Advanced Rolling Stone syndrome; what shall I stick in my ear?
November 7, 2010 12:26 PM
Vanity and cheapskate-itude have kept me from from the audiologist until now, but it seems I'll have to get at least one hearing aid.
I've ransacked Google and some of AskMe but want the very latest info, especially on the best technology. I've had hearing tests within the last few years--they showed significant hearing loss, both ears, especially in the high registers--and I'll have another soon to update. But I have questions first.
My loss affects me most in two ways:
1. Hard to make out a speaker's voice in noisy places like parties and restaurants.
2. Hard to make out film and TV dialog, especially against noisy backgrounds or involving foreign accents. Sounds mushy or muddy.
Questions:
Is it best to get two aids rather than one if both ears are affected? Why?
Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
Or do they just make everything louder?
How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
If I spend thousands that I don't really have, will I be glad I did?
I've ransacked Google and some of AskMe but want the very latest info, especially on the best technology. I've had hearing tests within the last few years--they showed significant hearing loss, both ears, especially in the high registers--and I'll have another soon to update. But I have questions first.
My loss affects me most in two ways:
1. Hard to make out a speaker's voice in noisy places like parties and restaurants.
2. Hard to make out film and TV dialog, especially against noisy backgrounds or involving foreign accents. Sounds mushy or muddy.
Questions:
Is it best to get two aids rather than one if both ears are affected? Why?
Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
Or do they just make everything louder?
How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
If I spend thousands that I don't really have, will I be glad I did?
I have had two different sets of hearing aids. Both from Belltone. The first set cost a total of $3,000. They did help my hearing in quiet social interactions. But having them in when cooking and hearing the terribly loud noise when you put down a utensil was beyond the pale. And wadding up a sheet of paper was like a storm. I did not like them and gave up using them.
Two years ago I thought I'd try again with the most expensive/smallest hearing aids at a cost of $6,500 proved again that I don't like them. They work perfect at small dinner party social events. But in a large room of chatting people makes it impossible. I found that for watching TV that I got the best results from TV-Ears. Now I do not even have the sound of the TV on but use the TV Ears when I want to hear a program. I am not one that can withstand a TV blaring away if I am not watching it alone. So, for me hearing aids turned out to be a waste of money but I do know people that swear by them. So I guess it depends on the person. Costco does have some better prices and they are honest about the amount of help you might get.
I am not sure anyone can rely on the experience of another.
posted by JayRwv at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2010
Two years ago I thought I'd try again with the most expensive/smallest hearing aids at a cost of $6,500 proved again that I don't like them. They work perfect at small dinner party social events. But in a large room of chatting people makes it impossible. I found that for watching TV that I got the best results from TV-Ears. Now I do not even have the sound of the TV on but use the TV Ears when I want to hear a program. I am not one that can withstand a TV blaring away if I am not watching it alone. So, for me hearing aids turned out to be a waste of money but I do know people that swear by them. So I guess it depends on the person. Costco does have some better prices and they are honest about the amount of help you might get.
I am not sure anyone can rely on the experience of another.
posted by JayRwv at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2010
Also, there are lots of hearing aids available, not just behind-the-ear ones. You can go to beltone.com to see styles. I know there are other name brands of aids, but that's the only one I know off the top of my head, plus the website has good pictures of multiple hearing aid styles.
posted by christinetheslp at 1:03 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by christinetheslp at 1:03 PM on November 7, 2010
You are describing a typical case of environmental hearing loss, the kind the comes from living too long with loud sounds. In the parties you describe, you can't hear consonants... Only vowels, right?
Modern hearings aids re-map the frequencies you can't hear into the ones you can, and they do it instantaneously. The takes the "sss" sound, which is too high for you to perceive, and puts in the position of the highest sound that you CAN still appreciate, and your brain does the rest of the math.
Having one hearing aid would probably be like eyeglasses with one lens... Sorta helpful, but....
If you have the budget, I highly recommend you get a set of aids. They're not the clumsy, brute-force things your grandfather wore.
(I'll get mine as soon as the inconvenience overwhelms vanity)
posted by Cridland at 1:49 PM on November 7, 2010
Modern hearings aids re-map the frequencies you can't hear into the ones you can, and they do it instantaneously. The takes the "sss" sound, which is too high for you to perceive, and puts in the position of the highest sound that you CAN still appreciate, and your brain does the rest of the math.
Having one hearing aid would probably be like eyeglasses with one lens... Sorta helpful, but....
If you have the budget, I highly recommend you get a set of aids. They're not the clumsy, brute-force things your grandfather wore.
(I'll get mine as soon as the inconvenience overwhelms vanity)
posted by Cridland at 1:49 PM on November 7, 2010
I worked for an audiologist for a while and talked with her and our reps quite a bit. I'm not an audiologist. I do think a good one will happily answer all those questions. Belltone is not a brand I have heard spoken highly of. Open-ear hearing aids and BTE (behind the ear) units will help with the clogged sensation if they are sensible for your type of hearing loss. Binaural (two) hearing aids are always a more logical choice if you have loss in both ears - you wouldn't wear a monacle if you need glasses - same logic. Keeping them cleaned and tuned with regular visits (30 minutes tops) will help with hygene and adjusting to them - as well as using a dessicant (drying unit - not expensive) at night. Hearing aids do not restore your hearing to the same as when you were 25, though - managing your expectations will make your experience more pleasant - everyone has trouble hearing mumbles, understanding children and listening in crowds - but with multiple channel hearing aids you can adjust manually (or even automatically in some cases) your hearing aids will provide additional relief in very difficult situations.
Since cost is a concern - you often have a chance to finance your instruments with credit options at your chosen audiologist. In choosing the right one, I'd find out if she/he carries multiple brands or just one (I'd be wary of sears and belltone or other franchises but that might be prejudice) also find out if follow ups are free for the first year or so and if you can exchange your units within the first 30 or 60 days. Cost is pretty variable more features more money. The longer you go without hearing aids the harder and longer the adjustment period - it does take time and patience - but as hearing degrades so does your ability to interact with the world. Happy hearing!
posted by ten year lurk at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2010
Since cost is a concern - you often have a chance to finance your instruments with credit options at your chosen audiologist. In choosing the right one, I'd find out if she/he carries multiple brands or just one (I'd be wary of sears and belltone or other franchises but that might be prejudice) also find out if follow ups are free for the first year or so and if you can exchange your units within the first 30 or 60 days. Cost is pretty variable more features more money. The longer you go without hearing aids the harder and longer the adjustment period - it does take time and patience - but as hearing degrades so does your ability to interact with the world. Happy hearing!
posted by ten year lurk at 1:51 PM on November 7, 2010
I have moderate-to-severe hearing loss and have worn hearing aids for as long as I've been alive (34 years) so here's my take:
> Is it best to get two aids rather than one if both ears are affected? Why?
Yes. As a child I had two behind-the-ear hearing aids, but due to vanity I limped along with only one in high school and college. Now I'm back to two in-the-canal hearing aids.
Having experienced both worlds, two hearing aids are far superior.
(For a while it was common to only use one hearing aid but binaural hearing aids have been growing in popularity as people have realized how much better that system is.)
> Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
As others have already said, all hearing aids will be tuned based on your hearing loss.
> How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
While I'm still somewhat young and grew up with them, my experience has been that it's extremely easy to keep hearing aids clean and there is no hygiene problem. The main analogy I can think of is that it's no more troublesome than keeping eyeglasses clean -- assuming you didn't even have to clean the lenses.
As for having something stuck in your ear all the time, keep in mind that all hearing aids are ventilated so it's not at all like wearing earplugs or headphones all day. That said, I still do take them out at work sometimes, and often if I'm at home alone, but that's mainly because I seem to have a lower tolerance for noise than other people. (Probably because I grew up hard of hearing...)
> Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
Behind-the-ear aids are able to be more powerful than in-the-ear hearing aids. Beyond that my experience is that they're equally good, although in-the-ear aids are a bit more subtle IMHO.
> As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
About $1,000 - $3,000 each last time I checked
> What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
I get about 1.5 weeks out of each 312 battery, and they're about $1 each. So probably about $50-100 a year.
> Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
Yes, they really help. In a world without hearing aids I would likely be on social security or in some minimum wage labor job. Instead, I'm a highly educated software engineer making ~$150k and loving life.
In my lifetime I've only had three different hearing aids (or sets of) and while I've had to go back to get them adjusted (or, as a child, get new molds made as my ear grew) periodically, it's been a once-every-few-years thing. That said, this is an area where peoples' experiences will probably widely vary.
posted by GoldenShackles at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2010
> Is it best to get two aids rather than one if both ears are affected? Why?
Yes. As a child I had two behind-the-ear hearing aids, but due to vanity I limped along with only one in high school and college. Now I'm back to two in-the-canal hearing aids.
Having experienced both worlds, two hearing aids are far superior.
(For a while it was common to only use one hearing aid but binaural hearing aids have been growing in popularity as people have realized how much better that system is.)
> Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
As others have already said, all hearing aids will be tuned based on your hearing loss.
> How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
While I'm still somewhat young and grew up with them, my experience has been that it's extremely easy to keep hearing aids clean and there is no hygiene problem. The main analogy I can think of is that it's no more troublesome than keeping eyeglasses clean -- assuming you didn't even have to clean the lenses.
As for having something stuck in your ear all the time, keep in mind that all hearing aids are ventilated so it's not at all like wearing earplugs or headphones all day. That said, I still do take them out at work sometimes, and often if I'm at home alone, but that's mainly because I seem to have a lower tolerance for noise than other people. (Probably because I grew up hard of hearing...)
> Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
Behind-the-ear aids are able to be more powerful than in-the-ear hearing aids. Beyond that my experience is that they're equally good, although in-the-ear aids are a bit more subtle IMHO.
> As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
About $1,000 - $3,000 each last time I checked
> What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
I get about 1.5 weeks out of each 312 battery, and they're about $1 each. So probably about $50-100 a year.
> Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
Yes, they really help. In a world without hearing aids I would likely be on social security or in some minimum wage labor job. Instead, I'm a highly educated software engineer making ~$150k and loving life.
In my lifetime I've only had three different hearing aids (or sets of) and while I've had to go back to get them adjusted (or, as a child, get new molds made as my ear grew) periodically, it's been a once-every-few-years thing. That said, this is an area where peoples' experiences will probably widely vary.
posted by GoldenShackles at 2:54 PM on November 7, 2010
My mom has autoimmune-related hearing loss and started wearing hearing aids about 12 years ago, when she was in her late 40's. She's had 3 different pairs since then. When she first gets a new pair, it takes several visits to the audiologist to get them programmed exactly right. This makes me think that a key thing with hearing aids is having a competent and thorough audiologist, who can recommend the right pair and take the time to program them properly.
She and I have discussed hearing aids a lot, and we agree that the kind that look like a lump of flesh-colored putty sticking out of your ear are kind of gross. She has the behind-the-ear ones, which are hidden by her hair. It's weird that she has to hold her phone *behind* hear ear, instead of *to* her ear, but that's a small price to pay to be able to hear.
posted by jillsy_sloper at 3:06 PM on November 7, 2010
She and I have discussed hearing aids a lot, and we agree that the kind that look like a lump of flesh-colored putty sticking out of your ear are kind of gross. She has the behind-the-ear ones, which are hidden by her hair. It's weird that she has to hold her phone *behind* hear ear, instead of *to* her ear, but that's a small price to pay to be able to hear.
posted by jillsy_sloper at 3:06 PM on November 7, 2010
These are very helpful answers and I appreciate them mightily. Please add more if you can. Thanks!
posted by fivesavagepalms at 4:17 PM on November 7, 2010
posted by fivesavagepalms at 4:17 PM on November 7, 2010
I think everyone has covered what I would say... I have worn them since I was 4, and I am now 35. You should wear two. The monocle to glasses comparison is apt. I wear CIC (completely-in-the-canal) hearing aids and I have known people for multiple years who suddenly "discover" I have hearing aids. I don't know what the vanity issue would be.
Go to your audiologist frequently if need be to get them adjusted. Stick with wearing them! My Dad doesn't wear his for more than a few hours and complains about sounds being too loud. Those are the sounds of the world. If you wear them for a few days straight, you'll be fine. When one breaks, I send it off for repairs and I don't hear out of one ear for a few days or a week. When I get the hearing aid back and put it in, things seem louder and brighter, but the sensation passes after a day or so. Your brain can rapidly adjust.
Good luck.
posted by Slothrop at 7:14 PM on November 7, 2010
Go to your audiologist frequently if need be to get them adjusted. Stick with wearing them! My Dad doesn't wear his for more than a few hours and complains about sounds being too loud. Those are the sounds of the world. If you wear them for a few days straight, you'll be fine. When one breaks, I send it off for repairs and I don't hear out of one ear for a few days or a week. When I get the hearing aid back and put it in, things seem louder and brighter, but the sensation passes after a day or so. Your brain can rapidly adjust.
Good luck.
posted by Slothrop at 7:14 PM on November 7, 2010
Is it best to get two aids rather than one if both ears are affected? Why?
You'll want two aids-- it'll help you locate sounds in your immediate area more easily, and the overall experience is more like your natural hearing. I've got the opposite of your kind of loss-- mine's all low-frequency-- and the week I spent without my right HA this month sucked. Everything was harder to hear and I got crankier and tireder trying to keep up at work.
Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
When you go to the audiologist, they'll conduct a number of tests and come up with an audiogram that depicts your precise loss. From there, they'll pick a few HAs that will work for you, show you your options, and help you decide on a make and model. It'll get ordered, you'll go back in, and they'll input your audiogram into the software provided by that manufacturer, hook up the aids, and program them.
You'll have to go back a few times initially to get all the kinks worked out, but once they're programmed and tweaked, they're very hard to notice.
Or do they just make everything louder?
Nah. They adjust specific frequencies to compensate for the hearing you've lost.
How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
Not that I've noticed so far, two months into my first pair of aids. I have a pair of Phonak Audeo SMART behind-the-ear aids, with domed receivers in the canal, and they came with extra wax traps to fit in the domes when the provided ones get nasty, instructions for cleaning them, and a little wire-loop-and-brush dingus for cleaning the domes and the attachment point.
The receiver domes themselves are really light silicone with giant vents in them-- you can see the sorts of domes Phonak uses here (click on the pic to make it bigger). I haven't tried CIC aids and can't comment on the experience there, but I barely notice my BTEs.
Also, every audiologist on the planet appears to be awash in earwax removal kits, bulb syringes, and the like. They can and will hook you up with as much gear as you require to keep your ears cleaned out, because it's easier to help you keep your ears clean than it is to keep fixing wax-clogged HAs.
Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
I like mine, although I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with them longterm-- but that's because some of my audiologist's patients with low-freq losses have had better luck with CICs. Keep in mind that over 90% of the folks with aids have high-freq losses; the technology is, generally, designed and constantly refined to accomodate you guys' losses.
As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
The price list at my audiologist ran about $1400-4200 per unit (not per pair), depending on manufacturer, model, and make. Every manufacturer has a bunch of models that come in different makes-- a really basic model, a mid-level one, and a top-of-the-line one. A good audiologist will steer you to the right feature level and not just the priciest one. (My aids are the economy version of the Audeo SMART, but the flashy tech is built for high-freq losses, so it'd be wasted on me. They cost $1900 apiece. I'm in SoCal, so I probably have a little markup added on that.)
The cheapest aids get without insurance is at Costco; if you go that route, make sure you hit a few different stores to find the audiologist you get on with best. You might want to look into Hear NOW and any local resources that could help you foot the bill (google "hearing aid assistance" for leads).
What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
Costco's going to be your cheapest option-- $9.39 for a pack of 30, any size. Hit up someone with a membership or grab a one-day pass. I think I've gone through ten batteries total in two months, so, what, about $20 a year if I keep going at this rate. Your audiologist will probably foot you a couple packs, too, when you pick your aids up and get them fitted.
Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
So far, I've been to the audiologist about once a week for the last two months, give or take, getting mine adjusted. I've had one of them sent back to Phonak for repairs; it came back inside of a week and it's been solid ever since, once we got it re-fitted. Phonak has been absolutely fantastic to deal with whenever my audiologist calls them for advice-- they'll spend an hour on the phone just helping hash out settings and so on. I haven't had to pay for an adjustment visit at all during the trial period (60 days; they footed me about two weeks' extra, since one of them was defective from the get-go-- which I suspect is actually pretty rare).
At the moment, I'm wearing mine about 12 hours a day and I don't really notice them. We had some initial problems getting my right ear fitted properly, and that was annoying as hell, but the other audiologist at the practice collaborated with mine and with the Phonak support agent and we've got it licked now. If ANYTHING seems off to you with it, you should bother your audi ASAP and make them make it right. You should be able to wear the things comfortably and not notice them; they should just work.
I expect I'll eventually go back in and consider upgrading or changing models-- but that's pretty much because the science is evolving all the time, and if something comes out that's better, I'll want to check it out. I doubt I'll be getting new ones every year; other MeFites have cited going 5-8 years between changes in other questions. I'm kind of trying to treat it like upgrading a computer-- a sunk cost with occasional updates.
If I spend thousands that I don't really have, will I be glad I did?
I think you'll be glad to know that you can seek local and national resources for assistance with the cost, and that a good audiologist will bend over backwards to make the aids work for you. I can't make a blanket assurance, obviously; there are folks in this thread who hate their aids, and there are folks who roll with it.
(Last week's audi visit started with a woman sweeping out of the fitting area and fixing my audi with a glare: "...so you're saying I HAVE to wear these THINGS six hours a day to get used to them? You don't think I could do it on just THREE? Maybe FOUR hours a day, tops?" "...no, that's not going to work." "We'll SEE." Don't be that patient, but do try to accept that the first month is going to be all about rolling with it and making tiny adjustments.)
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:31 PM on November 7, 2010
You'll want two aids-- it'll help you locate sounds in your immediate area more easily, and the overall experience is more like your natural hearing. I've got the opposite of your kind of loss-- mine's all low-frequency-- and the week I spent without my right HA this month sucked. Everything was harder to hear and I got crankier and tireder trying to keep up at work.
Are there particular aids that specifically improve certain kinds of loss, such as the high notes, or correct the troubles described above?
When you go to the audiologist, they'll conduct a number of tests and come up with an audiogram that depicts your precise loss. From there, they'll pick a few HAs that will work for you, show you your options, and help you decide on a make and model. It'll get ordered, you'll go back in, and they'll input your audiogram into the software provided by that manufacturer, hook up the aids, and program them.
You'll have to go back a few times initially to get all the kinks worked out, but once they're programmed and tweaked, they're very hard to notice.
Or do they just make everything louder?
Nah. They adjust specific frequencies to compensate for the hearing you've lost.
How to avoid the yuckiness and stuffed-up-ness that I imagine comes with having something stuck in your ear all the time? Does a hygiene problem come with hearing aids?
Not that I've noticed so far, two months into my first pair of aids. I have a pair of Phonak Audeo SMART behind-the-ear aids, with domed receivers in the canal, and they came with extra wax traps to fit in the domes when the provided ones get nasty, instructions for cleaning them, and a little wire-loop-and-brush dingus for cleaning the domes and the attachment point.
The receiver domes themselves are really light silicone with giant vents in them-- you can see the sorts of domes Phonak uses here (click on the pic to make it bigger). I haven't tried CIC aids and can't comment on the experience there, but I barely notice my BTEs.
Also, every audiologist on the planet appears to be awash in earwax removal kits, bulb syringes, and the like. They can and will hook you up with as much gear as you require to keep your ears cleaned out, because it's easier to help you keep your ears clean than it is to keep fixing wax-clogged HAs.
Are the newer behind-the-ear aids good, the ones with little wired speakers?
I like mine, although I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with them longterm-- but that's because some of my audiologist's patients with low-freq losses have had better luck with CICs. Keep in mind that over 90% of the folks with aids have high-freq losses; the technology is, generally, designed and constantly refined to accomodate you guys' losses.
As a certified old fart, I get Medicare, but it doesn't pay for hearing care. What will a good one cost?
The price list at my audiologist ran about $1400-4200 per unit (not per pair), depending on manufacturer, model, and make. Every manufacturer has a bunch of models that come in different makes-- a really basic model, a mid-level one, and a top-of-the-line one. A good audiologist will steer you to the right feature level and not just the priciest one. (My aids are the economy version of the Audeo SMART, but the flashy tech is built for high-freq losses, so it'd be wasted on me. They cost $1900 apiece. I'm in SoCal, so I probably have a little markup added on that.)
The cheapest aids get without insurance is at Costco; if you go that route, make sure you hit a few different stores to find the audiologist you get on with best. You might want to look into Hear NOW and any local resources that could help you foot the bill (google "hearing aid assistance" for leads).
What's the annual cost of replacement batteries?
Costco's going to be your cheapest option-- $9.39 for a pack of 30, any size. Hit up someone with a membership or grab a one-day pass. I think I've gone through ten batteries total in two months, so, what, about $20 a year if I keep going at this rate. Your audiologist will probably foot you a couple packs, too, when you pick your aids up and get them fitted.
Please tell me your experience with hearing aids. Do they really help? Does the first one usually work out, or do you have to keep going back and trying new ones to get the best effect?
So far, I've been to the audiologist about once a week for the last two months, give or take, getting mine adjusted. I've had one of them sent back to Phonak for repairs; it came back inside of a week and it's been solid ever since, once we got it re-fitted. Phonak has been absolutely fantastic to deal with whenever my audiologist calls them for advice-- they'll spend an hour on the phone just helping hash out settings and so on. I haven't had to pay for an adjustment visit at all during the trial period (60 days; they footed me about two weeks' extra, since one of them was defective from the get-go-- which I suspect is actually pretty rare).
At the moment, I'm wearing mine about 12 hours a day and I don't really notice them. We had some initial problems getting my right ear fitted properly, and that was annoying as hell, but the other audiologist at the practice collaborated with mine and with the Phonak support agent and we've got it licked now. If ANYTHING seems off to you with it, you should bother your audi ASAP and make them make it right. You should be able to wear the things comfortably and not notice them; they should just work.
I expect I'll eventually go back in and consider upgrading or changing models-- but that's pretty much because the science is evolving all the time, and if something comes out that's better, I'll want to check it out. I doubt I'll be getting new ones every year; other MeFites have cited going 5-8 years between changes in other questions. I'm kind of trying to treat it like upgrading a computer-- a sunk cost with occasional updates.
If I spend thousands that I don't really have, will I be glad I did?
I think you'll be glad to know that you can seek local and national resources for assistance with the cost, and that a good audiologist will bend over backwards to make the aids work for you. I can't make a blanket assurance, obviously; there are folks in this thread who hate their aids, and there are folks who roll with it.
(Last week's audi visit started with a woman sweeping out of the fitting area and fixing my audi with a glare: "...so you're saying I HAVE to wear these THINGS six hours a day to get used to them? You don't think I could do it on just THREE? Maybe FOUR hours a day, tops?" "...no, that's not going to work." "We'll SEE." Don't be that patient, but do try to accept that the first month is going to be all about rolling with it and making tiny adjustments.)
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:31 PM on November 7, 2010
Oh, right, vanity. Personally, vanity is not my concern-- if they could make the things bigger and maybe in safety orange so everyone else knew to speak the hell up around me, that'd be great. But, since it is a concern for other people, Mr. F and I grabbed a couple pics of one of my aids.
Side-on. If you look right above the opening to my ear canal, there's a few pixels there that are whiter than the others. That's the receiver wire.
Behind my ear. Obviously, I'm trying to make it apparent here. With my ear not folded down, you can't really tell.
And, yes, mine are chrome silver and black-- but yours don't have to be. The things come in all manner of colors designed to match hair and skin alike; I just liked the silver.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:48 PM on November 7, 2010
Side-on. If you look right above the opening to my ear canal, there's a few pixels there that are whiter than the others. That's the receiver wire.
Behind my ear. Obviously, I'm trying to make it apparent here. With my ear not folded down, you can't really tell.
And, yes, mine are chrome silver and black-- but yours don't have to be. The things come in all manner of colors designed to match hair and skin alike; I just liked the silver.
posted by fairytale of los angeles at 11:48 PM on November 7, 2010
Just want to say thanks again for your candid and generous suggestions.
You're right, fairytale, the vanity thing is dumb, and I kind of like the silver and black ones.
I'll keep checking back in case anyone else has ideas.
You're the best.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 5:43 AM on November 8, 2010
You're right, fairytale, the vanity thing is dumb, and I kind of like the silver and black ones.
I'll keep checking back in case anyone else has ideas.
You're the best.
posted by fivesavagepalms at 5:43 AM on November 8, 2010
Not much to add to what everyone else wrote about the experience - yes, they do help, and no, not as much as I'd like. But enough that I wear them any time I'm not alone.
A few things about the cost: I think whoever sells them to you has to let you return them within 30 days. I'm not sure, but it's worth checking. If you hate them, get a refund.
They're not like glasses - if your hearing changes in a year or two, the audiologist just reprograms them. Given that I'm careful enough not to drop mine in a toilet, or lose them, or leave them out where the cat chew on them (cats like earwax, so that's actually a danger), I completely expect mine to last at least 10 years. Even at $3000 each, that ends up being cheaper than the number of glasses I'll go through in that time.
Given that audiologists can program them and the BTEs just have replaceable domes, you can sometimes get used ones (a good audiologist might even have them) and get them programmed for you.
Definitely go to a real audiologist, not a hearing aid dealer. The dealers have a reputation for being crooks, and at least in my experience, it's justified.
Good luck.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2010
A few things about the cost: I think whoever sells them to you has to let you return them within 30 days. I'm not sure, but it's worth checking. If you hate them, get a refund.
They're not like glasses - if your hearing changes in a year or two, the audiologist just reprograms them. Given that I'm careful enough not to drop mine in a toilet, or lose them, or leave them out where the cat chew on them (cats like earwax, so that's actually a danger), I completely expect mine to last at least 10 years. Even at $3000 each, that ends up being cheaper than the number of glasses I'll go through in that time.
Given that audiologists can program them and the BTEs just have replaceable domes, you can sometimes get used ones (a good audiologist might even have them) and get them programmed for you.
Definitely go to a real audiologist, not a hearing aid dealer. The dealers have a reputation for being crooks, and at least in my experience, it's justified.
Good luck.
posted by still_wears_a_hat at 2:31 PM on November 8, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
I've never had hearing aids, but I've worked with kids who have them, and it does make a difference to them. It won't restore your hearing to the way it was when you were twenty, but it does help.
posted by christinetheslp at 1:02 PM on November 7, 2010