I've noticed a hearing loss over the last few months and finally made an appointment with an audiologist to get tested. I've noticed that talking on the phone has been a struggle to comprehend what the other person is saying , although volume doesn't seem to be too low. Anyway, I fully expect that a pair of hearing aids will be in my not too distant future so what am I looking for ,or what should I be aware of?
Not much to add except a friend recently confided that she now wears them. And getting them changed everything (for the good).
I know a few guys that ran equipment (garbage truck, big cranes) that needed them early in their 50's. Take care of your ears in these fields.
I'd hit up the Costco hearing counter to get started.
They can be very expensive. After your audiologist appointment, look around your area for any hearing specific places or any medical schools nearby that may be running studies.
There are dozens of styles and shapes these days, at all kinds of price points, so shop around, find what's comfortable for you or what works best for you.
My mom has worn them for almost 30 years now, they can be finicky, they can be weird. Like everything else though, if you keep up on maintenance they should be good for a while.
Some background....my own stupidity.......I've done a lot of the work building my Challenge Corolla using disc grinders and a chop saw largely without ear protection. I do own a decent pair of Winchester ear muffs, but didn't bother. Now I have to pay the piper.
I have shopped and you should know that you can connect via bluetooth to your phone and have Siri at your beck and call. Even contol the aid via an app on your phone to program them to respond to different situations. They do a lot more than just boost volume these days.
I've been wearing at least one hearing aid for most of the last 12 to 15 years or so. Pretty high end CIC (completely in canal) Siemens models which are something like $2.5k each. I have been using HearUSA in Ann Arbor, though I hesitate to recommend them. They have pretty limited hours which is a pain while working, but maybe not such an issue for you. At least with the Siemens products, their business model is that you pay a lot up front and then all occasional cleaning and most repairs and adjustments have no cost. No idea how typical that is.
After a surgery a while back, I'm down to using only one, though it died shortly after the pandemic started. I've been working from home, so turning up the sound on calls has worked out ok, but as we get back to actually interacting with people in person, I'm missing the aid. After a little research, my plan is to try Costco this time around.
There are a lot of features nowadays with bluetooth, various adjustments the user can make, and things like that, though all that stuff typically comes on the bigger models that sit on top of the ear. I'm not sure I'm ready to go that big and bulky yet.
Be sure to know what your insurance does and doesn't pay for. My insurance provides no benefits at all for hearing aids, but I understand that some do.
MD Hearing Aids .....and no I'm not a sale honk....
second pair the big dog chewed the first....
In reply to pkingham (Forum Supporter) :
O'Conner on Zeeb handle the Seimens brand among others. My PCP recommended them over a couple of other places.
Seimens =$$$$ I can adjust these myself for wait for it.....$700 for the pair vs $1700 (btdt) just sayin
In reply to 759NRNG :
Oh, I'm not commited to any brand yet, just responding to Phil's comment on Seimens. A couple of friends who use hearing aids have suggested going to Costco because of the reduced cost. I just want to learn what works, whether I pay $500 or $5000 is of little consequence as long as I can hear well and adapt to them.
Costco go for sure ......quality at an acceptable $$$$ Oh you'll be amazed at the difference that you'll find reasons not to wear them....
Be sure to realize that they are not glasses for your ears. I can only imagine the improvements made since my last pair (20 years) There are different types of hearing loss, and the aids will help to varying degrees. But they are not glasses for your ears.
Beware of buying hearing aids online. Friend of mine just spent $4K on online 'diagnostic hearing tests' and now has 2 hearing aids that don't work for him.
I've had hearing aids for 8 years and needed them for more. My own best results came when I had access to the best audiologist in the city and let her spec out exactly what she said I needed. One test she performed that other "vendors" did not was an in-ear performance test.
She put test leads in my ears, then had me insert my hearing aids over the leads. Then we could both see, graphically overlaid on my hearing chart, exactly what frequencies needed adjustments. Then she piped in background noise and tweaked again. She was happy and I was happy with the install and programming. Wherever you go, don't leave until the person you work with answers all your hearing concerns with concrete plans. You're paying enough for their time. Make them work. The technology is mature and accessible. Make sure you get exactly what you need.
My first "real" hearing aids came from a nationwide chain of hearing aid stores. I go to church with the doctor who owns the store but she never was at my appointments. Over 4 visits I saw 3 different recent college grads who had no experience with the equipment they sold. My hearing was "better" after each visit but not in the frequencies I really was missing.
Hearing aids ARE the exact perfect items to be snobbish about brands and features. If the discount model makes your hearing better but not great, please drop it and find what works. Same with the audiologist.
DeadSkunk (Warren) said:In reply to 759NRNG :
Oh, I'm not commited to any brand yet, just responding to Phil's comment on Seimens. A couple of friends who use hearing aids have suggested going to Costco because of the reduced cost. I just want to learn what works, whether I pay $500 or $5000 is of little consequence as long as I can hear well and adapt to them.
I like this attitude. My dad keeps falling for snake oil style "best hearing aids for $59.99" ads because if he can cheap out on something, he will almost every time. But he'll go back to a pair he complains about which cost more.
I think that if you are willing to spend a bit (you seem okay with that) and try on lots of different ones, you'll find something that works. Good luck and good reminder about wearing hearing protection in the shop (something I should be better about myself).
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