For my 56th birthday I will be getting a hearing aid. I’ve been getting increasingly deaf in my right ear along with a generous side helping of tinnitus, and I’m at the point of being willing to carry an ear trumpet if it means I can hear anything said to me on my right side, or puts music back into stereo. I’m counting my blessings that my left ear still functions more or less normally for my age.
I’m wondering if any of the Massive have experience of private, non NHS aids? The NHS only provide the type that sit behind the ear with a tube that pipes the sound into the ear canal. They seem to be plenty of varieties that just fit in the ear but I’m wondering if the benefits extend beyond the cosmetic? I am fortunate enough to be able to afford one but can’t see the point of lobbing out on one if it only improves what others see, and not what I hear.
Oh and – anyone use over the ear headphones with a hearing aid?
I tried both f8, and found the in ear one was quite uncomfortable after a while. When I tried the behind ear version, what swung it for me was actually the improvement in sound, for a similar price. It’s definitely worth paying for a quality one. Mine’s a Phonak Bolero Q50-SP. But don’t underestimate cosmetic value – that’s a personal choice and if you are in a work situation, may be an important factor.
I have had a behind the ear & in the ear type hear aids with mixed results.
What I would really like to get is the type that fit deep into the ear canal, but I cannot afford them.
Should I ever come into some money, they would probably be the first thing on my shopping list.
My wife had an NHS model about 15 years ago which sat behind the ear. She hated it and it amplified everything so that noisy areas were a mass of indistinct noise. Her Menieres is in remission so not a problem now. A friend has a pair of the in ear ones similar to those Jack describes. He got them about ten years ago from Harley St and paid either a grand for the pair or a grand each, I can’t remember. However, they are tuned to his missing frequencies and have been excellent.
Tomorrow is the fifth anniversary of the night I stood near the front at a Sadies concert and had an absolute ball. There was a fleeting moment in the middle of it when I thought to myself “Bit loud isn’t it? Don’t have any plugs. Wonder if I ought to nip into the loo and scrunch up some bog roll. Nah… fuck it” Came out with ringing ears and a happy smile on my face. The smile has gone but the ears are still ringing five years later.
Been through the whole “treatment pathway” – GP, Audiologist, MRI scan, Hearing Therapist and now have a nice Oticon Spirit Zest hearing aid courtesy of the good old NHS. Took me over a year to get used to wearing it regularly but swear by it now. It replaces the lost high frequencies that my brain is looking for, not finding and so replacing. Every time I temporarily lose it (the aid I mean), I’m bereft. I look upon it as a bit of a psychological crutch.
Haven’t needed to go private as this one’s so good. It’s discreet, sits behind my ear with a transparent tube into the ear canal and I get free replacement batteries plus eligibility for a Disabled Railcard. People are surprised when i tell them i have a hearing aid. Ad over.
NHS aids are a good deal better these days. This has been facilitated by most high street providers, Specsavers, Scrivens etc etc, now being allowed and able to see and provide for the NHS, cutting waiting times, and with more cutting edge devices being provided. Hospitals and ENT consultants have little interest in such work, doing it begrudgingly and providing cheap aids to save money in their budget. This is an example, dare I say it, whereby the “creeping privatisation” of the NHS, much as I deplore it, works very well indeed for patients. (Costs the nation way more, which is a separate point…..)
I’m further down this road than I’d like to be.. I had an NHS hearing test earlier this year and the audiologist told me I was borderline but didn’t recommend aids. I now suspect, and completely suspect, that this was primarily a budgetary decision. Which is fair enough.
I find myself increasingly struggling to hear in everyday situations. I think it’s time for some technical help…
But I’m really vain. Can one get practically invisible ones? ❤️
Oops, I didn’t suspect twice – I understood the second time ❤️
I heard that, pardon?
Good luck. You’ve prompted me to go and get myself checked out in the new year. 53, and its in the post. In fact the postman might have already arrived – but I didnt hear him ring the bell.
A belated thanks for the replies. I’ll give the NHS version a go and see how that works out. I’m hoping that the aid helps with the tinnitus but I know that’s not been the case for some people. I’ve got Menieres but it’s been gradually getting less agressive.
I still wonder about headphones as I wear them quite a lot on flights etc – I know that in ear ones won’t be feasible, but is there any benefit from a behind the ear one when wearing over the ear phones? I’m assuming not.
I’ve got a pair of these: http://www.airdrives.com/
They sit on your ears rather than inside and are quite effective. I find that in-ear headphones spike my tinnitus so these are great. Not sure how easy they are to find these days though.