<p>I’d like to hear people’s experiences with hearing aids. I am trying to talk my H into trying them, but he is very resistant. I’m afraid that the effect of too much rock-and-roll is having a negative impact on all of his relationships, including ours. Have any of you positive or negative experiences to share?</p>
<p>No, but I hope to convince my H, too. He is so deaf. His parents are so deaf. His cousins and siblings are so deaf. But he is convinced that we speak softly on purpose, to keep things from them. It’s really bad on our family life - he misses so much, then accuses the kids of not telling him stuff. ANYWAY, I have a phobia about medical procedures and have said all along that I simply won’t ever get a colonoscopy. About a week ago when I was nagging him to get his hearing checked he said he’d do that when I got a colonscopy. So I’m going to freak him out and take him up on it.</p>
<p>I have one, I only need it one ear. I have to admit I try to wear it for group things, and appreciate the better hearing in an every body talking at the same time sort of thing, but I really don’t care for it in terms of being aware of it in my ear. I am also one of those people who is happy to take off my jewelry at the end of the day, I just don’t like that extra stuff on me. </p>
<p>On the most sensitive day, a hearing aid is like an all day ‘wet willie’ :D</p>
<p>Have your husband watch TV with closed captioning and see if he realises he is missing a lot normally, that might help him see for himself the level of impairment. Remember, the loss comes on slowly and the person does not realise every one else is hearing better right away. If it were not for the difference between my two ears I am not sure i would have realised it!</p>
<p>I am also very up front with my friends about my good ear & bad ear so they do not assume I am rudely ignoring them.</p>
<p>I have been told you should get two sets of hearing aid from two different vendors, that are two different styles and try them both for the length of the free trial, then pick the one you like better. I did not do that.</p>
<p>My husband’s hearing loss probably has both a genetic and environmental component. He is in his 50’s and has worn hearing aids for a couple of years with mixed success. </p>
<p>His most significant loss is in the higher range. Sometimes I think it is selective 
, but he says he hears the lower pitched voices of our sons better than my voice. </p>
<p>The hearing aids frustrate him because they don’t help in every situation. He is often in a business situation with a lot of background noise and voices (think, business dinner at your typical noisy restaurant) where he really needs to hear and all the hearing aids seem to do is amplify the noise. He has gone back to the technician for adjustments multiple times but is beginning to think there is no solution for this type of situation. They do help him enough at other times that he wears them about 50% of the time, I’d say.</p>
<p>Missypie - I had a colonoscopy last year and except for the drink you have to have to prep, it was nothing. Small price to pay for a husband who hears your casual remarks the first time you make them. </p>
<p>Greta - that is what I’m afraid of - that it will be frustrating instead of helpful. I do know for sure that the first range of hearing to go on most men is the frequency of their wife’s voice.</p>
<p>Do they make them for dogs? Mine could use them!
;)</p>
<p>Audiologist here.</p>
<p>The success of amplification depends on the type,extent of hearing impairment, and abiltiy to hear speech clearly</p>
<p>Yes, there are trial periods (mandated) so You have little to loose. There may be a restocking fee. Ask first. For best success of those resistive, make sure they wear the new aids for a set up time frame per day to get accustomed to them. Return to the audiologist/hearing aid dealer within the trial period and even after, as needed to readjust the aids to get maximum success from them. Even if you have a hearing loss in both ears, you can purchase one aid at a time if cost is a concern. On that note, the cost varies depending on model, power, etc. There are many great hearing aids out there now. Even tiny canal aids and very little (and cute) behind the ear models. There are many styles, models and brands. Be proactive and ask questions as price will vary as well as benefit to you. </p>
<p>Go to someone reputable. You can go on the ASHA.org website to find someone in your area or ask friends for recommendations. Some hospitals have great audiology departments too. </p>
<p>The first step is to get an accurate hearing test. It will likely be covered if done at a ENT office. </p>
<p>Difficulty hearing puts strain on the individual. They really have to work to hear (and miss a lot too.) Go to the appt with your significant other as you may prvide well needed support and they can also notice how much easier it is to hear you when the aid is in the ear. Try on a couple of samples before making the decision to order.</p>
<p>Check with your insurance co. Hearing aids are not usually covered, but you never know. You will be able to purchase a warrenty for loss and damage for a reasonable cost too. Some companies come with a year loss and damage automatically.</p>
<p>PM me for specific questions in case I don’t see this thread again.</p>
<p>I just got hearing aids --I’ve had them for two weeks, and I’m very happy with them. I’d noticed difficulty hearing --especially in meetings, noisy restaurants, etc. for quite a while, but thought it wasn’t severe enough to do anything about–especially since I’m only in my mid-50s. I got tired, though, of constantly asking people to repeat themselves, missing dialogue in movies, etc. I decided to get my hearing checked, and the audiologist confirmed mild high-frequency hearing loss. She recommended what are called “open fit” hearing aids, which are relatively new and are good for people whose low-frequency hearing is fine, because they don’t block the canal and let low frequency sounds come in normally. They also minimize any sense of having your canal feel plugged and your own voice sounding abnormal. There is a tiny behind the ear receiver (matched to my hair color), and a thin, clear tube that leads from it to a tip that goes in the ear canal. I was pleased to find that they are virtually invisible --in fact, my H didn’t even notice I’d gotten them until I pointed it out to him and lifted my hair to show where the tube entered my ear. No one at work could tell either. I adjusted to them right away – a few sounds, like rustling newspapers or the clacking of my keyboard sounded a bit strange at first, but I was pleased to see how much better they allowed me to understand speech – especially in noisy environments. Twice I’ve eaten in noisy restaurants, and been able to hear my companions without straining, and I find I’m also much more able to hear everyone in meetings at work – in fact, I hadn’t realized how much energy it took me to try to hear/understand at meetings or parties until I got the hearing aids. I wish I’d done it sooner. I went back for my first re-check today, and she “tweaked” the programming to adjust them to lower-frequency voices, which I’ve still noticed aren’t quite as distinct. Caring for them is also easy – they have rechargeable batteries, and I just stick them in their charger at night. Anyway, just want to let you (and your husband) know that hearing aids today are not the type we remember from our grandmothers. I even found out that my insurance reimbursed me for some of the cost – a nice surprise.</p>
<p>Resurrecting this thread to ask a question. Has anyone had experience with buying hearing aids through Costco? We just spent Easter with my parents and my mother’s hearing has really gone down hill despite hearing aids. They have been told that new ones are very expensive and there is no warranty if they fix her current ones and repairs are hundreds of dollars. They don’t have a Costco near them (we live about 2 hours apart) but if they came up here, she could go to the one I go to. </p>
<p>We don’t really have a Costco close by (it’s about 45 minutes) so even though my daughter is listed as the #2 person on my membership, she hasn’t used it so I think I could probably change that to my mother. I’m assuming the person getting the hearing aids would have to be a member.</p>
<p>This is such a quality of life issue. There have been several conversations where she only heard snippets and misunderstood and then got mad.</p>
<p>I bought my Dad new glasses at Costco and he is not a member, so it may just be the payor.</p>
<p>I got mine at Costco and it was fine, I probably should have done more research, I really do not care for the feeling of the hearing aid- I like that I can hear better, but I don’t like it being there. In the same was I cannot wait to change into more comfy clothes or take off my shoes & jewelry at the end of the day, I cannot wait to remove the hearing aid at the end of my time out and about. I do not wear it at home.</p>
<p>So, did I choose the wrong kind or am I just ultra-sensitive to things on my body- rings, necklace, etc?</p>
<p>somemom, (or anyone else) can I ask a ballpark figure of what you paid, which ones you got? The website doesn’t have any prices. I’m assuming that since it’s Costco it’s less but would like to be able to tell my parents maybe a brand and a price so they could figure out if it’s worth coming out here for that.</p>
<p>Audiologist again…</p>
<p>Don’t know about Cosco. Call and make sure that they have a licensed audiologist doing the testing and fitting. Ask how many brands they carry. They fewer the brands, the fewer choices they will have to fit. (i would hope they carry at least 5 different manufacturers hearing aids.) I’d also ask if they take care of repairs and how often the audiologist is at that specific Cosco.</p>
<p>Ask you hearing aid dealer/audiologist about hearing aid insurance which will pay for loss and damage. Worth the money and it is not an expensive policy. </p>
<p>Also, check with you insurer, some plans are starting to cover hearing aids.</p>
<p>Prices vary dramatically. Discuss this with your dealer. If cost is a factor, see if a less expensive model works well for you before going to a more expensive model. (Remember the trial period.) Hearing aids can be adjusted, so if you are not doing well, return to the dealer for an adjustment, don’t assume the aids don’t work for you.</p>
<p>For the vain, there are tiny aids that fit deep in the ear canal and are not seen at all. Even behind the ear aids have gotten smaller so don’t rule them out. </p>
<p>Hearing takes a tremendous amount of work when you do not hear well. (like reading without your glasses)</p>
<p>It was probably back in 2001 or so and was a very small one (at the time) and was under $1000, maybe $700-$800. It seemed like there were several options.</p>
<p>My very deaf FIL says I should have bought two different brands and tried them both on alternate weeks and returned the one I did not like.</p>