Looks like it's time for hearing aids!

[HackneyRF]

Just got home from a hearing test. My hearing has been gradually deteriorating in recent years so I now find conversation tricky (that's problematic at work) social events are a challenge and worst of all music has become bit flat and dull. Been advised that it's time for hearing aids. I dare say a fair few here are using hearing aids already so just wondering how you've all got on with them? Any advice you might have would be appreciated as it's a bit of of minefield out there. Obviously having a better music experience if possible is pretty important to me so aids that can help with that to some extent would be good so don't mind paying a bit more for that.

All the best

Loz

[walpurgis]

I'm partly deaf, but in no rush to consider hearing aids. The way I see it, is that hearing impairment tends to be from wear and tear. The regions where hearing is impaired are those where levels are boosted by hearing aids, thereby causing more wear and tear right where you don't need it and ultimately making you deafer. Just my opinion.

[PeteT]

I can only imagine that this must be somewhat frustrating for you...

I'm guessing a lot of the hearing aids out there are either not suited to the user they're sold to, or aren't as good as they claim... [emoji33]

A fair number of folks I've known use them have spent much time not bothering to put them in...

And as they're often in excess of £1k, I find that odd...

Perhaps the initial improvement when trying them in the shop is marked, but for day to day use, I wonder if they're all quite as good as initial tests seem. Or do people just get lazy with them.?

I'd would thus suggest that they need a good home trial, just like an amp or speakers etc, especially as it's important to you that they work well for listening to your music..!

Currently added issues are mask wearing, and worse still, with glasses... Mrs T has recently got hearing aids, and is always getting the 3 things in a tangle.

Good luck.!



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[struth]

could try nuraphone headphones. they adjust sound to your hearing to an extent and have certainly improved my sound to point im happy just with them now. got a feeling you can now hire them too. Aussie auologist that invented them i think.

[Pigmy Pony]

I'm partly deaf, but in no rush to consider hearing aids. The way I see it, is that hearing impairment tends to be from wear and tear. The regions where hearing is impaired are those where levels are boosted by hearing aids, thereby causing more wear and tear right where you don't need it and ultimately making you deafer. Just my opinion.

I would agree with this.

A lot of us 'oldies' will suffer impaired hearing (high tone deafness), as we grew up in a time when the effects of loud music, motorcycle riding, noise in the workplace, etc weren't understood.

As Geoff is probably suggesting, boosting the higher frequencies to compensate would surely further damage our hearing in the same way as the original cause.

I can hear bugger all above about 5kHz, but I'd rather live with that than pay a fortune to risk making it worse.

[HackneyRF]

Some interesting points. Thanks. Having a cursory read around the idea of them causing further deterioration doesn't throw up much evidence. Having said that most of the information I've found comes from websites with an interest in promoting them! I guess I need to weigh up how much benefit it will give me now as opposed to sitting it out to point where my hearing may no longer be so redeemable. It's a cruel world where as a younger man I couldn't possibly afford higher end HiFi, but now that I could it would most likely be pointless given my ageing faculties. Its seems most of the major suppliers do a 90 day money back guarantee so could 'try at home'. I'm going to give myself plenty of time before making any decision

[Pigmy Pony]

Perhaps you could do something with your set up to boost the higher frequencies, and hope the dog doesn't pack his bags and leave. Might sound awful to others, but if it's just you listening, great.

[HackneyRF]

An update. I've had hearing aids on trial for 3 weeks or so now. So far I can say that there are some improvements for day to day hearing. I can hear my wife a lot better, conversations in groups are clearer, restaurants and public spaces are less problematic although at the football a week ago it was too much so had to take them out! Listening to music, although not a revelation, is certainly more enjoyable. However I need more time with that as not had much opportunity to sit and listen.

They are automatically adaptable to the environment i am in but i can adjust them manually via an app on my phone. I wear glasses and have to wear masks at work still so it can be fiddly but I've worked out a strategy for that so its not really too much bother. Battery life is not good, they rarely get me through my working day. They are on trial for 60 days so if I decide not to have them I get a full refund. It seems i can keep on changing brands of hearing aids until i find the right one, each with a 60 day trial. They are not cheap by the way! Given the cost I'm still undecided but will say I've taken more positives than negatives from them so far.

[struth]

thats good your seeing some improvement. probably worth trying a few tho as some may be even better for you.

[Pigmy Pony]

I might take the surgical route
https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/614n2RoYFSL._AC_UL320_.jpg

[HackneyRF]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6EzVu7cY3Jw

Ear glasses and a thing apparently!

[archiesdad]

I wear a pair of ‘cooncil’ hearing aids, it’s that or constantly say ‘pardon’ or miss stuff, ‘cooncil’ mean free NHS aids, quite unobtrusive even on a baldie, I hear my music so much better with then in, FREE tests, FREE batteries, and and annual adjustment if required. Got to worth trying surely, or you too posh to make use of the NHS, what do have to lose?

[HackneyRF]

I wear a pair of ‘cooncil’ hearing aids, it’s that or constantly say ‘pardon’ or miss stuff, ‘cooncil’ mean free NHS aids, quite unobtrusive even on a baldie, I hear my music so much better with then in, FREE tests, FREE batteries, and and annual adjustment if required. Got to worth trying surely, or you too posh to make use of the NHS, what do have to lose?

Erm...thanks for the heads up. But really, 'or you too posh to make use of the NHS'? What an odd thing to write!

[archiesdad]

Sorry if I have offended you, not my intention, but I know a couple of people who “ I couldn’t wear those hearing aids like yours, I had to go to ******* and buy invisible in ear aids, so much nicer”.
*******, several retail outlets will charge thousands of £s for hidden aids, no better in performance I believe, I get 6 or 7 days from batteries in mine btw. Anyway, hope you get sorted, regardless of the route you take.

[Pigmy Pony]

Are there differences in performance? Surely there must be. In fact I would expect the 'invisible' types to be sonically inferior. There should be comparative reviews in the hifi press, after all as we age and our hearing gets knackered, the loudspeakers aren't necessarily the last link in the chain.

[HackneyRF]

Sorry if I have offended you, not my intention, but I know a couple of people who “ I couldn’t wear those hearing aids like yours, I had to go to ******* and buy invisible in ear aids, so much nicer”.
*******, several retail outlets will charge thousands of £s for hidden aids, no better in performance I believe, I get 6 or 7 days from batteries in mine btw. Anyway, hope you get sorted, regardless of the route you take.

No worries Martin. Intent and meaning are often lost/misunderstood on social media. In fact you’ve given me something to look into. I work in the NHS yet wasn’t aware that someone of my age (55) might be eligible for NHS hearing aids. It seems I am and need a referral from my GP for them. Thanks for that.

[struth]

my brother had a single nhs one that he used for a while on and off. he never really got used to it and preferred to be part deaf on on side; usually the side his wife was on ;)

[archiesdad]

My good deed for the day, eventually, my main worry the first time I came home with them was, will the hifi still sound ok, it did.