Advice on Hearing Aids

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#2078393 24-Aug-2018 11:38

@grenow - fascinating. I have total hearing loss on right side, and swimmer's ear on the left which no EMT surgeon will touch do to the other side hearing loss. Have been thinking about hearing aids for a while but only the fancy ones that simulate both-side hearing - I believe your brain can learn to distinguish direction with these.

Very interested to hear how you get on with the buds, in particular in hearing aid mode. Also hoping there's an Android equivalent.

[edit]

In other words, what I am looking for is CROS technology where the aid/bud in the deaf ear has a microphone and can transmit across to the aid/bud in the left hear. Don't mind if it needs the phone to do the heacy lifting/signal processing as I'm welded to the damn thing anyway.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CROS_hearing_aid

grenow

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#2078398 24-Aug-2018 11:44

kryptonjohn:

Very interested to hear how you get on with the buds, in particular in hearing aid mode. Also hoping there's an Android equivalent.

I don't know if the IQbuds will help with direction if you have total loss in one ear, but they certainly do have an Android app. My Apple-related links are only because that's the ecosystem I'm in... ;-)

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#2078412 24-Aug-2018 11:55

I see you can buy an individual Boost:

which is interesting as with no right side hearing and if no CROS technology there's no benefit in fitting one in my right ear? Not sure if you can operate just one?

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#2078422 24-Aug-2018 12:00

Mine don't switch on until both earbuds are in place - so not sure whether or how you can make one work. You should probably ask them...

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#2078680 24-Aug-2018 17:41

I am not a Dr - but I'd be very very cautious about poking anything into an ear canal when you've got "swimmer's ear". I'm just guessing that something like the devices above which plug the external canal could be asking for big trouble. See a doctor/specialist. Don't experiment blindly with devices as above (although those things look like they could be an excellent solution for other people's needs).

Yes - although you don't get stereo location with CROS aids, they still help with sound location and conversation. My sister has them. If the hearing loss in the bad ear is conductive (the inner ear works), there may be better solutions (BAHA - but expensive and requires surgery for implantation of an abutment).

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#2078682 24-Aug-2018 17:47

Fair point I'm overdue to see my ENT guy so will ask. As I recall the constriction is far enough down that it should be fine... He's always encouraged me to push in the shaped plastic plugs for swimming. Ear buds don't fit into the ear canal anyway do they?

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#2078685 24-Aug-2018 18:06

kryptonjohn: Fair point I'm overdue to see my ENT guy so will ask. As I recall the constriction is far enough down that it should be fine... He's always encouraged me to push in the shaped plastic plugs for swimming. Ear buds don't fit into the ear canal anyway do they?

Yeah they do - right in the old lughole.
He probably wants you to plug the lughole to stop water and pathogens getting in when swimming - but presumably that's not for long periods of time. Plugging them for long periods of time is going to reduce airflow, keeping the inside of the lughole moist, damp, warm and stopping the hairs/lining from shedding/expelling stuff, so if there's something infected already in there, my guess is it's going to make things worse.

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#2078697 24-Aug-2018 18:30

Just on a general note, I read an article a while ago about the hearing aid business. How it is basically one of the last great monopolies where simple signal processors which really cost little to make are able to be marketed as medical devices in the multi-thousands of dollars.

Perhaps somewhat of a simplification but I would expect the later baby boomers, having grown up with technology, to wise up to this in the same way they have to the reading glass market.

psychrn

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#2832591 15-Dec-2021 01:09

Ive had hearing aides for several years and need them for my Job as an RN In Mental health.

My last set was a Resound set costing around the 6 K mark and honestly didn't really cut the mustard. They are mid range technical quality for sure but I was never really happy with them.

Last week I went to the Audika Clinic (Hamilton) and have now got the Oticon More 1 set. Top of the Line and am quite happy with it so far. BT connection with phone, meaning streaming for calls and Media such as spotify for listening to music.

There was an article posted on Geekzone some months ago which talked about these aides as well.

Honestly you get what you paid for

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#2832655 15-Dec-2021 07:20

I have had hearing aids for just over a year now and have found them great - hearing when in noisey situations greatly improved. Also listening to live music is so much better - I hear instruments that I had completely completely missed before. Integration with my phone also a benefit when using the phone. Also using the app on the phone to change settings when in different environments is very convenient. So very pleased with them despite the steep cost.

I would strongly recommend getting aids with rechargeable battery - I went through helping my mother with aids some years ago and she struggled to use them and often the problem was a flat battery and then trying to replace the battery which because of their tiny size was not easy for her. Also dropping and losing the battery which then became a hazard for her small great grand children as they are a very significant problem if swallowed by a child.

My aids are Oticon and although I rate then highly they have failed and had to be completely replaced twice now - this has been under warranty so at no cost to me. I have changed the charging unit to one that is an enclosed unit that charges and "dries" them when charging overnight. Hope is that this may help with the unit failures I have had.

Also I went to an independent audiologist (owner operated) rather than one of the big groups as I sense that there was less of a sales and marketing approach.

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#2832674 15-Dec-2021 08:30

Sorry to hijack this thread but I wanted to ask this from people wearing hearing aids

My mother in law have uses an Oticon. Is it normal for a hearing aid to have a consistent hiss? She finds this quite irritating and
has never adjusted to ignore this consistent hiss. Hence does not wear it.

I can hear the hiss, when I put it close to my ears. I was expecting silence in a quiet room, and only amplifying when there is noise- ie people speaking, TV or other transients like doors closing,

Thanks

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#2832680 15-Dec-2021 08:45

qwertee:

Sorry to hijack this thread but I wanted to ask this from people wearing hearing aids

My mother in law have uses an Oticon. Is it normal for a hearing aid to have a consistent hiss? She finds this quite irritating and
has never adjusted to ignore this consistent hiss. Hence does not wear it.

I can hear the hiss, when I put it close to my ears. I was expecting silence in a quiet room, and only amplifying when there is noise- ie people speaking, TV or other transients like doors closing,

Thanks

My right ear aid developed a noticeable hiss, even my wife could hear it. I took off the dome made sure there was no wax in it and it seemed to have fixed it. If it continues Id go back to your audiologist. Im going to one later today for a check up after 1 week of the new aides ill ask about this problem too.

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qwertee

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#2832687 15-Dec-2021 09:01

psychrn:

qwertee:

Sorry to hijack this thread but I wanted to ask this from people wearing hearing aids

My mother in law have uses an Oticon. Is it normal for a hearing aid to have a consistent hiss? She finds this quite irritating and
has never adjusted to ignore this consistent hiss. Hence does not wear it.

I can hear the hiss, when I put it close to my ears. I was expecting silence in a quiet room, and only amplifying when there is noise- ie people speaking, TV or other transients like doors closing,

Thanks

My right ear aid developed a noticeable hiss, even my wife could hear it. I took off the dome made sure there was no wax in it and it seemed to have fixed it. If it continues Id go back to your audiologist. Im going to one later today for a check up after 1 week of the new aides ill ask about this problem too.

Thanks @psychrn

This was after a 'tune-up' at the Audiologist.

Look forward to hear about your findings.

eracode

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#2832697 15-Dec-2021 09:19

It's interesting and coincidental that this thread has been revived. I was the OP here three years ago - and just in the last few days my 'family member' - actually Mrs Code - is reporting the problem again. We're back where we were in 2018 - so she's going for another ear-clean and we'll take it from there.

Sometimes I just sit and think. Other times I just sit.

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#2832763 15-Dec-2021 11:15

qwertee:

Sorry to hijack this thread but I wanted to ask this from people wearing hearing aids

My mother in law have uses an Oticon. Is it normal for a hearing aid to have a consistent hiss? She finds this quite irritating and
has never adjusted to ignore this consistent hiss. Hence does not wear it.

I can hear the hiss, when I put it close to my ears. I was expecting silence in a quiet room, and only amplifying when there is noise- ie people speaking, TV or other transients like doors closing,

Thanks

No this should not be the case. I would definitely be going back to the audiologist to have this checked.

I am completely unaware of my Oticon aids when wearing them - I put them in on getting up and take them out to charge overnight. I have tinnitus which is common and this is present whether the aid is in or out. There should be no hiss.

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