Hearing Aids

[zigzag]

If you're a child of the sixties, as many of you are, there is a good chance you're having some type of hearing issues. It is most natural to lose high frequency hearing as we age, but many of us have allowed ourselves to be exposed to loud noises over long periods, either through recreation or jobs.

 

I'm on my second set. I used to find it humorous when I told people I had Siemens in my ears (the response was usually, "What?"), but three years and $5000 later, those hearing aids have stopped working, and replacement hearing aids are still ridiculously high priced. It's a racket, but to get close to normal hearing, it is worth it to some of us. The problem is that if you have to depend on digital hearing aids to hear, it seems you will never have "normal" hearing again. I recently got Oticon aids, and I think they are not only cheaper (with fewer bells and whistles), they sound better... but still not great.

 

Does anyone have experience with this problem who can recommend hearing aids that they are convinced are significantly better than most?

[Versatile]

In the UK there is the wonderful NHS to assist with eyesight and hearing issues.....

 

There is a trend to offer both services in one building on high street locations...

 

I availed myself over the last 2 years after a routine eye test

 

The offer of a free hearing aid seemed attractive....although my only problem is conversation in noisy music bar environments

 

A basic range of aids are offered free to the over 65's (typical retirement age) with 'batteries for life' included

 

More sophisticated 'in ear' digital aids come in at $1000 +

 

Siemens seem to be the industry standard....mine work OK and were adjusted and EQ'd on collection

 

Also took advantage of a pair of personal moulds for earplugs for motorcycling....similar technology being offered for musicians' ear defenders.....

 

V

 

[Tekboy]

In the UK there is the wonderful NHS to assist with eyesight and hearing issues.....

 

There is a trend to offer both services in one building on high street locations...

 

I availed myself over the last 2 years after a routine eye test

 

The offer of a free hearing aid seemed attractive....although my only problem is conversation in noisy music bar environments

 

A basic range of aids are offered free to the over 65's (typical retirement age) with 'batteries for life' included

 

More sophisticated 'in ear' digital aids come in at $1000 +

 

Siemens seem to be the industry standard....mine work OK and were adjusted and EQ'd on collection

 

Also took advantage of a pair of personal moulds for earplugs for motorcycling....similar technology being offered for musicians' ear defenders.....

 

V

 

 

Wow! Mine came from the VA, for free as well, and free batteries as long as I have them. They work OK, and I really cannot complain, but I hear the pick more than I should when I am playing. Not sure if it is just my technique, or if I need to turn it down a little. They actually make me a bit self-conscious when playing, so I don't tend to use them when I am playing out.

[ksdaddy]

I have had a hard time hearing people's voices for the past few years. I have always used headphones at extreme volume. I can remember having it so loud as a teen that I almost lost my balance at times. The stereo in the Impala goes up to 45 (whatever that means) and that's where I leave it if I'm alone.

 

A couple weeks ago I went for a hearing test. Of course it was at a place that sells hearing aids so you KNOW I'm going to "need" them. Higher frequencies were shot but lower frequencies were above average. Word recognition was a little messy. When the volume got low enough I would confuse a word here and there. I confused the word "lose" with "leave" for example.

 

I thought about the times I was stupid enough to go fire a handgun with no ear protection. It seemed like nothing at the time and then a half hour later my ears would begin ringing and aching, and it would last all day. I began wondering if I stopped pounding the living crap out of my ears with George Thorogood on my way to work in the morning, maybe my ears wouldn't be in shock all the time?

 

Just raising the question.

 

I mean, loss is loss, and I know I've done much damage by prolonged long term pounding of my ears, but I wonder how much of my daily struggle to hear people speak is aggravated by whateer noise level I have been exposed to in the past few hours?

 

Make sense? Or no?

 

So I've stopped cranking the tunes and I "think" (in quotes) that I might not be struggling quite so much. Just a few moments ago a co-worker was telling a story and she is about 30 feet away. She spoke in a normal voice and I heard her just fine....okay, maybe I had to strain a little, but I think I hear a difference.

 

Maybe I'm full of it.

[zigzag]

Wow! Mine came from the VA, for free as well, and free batteries as long as I have them. They work OK, and I really cannot complain, but I hear the pick more than I should when I am playing. Not sure if it is just my technique, or if I need to turn it down a little. They actually make me a bit self-conscious when playing, so I don't tend to use them when I am playing out.

 

What kind is it?

 

 

(And please don't say, "12:45"!)

[zigzag]

Loss of hearing in higher frequency ranges will result in not being able to distinguish the sound of many of the consonants. You can hear people, but not understand what they're saying.

[Digger]

Hearing loss can be compared to radiation exposure as the damage is cumulative! Any exposure to loud noise is damaging you! Any exposure to extreme noise is too much and ear damage can’t be fixed!

 

I’ve had hearing aids for almost 20 years and none that I’ve had restore normal hearing. I’m told that to get some aids that will do that, I have to pay an extra $3k “top up" from what DVA allow. However DVA do cover all the costs of basic aids here given I gave a gold card. ($5k) I sit in my own world unable to make out what people are saying anytime we are socialising and people are chatting. It isolates me enormously and certainly spoils a social occasion. I even read a book on my phone sometimes because to be honest I get bored sh!tless!

 

The inconvenience of having difficulty hearing in noisy situations is insignificant compared to things that may follow if you don’t protect yourself. I speak of Tinnitus and extreme Vertigo.

 

Those things can mess your day (and nights) up big time!

 

Please take this seriously and don’t risk your hearing, you don’t know how precious it is until it starts to fade.

[Larsongs]

Being in the Army & in Vietnam I never wore any kind of ear protection firing Weapons. Exposure to explosions happened frequently. There was no ear protection..

 

Of course I listened to music at loud levels... We all did.. No ear protection for that either...

 

I developed Tinnitus... Tried Hearing Aids but the constant Ringing in my ears just got louder.... I quit using almost immediately.

 

Anyone else have this problem? What did you do?

 

I do a lot of recording & mixing & wear Headphones a lot. How do you wear Hearing Aids & use Head Phones?

 

L

[Digger]

Being in the Army & in Vietnam I never wore any kind of ear protection firing Weapons. Exposure to explosions happened frequently. There was no ear protection..

 

Of course I listened to music at loud levels... We all did.. No ear protection for that either...

 

I developed Tinnitus... Tried Hearing Aids but the constant Ringing in my ears just got louder.... I quit using almost immediately.

 

Anyone else have this problem? What did you do?

 

I do a lot of recording & mixing & wear Headphones a lot. How do you wear Hearing Aids & use Head Phones?

 

L

 

 

Sounds familiar!

 

I simply don’t/can't use hearing aids when I wear headphones. Interestingly my tinnitus isn’t affected by headphones.

 

Sorry to hear of your problems ‘cause it isn’t nice.

[zigzag]

Bone conducting ear phones might be the answer for those with hearing aids.

 

Bone Conducting Ear Phones

[Retired]

I agree, I don't think they make a perfect set that restores your hearing to normal. I've worked at very loud places and 34 years at the Railroad which was extremely noisy. They had the best hearing protection on the market as they claimed but tons of workers all left, or retired with hearing loss. I was fortunate to be the last employee at Burlington Northern with a law suit for hearing loss and they paid for my Hearing aids as I proved my case. $7,000.00 (PHONAK) hearing aids. I got one for the right ear first, $3,500.00 and then the one for the left ear. Oh at first I thought, how Wonderfull, I can hear crickets and birds singing again. But they had lots of problems in noisy crowds. I heard everyone else talking and lost on my wife talking to me. Outside the wind blowing was like a tornado spinning in my ears. I went in and had Kathy adjust them many times on her computer which got better each time but then my hearing went down also over the 6 years. It's become like I have a microphone in my ears and still can't hear the dang TV. I've lost the high pitch sounds and hear mens voices much better than Women's. They sound like chipmunks chattering to me. I tell many, "Slow down, and talk slower and louder using your deepest voice." Ha ha. No, Of course not, their not going to do that. I won't answer the telephone anymore as I can never understand them and its turned full high volume. I use the speaker loud on the cell ph. That works. Restaurants? Like what Rob said, Everyones talking and I'm bored so get the ph. out and look up stuff. From 1976 hiring on Union Pacific RR to 2013 retiring at Burlington Northern RR plus the other places I worked from graduating H.S. in 1971, were all noisy. The drag racing in NHRA and all the gun collecting and target shooting didn't help much either. But I plan on playing guitars until I cant here anymore. One day I'll get them back in Heaven.