range when I am helping people shoot and while hunting I have worn them in church they are better then Miracle ear when the preacher is talking but as bad as miracle ear when music is playing and people singing or praying out loud.

[kaiser]

+1 on Walker Game Ear.

[Daver7]

I have a hole in my right ear drum from a bad ear infection over 60 years ago, 2 failed surgeries attempting to fix it.
I like the suggestions and wanted to add that 13 years ago insurance bought me a pair of ReSound hearing aids. I was happy with them they were set up with 3 different setting, they were not blue tooth capable. The audiologist made custom ear pieces and gave me batteries and replaced the little o ring (Think it's called a wax guard) for as long as I had the hearing aids. That shows how much mark up there must be on hearing aids.
The ReSounds finally gave up and since I'd moved I went to a new audiologist. They sold me Oticon and they are terrible, I thought hearing aids were basically all the same quality. They are not. wish I would have been smart enough to take them back.

After all that I want everyone to know that Oticon hearing aids are JUNK!

[Idaho45guy]

I'm only 54, but have tinnitus and get paid from the VA monthly for my hearing loss. I am almost completely deaf in my left ear. I need to go to the VA and file for increased compensation due to my hearing getting so bad. Can't hardly understand anyone at work anymore. I have been putting off hearing aids until I meet and marry my dream girl.

Silly, I know. I have not accepted that I am aging and the thought of trying to date an attractive girl while wearing hearing aids just seems completely unacceptable. My step-dad has hearing aids and uses them as an excuse to not hear my mom. I know that he can hear her stupid questions, but he pretends he can't, and when called out, blames his hearing aids. Pretty ingenious, actually.

I can't wait to meet my life partner and ignore her and then blame it on hearing aids, lol!

[smoked turkey]

I am on my second set of hearing aids. I hooked up with Missouri State University's Audiology. They have a large staff comprised of students who are on the "learning curve". They have a real doctor that runs the place and is very knowledgeable. I have been extremely happy with the service. Since they are a State College they don't make a profit on their hearing aids. The quality and functions on my latest set are way smarter than I am when it comes to set up. I have an appointment for a clean and adjustment as well as a hearing test (very thorough too) next week and an appointment with the good doctor where we will make any changes to my current aids. I think you would be surprised at the quality of service and knowledge of the students & staff if you can find a similar set up where you are.

[warren5421]

My first set was from Costco, best price in Indianapolis at the time, VA said I did not need hearing ades. Second set that I am using now are Oticon, junk, given to me by VA. Going back to Costco to get a good set.

[JustinP]

I ordered mine from Embrace Hearing.
I did a "hearing test" with a phone app and they shipped them to me.
It's been a massive improvement for me, although I did learn I'm nowhere near as sneaky in the woods as I thought I was, christ I'm noisy now.......
Big crowds with a lot of background noise I still have some trouble with, but overall, it's been a dramatic change for me. I could hardly have a phone conversation before I got them.
Customer service has been excellent too. I broke a part of one a couple weeks ago, and they fired off a new piece in the mail right away, no charge.

[mexicanjoe]

I had ear troubles early on in life. ( numerous inner ear infections and procedures) As a young man I couldnt keep my face out of loud engines, and later in the oilfield: LOUD compressor motors. My career then had me carrying a sidearm every single day. Became an instructor, and taught at the local academy for awhile. All combined , all female voices sound the same over the telephone. Ive had Resound hearing aids but, they dont do the job very well. I heard birds singing outside my home , and that was a first for many years. Guess Ill struggle with what Ive got until more $$$ becomes available.

[Good Cheer]

Wearing mine right now. Once you find a set that works for you it'll be a whole new noisy world!

[georgerkahn]

I yielded to pressure and got -- five months ago -- a $4,500.00 set of Resound2 hearing aids. The technology is incredible -- I can tune it from my Apple 14 Plus iPhone; it recharges in a dropin case so one needs not buy/mess with changing batteries; and the speaker fits in the ear with the microphone behind it. My major two dislikes are: I wear eyeglasses, and a good percentage of the time when I take glasses off, an earpiece gets tangled with wire. And -- the MAIN one -- imho they make telephone concersation WORSE! I've gotten into the habit of needing to remove the right-ear hearing aid to hear/understand caller on the telephone. Using a cellular device on speaker -- is worse!
geo

[oley55]

A very timely thread for me as I have an impending appointment with an audiologist in October, although I remain just about as confused as I was before this discussion. Well except I'm fairly certain I do not want to try the Opticons.

Any advice concerning behind the ear versus in the ear versions? Pros and cons.

I was also thinking about some type of hearing aid which serves dual purpose of loud noise suppression with hearing amplification, although I suspect that option will depend on my degree of hearing loss.