hearing

[budgie98]

This is what made my left ear pop and become temporarily deaf when the mags and prop pitch were being tested.

 

[trvlr]

I had two lots/two generations of Sebotek (US brand developed via Germany) which I bought when visiting the US; mini speaker actually in the ear and connected via a very fine wire to the capsule behind the ear. They were "very expensive"... No matter how well they were set up the right ear was never satisfactory - serious loss in right ear, and about 20% down in left. Push them to hard and there was the inevitable howl round/feed back and the right ear was never loud enuff as a result. A neighbour nudged me to try the NHS and they were/are much better. First set were via Hear Base and then when they dropped out was switched to Spec Savers. The set I get from them are fine; infact the best ever so far. As with Hear Base I get free batteries and allegedly the capsules will be replaced every two years. Though fair to say I had a minor problem with both capsule a few months apart and they were replaced FOC by Spec Savers. SomeSpec Saver outlets privide Blutooth version for NHS but thus far my local one doesn't; and I'm not about to pay £1500 to get a pair that are Bluetooth.

 

[Yojevol]

Do not be afraid to ask people on the phone, especially, business, to speak up and speak slower! Best to always make a quick statement about your condition at the beginning of the tele conversation. In this day and age, business has to be sympathetic! Domestically, ask family, friends, contacts, for their own sake as well as yours, to look at you when speaking, to be in same room, as you and to use simple, `sign language`, where possible, along with speech. I started to check hearing aids online already some time ago, still haven't made the final step yet.

Do take the plunge. The standard NHS aids are very good but it can take months to get through the process. Going private can speed things up. It can also take months for you to get used to them. Aids are not perfect and varying performance in different situations can be frustrating. You will still be reliant on the non-audible cues you mention.
There are practicalities to take into account. The shape of your ear canals may influence the choice of earpiece. The size of the aid will determine the size of battery. My latest NHS Phonaks are nice and discreet but the batteries only last 5 days compared with 11 for my previous ones. Also they're small and fiddly. Rechargeable aids are available if you go private. Do you wear glasses? The physical interaction between glasses and aids.can be a problem as I know to my cost. I've lost 4 but the NHS provides an efficient replacement service, at least in my area it does.
Brian

 

[Jacob]

Do take the plunge. The standard NHS aids are very good but it can take months to get through the process. Going private can speed things up. It can also take months for you to get used to them. Aids are not perfect and varying performance in different situations can be frustrating. You will still be reliant on the non-audible cues you mention.
There are practicalities to take into account. The shape of your ear canals may influence the choice of earpiece. The size of the aid will determine the size of battery. My latest NHS Phonaks are nice and discreet but the batteries only last 5 days compared with 11 for my previous ones. Also they're small and fiddly. Rechargeable aids are available if you go private. Do you wear glasses? The physical interaction between glasses and aids.can be a problem as I know to my cost. I've lost 4 but the NHS provides an efficient replacement service, at least in my area it does.
Brian

Batteries are free on NHS. In fact everything you need.

 

[trvlr]

Compared to some "very" expensive haring aids I bought a few years - (Sebotek) the type which have a mini speaker in the ear (fits via the usual dome or similar) and that's connected via very thin cable to the behind the ear nice and small capsule..., the NHS acoustic types are way better. Especially if you have to have serious boost to what's left of your hearing as they produce no feed back; unlike the mini speaker style which is seriously limited in that respect. After two sets of the Sebotek (first one bought in USA, second in UK) I was being pushed to buy another brand... Very hard sell job, which I resisted pending research on the brand (whatever it was) reviews. I discovered that brand were absolutely slated by many people in Canada/USA and some in the UK, so I didn't go back to the "vendor/shop". A neighbour persuaded me to go for NHS and I heven't looked back since. True the capsules are a wee bit larger (but not obvious to most casual observers) but they can deliver a much higher o/p to the ear - as an acoustic - pure audio down the acoustic pipe/ tube - than the speaker in the ear could for me.

My first supplier (in Kent) dropped off the service after a few years and I was transferred to a local Spec Savers. They use the similar acoustic tube system for NHS free service; have been very good thus far both with their required/new test and service. Some Spec Saver outlets may (appaerntly) provide bluetooth connectivity as the norm; some don't. Mine doesn't for the moment - unless I want to pay £1600 for that option/set... Down the road I suspect bluettooth will become standard/norm for NHS. My local Spec Savers provides Phonak units.

Batteries are free; and NHS suppliers are supposed to check the units every six months or so; mainly to replace the ear buds if nothing else. If you lose one (both...?) capsules you have to pay for replacement/s; though it's not overly expensive. Battery life for me is longer than 5 days; possibly a week at least; and I switch the capsules off at night. Also it's wise to travel with pack of spare batteries; and some fine nylon cleaning "rods" you'll need from time to time to clean out the inevitable wax which gets into the ear bud and the end of the acoustic tube...

Give the NHS types a go and see how you get on. They take a while to get used to, and you will not have the same level of discrimination that you have with "normal"/unaided hearing... But that's something one has to accept whatever style of hearing aid one goes for. My hearing loss is partly age related and partly medical... Whatever the reasons, you may be surprised just how low your hearing has become...; and how loud/noisy the world is once you get somewhere near "normal" hearing again...

The people wandering about with ear buds in all day (for phones and music etc.) are hammering their hearing and many are already seriously and prematurely suffering hearing loss - going deaf. If you can hear someone else's music radiating from their ear buds or headphones then they're clearly well down the path already to near/total loss of hearing/deafness.

 

[Yojevol]

Compared to some "very" expensive haring aids I bought a few years - (Sebotek) the type which have a mini speaker in the ear (fits via the usual dome or similar) and that's connected via very thin cable to the behind the ear nice and small capsule..., the NHS acoustic types are way better. Especially if you have to have serious boost to what's left of your hearing as they produce no feed back; unlike the mini speaker style which is seriously limited in that respect. After two sets of the Sebotek (first one bought in USA, second in UK) I was being pushed to buy another brand... Very hard sell job, which I resisted pending research on the brand (whatever it was) reviews. I discovered that brand were absolutely slated by many people in Canada/USA and some in the UK, so I didn't go back to the "vendor/shop". A neighbour persuaded me to go for NHS and I heven't looked back since. True the capsules are a wee bit larger (but not obvious to most casual observers) but they can deliver a much higher o/p to the ear - as an acoustic - pure audio down the acoustic pipe/ tube - than the speaker in the ear could for me.

My first supplier (in Kent) dropped off the service after a few years and I was transferred to a local Spec Savers. They use the similar acoustic tube system for NHS free service; have been very good thus far both with their required/new test and service. Some Spec Saver outlets may (appaerntly) provide bluetooth connectivity as the norm; some don't. Mine doesn't for the moment - unless I want to pay £1600 for that option/set... Down the road I suspect bluettooth will become standard/norm for NHS. My local Spec Savers provides Phonak units.

Batteries are free; and NHS suppliers are supposed to check the units every six months or so; mainly to replace the ear buds if nothing else. If you lose one (both...?) capsules you have to pay for replacement/s; though it's not overly expensive. Battery life for me is longer than 5 days; possibly a week at least; and I switch the capsules off at night. Also it's wise to travel with pack of spare batteries; and some fine nylon cleaning "rods" you'll need from time to time to clean out the inevitable wax which gets into the ear bud and the end of the acoustic tube...

Give the NHS types a go and see how you get on. They take a while to get used to, and you will not have the same level of discrimination that you have with "normal"/unaided hearing... But that's something one has to accept whatever style of hearing aid one goes for. My hearing loss is partly age related and partly medical... Whatever the reasons, you may be surprised just how low your hearing has become...; and how loud/noisy the world is once you get somewhere near "normal" hearing again...

The people wandering about with ear buds in all day (for phones and music etc.) are hammering their hearing and many are already seriously and prematurely suffering hearing loss - going deaf. If you can hear someone else's music radiating from their ear buds or headphones then they're clearly well down the path already to near/total loss of hearing/deafness.

The NHS is currently offering Bluetooth to the over 75's

 

[Woody Alan]

In case it helps somebody. Some GP practices do NHS self referral. If you go on Specsavers audiology dept website and enter your GP practice postcode in the appropriate box you will find out if yours does. I did this last week you have to ring to book appt not do it online (don't ask, don't know, not sure they know either) I got tested appointment for fitting 1 week later. Have been told the current supply are Bluetooth compatible but not gaurenteed to work with all phones. I am 64 and whilst not really struggling too much thought I would explore it as I can't hear the wife, and struggle in crowded areas.

Very common problem seems that whilst women need to look at each other when talking especially when driving as that's clearly more important than looking at the road, when talking to a husband you need to:- a) mumble b) be facing away from him and turn extractor fan to max at the same time or c) say something just as he leaves the room. My audiologist says he has no legal solution for this but acknowledges the common symptoms.

I didn't have to see the GP at all.

 

[Woody Alan]

On a seprate note it seems to be worth understanding how different types of aid work. I have shockz open fit headphones for music https://uk.shokz.com/products/openfit and wear them whilst cycling and walking as I can hear the real world as well. Bonus they fit and can wear all day. The point is the open ear aspect, the NHS ones are open ear design so do allow natural sound in as well to give less isolation. Some private ones do as well of course but it pays to understand there is more to picking them than vanity.

 

[AES]

In case it helps somebody. Some GP practices do NHS self referral. If you go on Specsavers audiology dept website and enter your GP practice postcode in the appropriate box you will find out if yours does. I did this last week you have to ring to book appt not do it online (don't ask, don't know, not sure they know either) I got tested appointment for fitting 1 week later. Have been told the current supply are Bluetooth compatible but not gaurenteed to work with all phones. I am 64 and whilst not really struggling too much thought I would explore it as I can't hear the wife, and struggle in crowded areas.

Very common problem seems that whilst women need to look at each other when talking especially when driving as that's clearly more important than looking at the road, when talking to a husband you need to:- a) mumble b) be facing away from him and turn extractor fan to max at the same time or c) say something just as he leaves the room. My audiologist says he has no legal solution for this but acknowledges the common symptoms.

I didn't have to see the GP at all.

@Woody Alan : You wrote, QUOTE: a) mumble b) be facing away from him and turn extractor fan to max at the same time or c) say something just as he leaves the room. My audiologist says he has no legal solution for this but acknowledges the common symptoms. UNQUOTE:

Are you living with my wife? Or am I living with yours?

(AND mine tells me I do exactly that when I'm talking to her).

 

[Oldman]

I think all deaf men must suffer the same with their wives, mine drives me crazy daily with conversations through walls etc, I have enough of a problem when you are in the same room facing me dear!
I have NHS aids, one ear near completely deaf the other trying to catch up.
One of my hobbies is metal detecting. The loop (Telecoil) system works well for me in that respect, my detector sends signals to a bluetooth receiver I carry in my breast pocket, connected to that is my 3.5mm jackplugged neck loop and I turn my aids programme to 5 coil + outside sounds or 6 coil only and shut out the world.

So recently the NHS offered me bluetooth aids and I leapt at the chance as I assumed this would give me more freedom with detecting AND fix my TV problem where I have to have text on all the time, plus volume up much higher than anyone else needs it. I also have a TV amp with a wireless neck loop but the sound quality is not good so I was hoping that TV bluetooth would rescue me.

I got my new bluetooth aids, the NHS lady struggled with multi permissions but set up my android phone to pair with them. They then told me I wouldn't be able to pair them with my TV directly! What... I need another box connected to the TV and then that pairs to the Signia Stretta aids. £100-150 and no they will not pair direct to my metal detector either so 2 disappointments.
After a few days they wouldn't even pair with my android phone, not sure if my experience is typical, but if it is don't rush out for bluetooth, its just a way to spend more on "add on's"

 

[Yojevol]

@Oldman Re TV connection, I bought a £20 transmitter/receiver as recommended in post #80 of this thread. It works but the quality is terrible. However, that may be down to the unsatisfactory default settings on my aids. I am hoping to get them adjusted in 3 weeks time so I'll have another go after that.
Brian

 

[Spectric]

The NHS is currently offering Bluetooth to the over 75's

At some point there may be implants from Elon that fix these issues but probably also come with adverts unless you pay for the premium service.

 

[MikeJhn]

I am at the other end of the spectrum, my hearing is perfect, but my wife insists on having the volume of the TV at a very uncomfortable level, she will not wear her hearing aid and I have to put up with it, my problem is due to a throat problem I can't talk very well or loudly enough for my OH to hear me, this causes all sort of conflict in the home, especially my hand signals that don't seem to be understood. LOL

 

[Superduner]

When my wife doesn't hear me clearly, it's because I'm "not speaking loudly/clearly enough". When I don't hear her, I'm not "listening properly".

 

[leofbyrne]

Bit off topic but I guess it'll happen to a lot of us as we get older and that is, loss of hearing. I'll be 86 this year and I'm finding I tend to guess a lot at what people are saying when in conversation with them. Also, when watching tele my good lady often says, "blimey that's loud" and I'm thinking it's quite low So, I suppose at some point I ought to look at getting some hearing aids although, and I know it's stupid, I would be a bit self conscious about wearing them over my ear.

So, just wondered if anyone is in the same position and has had some Specsaver or Amplifon in ear type ones fitted and could share their experience and also what the average cost would be.

Appreciate any advice, thanks

PLEASE just do it.
I am a linguist and violinist. I speak 8 languages and lead orchestras, conduct and do violin solos. I didn't want to have aids, but my NHS hearing aids are brilliant. Aids never correct hearing as well as glasses correct sight, but Anitha at Arrowe Park Hospital has worked wonders. It has to be said that the others only corrected for speech, but without her I would no longer be able to play.
NOBODY really cares what they look like. 'If it works, use it', is my motto. I use machine tools to make bows, and hand tools when appropriate.
PLEASE JUST DO IT.
And NHS aids are as good as any, as others have said.
Leo

 

[user 36867]

I am 90 and lived in Scotland for 25 years the NHS at the hospitals in Scotland are fantastic I had five different aids the last one connected to the phone via Bluetooth Brilliant. Then I had to move down to South Yorkshire Shock, No Hospital NHS it’s done though a firm called Novus Health ( Probably owned by someone in government) and they have a cheap flimsy aid with no phone or anything just a basic aid So I had to buy a device called Resound very good at a cost of £220.

 

[Woody Alan]

Not sure if it helps anyone but I have had my Bernafon NHS aids for 3 weeks. They blue tooth to a Bernafon app. I have an Andoid phone so does not support streaming. No support from specsavers so researched and found Connevans who supply all consumables and in my case a device called a soundclip. At first I was disappointed but working at it found how to get the best out of it. Firstly do not adjust the phone sounds to hearing assist, then use the bernafon app equaliser set bass to full mid range just above middle and treble right down according to taste. When I go for a walk and listen to podcasts I also mute pass through sounds I.e. the outside world. I have now found the quality tolerable and not succumbed to specsavers sales pressure. Listening to radio on them in workshop now. The biggest issue is lack of support from the "experts"

 

[Woody Alan]

I should add I have bought consumables because having to trip to specsavers is more hassle. I am trying through an "access to work" government program to get waterproof ones as I work outside but it's probably a lottery. I also find I now have to turn down my aids for the tv instead of turning up the tv

 

[dickm]

I finally had to give in and get aids when I thought my daughter said something about seeing the OSPREY in the nearby parkland. I replied saying I'd seen it flying over too. Her look when she explained she had said OTTER made the decision for me.
Started with basic NHS aids, but had to go private (ouch) when there was an 8 month delay to get them checked on the NHS.