I'm getting a hearing aid. I have a few questions for those that already have one.

[SpaceflightAddict]

My hearing loss and tinnitus have finally annoyed me enough to go get a hearing aid. At work they moved me to a nosier office, and my good ear is just getting overloaded. I have an appointment with the audiologist on Monday to start the process of getting a hearing aid. I have a couple of questions for yall that have gone through that process and have hearing aids already.

I know nothing about hearing aids, so I was wondering what different types are available, the differences between them, and how they have worked out for you. Do hearing aids just boost the volume of incoming sound? I know they do a hearing test, and then program the hearing aid based off of that test, so can I expect the aid to correct my hearing back to something close to normal? The big question that I have is if you have tinnitus, did the hearing aid help cut down how annoying it is? That is the main reason I am going for one now... the tinnitus has been getting more annoying lately. My ENT said a hearing aid could help with that.

Thanks in advance for all of your help! I am so excited to be getting a hearing aid!

-Andy

[Pete]

The answer to your big question first: No, the hearing aid will not overcome your tinnitus. Depending upon which frequency ranges are impacted by your hearing loss, you may find it less noticeable. But when the hearing aid is removed, your tinnitus will return.

The most common types of hearing aids are "in the canal" and "behind the ear". I have behind the ear aids. The microphone rides just behind the ear. A thin wire connects the mecrophone to the speaker. Your audiologist can adjust your hearing aid to best compensate for your hearing loss. In my case, I was having trouble at the ends of the hearing spectrum. My aids have given me better response at those frequencies.

Unfortunately, don't expect much improvement in noisy environments. I can barely follow a conversation in a noisy, acoustically hard room, such as TGIFriday's restaurants.

Also, hearing aids are not cheap. Medicare and most insurance plans don't cover them. My two aids cost over $6,000 when I bought them two years ago.

All in all, I'm happy with my aids. I can watch TV at normal volume levels, and other than making sure I'm paying attention, my wife doesn't need to raise her voice to me.

[SpaceflightAddict]

Thanks Pete!

I was aware of the cost and lack of insurance coverage for hearing aids. Part of the reason I put off getting them for this long is so I could save up some cash and avoid running up my credit card bill on them.

Your experience with performance in noisy environments is disappointing. That is not going to stop me from getting one, but I was hoping it could help in those situations. My good ear just gets overloaded in loud places. Do you know if there are other models that deal better with noisy environments? I would be willing to throw money at this problem for better performance in noisy environments.

I am very happy to hear about the improvements when it comes to TV and normal conversations. I have been accused of keeping the TV and radio turned up too loud too many times to count now, and i've had to say "Huh? What did you say?" even more.

Thanks so much for your comments, they are a big help!

[DJS]

I don't wear a hearing aid, but I have a loss at the frequency that most women speak, including my wife. I heard a comment a few weeks ago, that hearing aids are not like glasses. When you get fitted for glasses, you know that you can see better. With a hearing aid you don't know. I was involved with a research project with Starkey Labs, where they had the Univ of Minn measure my brain waves during my response to sounds. They are trying to develop a hearing aid training tool so that you and they know how effective they are. My brain waves couldn't be detected, so no more tests for me.

[Dirty Don]

My brain waves couldn't be detected, so no more tests for me.

Really Dennis??!! I am so trying to stifle my mouth right now...but what a set up line! But, sorry on the hearing aids...choking now...too late for coffeeeee!

[annekat]

Andy, I got my aids used and donated through the audiology section of my ENT's office. I had to pay some costs but nothing like having to buy them. I will have to pay to have them repaired, although they had warranties for awhile. They are decent quality digital aids, not the latest and greatest models, I'm sure, and I've had them a couple years, but the audiology dept. does not deal with anything too antiquated, like my dad's old aids that I took in. Mine are over the ear, they made the ear molds and programmed my aids, and they've worked out pretty well for me. The Lions Club also helps people get aids.

The tinnitus is definitely less noticeable with the aids in. And there is an adjustment for background noise, for if you are in restaurants and such. I spend a lot of time in a noisy farmers market and found it very difficult at first, but the brain can train itself to get used to it, it seems to me. I have a lot less trouble now. I don't go to restaurants often, but went to one recently, and found it to be a better experience than some times in the past. Go to lots of restaurants and you may get used to it; it may depend on the restaurant, too. I've heard there are more advanced models out now, though I can't say in what ways specifically, but you might do OK if you can get ahold of those.

I'd say go for it. I can't imagine how I got by without the aids. First I had one, now two, and if one isn't working, I can get by with one, but it's annoying. Harder to tell what direction sounds are coming from. Recently I had to stop using one because there was a huge chunk of ear wax way down in my ear that was making it squeal like crazy, which I guess made the ear mold not fit correctly. But I got the chunk removed, and... ahhh. BTW, I often take mine out to talk on the phone, as I can hear it better that way. Everyone's hearing loss is a little different, I guess.

[DJS]

Really Dennis??!! I am so trying to stifle my mouth right now...but what a set up line! But, sorry on the hearing aids...choking now...too late for coffeeeee!
Not as funny as some of the conversations with my wife. Usually they finish with; "just exactly what did you think I said"

dennis

[drz]

I have had a variety of hearing aids for decades. I was functionally deaf for awhile when seriously ill. My BAHA really improve the quality of my life and greatly reduced if not eliminated my tinnitus. My brain was creating sounds to replace the normal sounds people hear so I was hearing music and noise that sound like distant radio stations that weren't tuned in.

Most aids today are digital and the better ones for serious hearing loss also have several microphones that help one select what sounds you wish to tune in, in front or behind or both. They also allow adjustment for different frequencies so they can boost volume for what sounds you are missing and not those you can hear OK already. They can also be program for whatever environment you usually live in or work in.

I turn mine down in noisy environments other wise i am over loaded by ambient noise from the whole room but noisy rooms are still a big problem. It does help greatly though to be able to hear again in a version of stereo sound but requires a lot of concentration which i find exhausting in noisy places so I tend to avoid those settings.

Many hearing aids have a special setting for listening to phones so if much of your work in over the phone that will allow you to concentrate on the speech and sounds you need to hear while blocking out most of the ambient noise.

They are expensive but most places will give you a free 30 day trial. It is the law in our state. The best ones of course cost the most but the key to getting a good fit in aids for your needs is finding a good audiologist that has lot of experience along with a good ENT. Aids can't fix everything and a reputable one will tell you how much benefit you are likely to get.

[pberggren1]

Unfortunately a hearing aid will just amplify things. It will not bring back the lost frequencies. It will mask a bit of the tinnitus though, so that should help. Hearing aids will not bring your hearing back to normal. I am curious to know what your hearing is like so please post your audiograms here. I still find the tinnitus at times so annoying, especially while trying to sleep. That is when we can't wear the hearing aids. I have cochlear implants now and my hearing is much better compared to when I wore hearing aids. I also cannot wear the processors at night so just have to put up with the tinnitus. For the most part I have got used to the tinnitus but it changes a lot so it is hard to get used to when it changes so much.

[Jaypfei]

I have a BAHA, bone anchored hearing aid. Sometimes people confuse it with cochlear implant, but it is not. I cannot wear mine at night either and like Phil, that's when the buzzing drive me nuts!
My ENT felt the BAHA was the best alternative given the uncertainty of GPA and if further damage was done by the disease the device could be re-programmed.
Just depends on your hearing loss, but it might be an option for you.

[gilders]

Looks like people respond differently to their hearing aids and this is probably due to the different causes/types of hearing loss and the different types of hearing aids. I'll let you know my experience from my hearing aid.
I have a modern, digital hearing aid. It's provided by the NHS so I guess it's probably a mid-range device, i.e. NHS can't afford to supply the most expensive cutting edge technology, but with huge purchasing power I guess they don't just get the cheapest versions.
After I had an hearing test to distinguish which frequencies my ear struggles with, the hearing aid is programmed to boost the frequencies that I can't hear well and to leave the frequencies that I can hear alone.
In theory this should return hearing to near normal. My experience is an a general improvement in my hearing. I don't think it's doing much difference, but my family notice I have the TV on quieter and don't ask them to repeat themselves as often, so it must be working quite well.
As for tinnitus I have noticed a big improvement. As you might have guessed, now that I've read and started writing about tinnitus, it's the first time I've heard it today - typical!
Unfortunately the most irritating time for my tinnitus is in bed, when I'm trying to sleep. I remove my hearing aid at bedtime and the tinnitus returns.

Busy, noisy environments such as restaurants don't do well for my hearing aid. It amplifies too much background noise. Maybe other hearing aids can filter this better than mine, or as annekat said, maybe your brain will adjust. I did notice the first few days running taps, plates being moved, etc were almost deafening, but I have got used to this now.

My tinnitus is caused as one of my ears hears perfectly and the other is quite impaired. This has meant that my brain can't understand why there's hardly any noise in my weak ear and makes its own noise (tinnitus) up to compensate. That's probably why the hearing aid (I only have it in my weak ear) helps so much with tinnitus.

[SpaceflightAddict]

Thanks for all of the replies everyone! Seems that as with everything about this disease, everyone is a bit different in regards to hearing loss. I'm heading off to my appointment in about an hour, and I will report back when I get home!

[mishb]

Good luck Andy,

I look forward to seeing what they say

[SpaceflightAddict]

Back from the Audiologist! Had a very nice time there. Did the hearing test, then talked a lot about what I wanted to get out of a hearing aid. Before I talk about the aid itself, I wanted to let you guys know what the total price includes.


45 day trial period where the aid can be returned for any reason for a full refund
3 year manufacture warranty
3 years of insurance against loss/theft/stupidity on my part with a 10% deductible
3 years of repairs at no cost
3 years of adjustments in office at no additional cost
1 years worth of batteries
2 accessories - a bluetooth adapter for my cell phone, and something called a "spouse mic" which is a little wireless mic you can clip to someone


I was shocked (and very very happy) that all of that was included in the price. That goes well beyond what the law in my state requires. After talking for a good while about what I wanted to get performance wise out of the hearing aid, we settled on a ReSound Verso 962, a top of the line behind the ear model. The cost out the door is going to be $2,890. I decided after Easter yesterday with my family that a quality hearing aid is worth the price. I see it as an investment in my quality of life.

The audiologist took an ear mold, and told me everything should be in towards the end of the week so we can get it programmed and back on my way with stereo hearing! I can't wait!

And as Phil requested, here is my audiogram:


http://i.imgur.com/Fy9QvN0.jpg

[pberggren1]

Right ear is very good. Left ear is not too bad either, but I think it should benefit from a hearing aid if that is the way you want to go. Will insurance pay for a hearing aid?

[SpaceflightAddict]

Unfortunately insurers here in the USA are not required to cover hearing aids for anyone over 18. The whole price will be coming out of my pocket.

[annekat]

Sounds like a good deal, Andy, and I'm glad you are happy with it. I hope your right ear will behave and continue to hear well for the rest of your life!