Hearing Aids Pros and Cons
Amanda B Reckondwyth
Shipmate
in All Saints
Comments about hearing aids on another thread have led me to wonder what Shipmates' experiences have been with them.
I have been aware for a long time that my hearing is not what it used to be, especially in my right ear. It's ironic, because in grade school, when the school nurse used to come around to test everyone's hearing, I invariably scored among the best in the class.
My father was constantly complaining about his hearing aids. It seemed like every week or so he'd be back at the audiologist's for an adjustment. He finally stopped wearing them altogether, saying that they were more trouble than they were worth. Based on his experience, I swore I'd never give in and get my own.
But I finally did. I thought the audiologist gave me a very thorough exam and a very careful fitting. I was pleased at first. I could hear speech much more clearly. I could hear the television much better.
But music, especially the piano (which I love to play), sounded unnatural and tinny. And ambient noise bothered me a great deal. In a restaurant, the sound of other diners touching their knives to their forks, or the sound of plates or pots and pans clattering against one another in the kitchen, almost made me jump out of my skin! I was tempted to take them back, but I kept telling myself that these irritations would pass and I would soon get used to the sound.
And then one of them stopped working. That was the last straw. Back they went, and my money was refunded. I won't say "cheerfully" but at least the store gave me no hassle.
I'd be interested to know how my experience compared to those of others who have either tried and rejected hearing aids, or tried and kept them and still use them.
I have been aware for a long time that my hearing is not what it used to be, especially in my right ear. It's ironic, because in grade school, when the school nurse used to come around to test everyone's hearing, I invariably scored among the best in the class.
My father was constantly complaining about his hearing aids. It seemed like every week or so he'd be back at the audiologist's for an adjustment. He finally stopped wearing them altogether, saying that they were more trouble than they were worth. Based on his experience, I swore I'd never give in and get my own.
But I finally did. I thought the audiologist gave me a very thorough exam and a very careful fitting. I was pleased at first. I could hear speech much more clearly. I could hear the television much better.
But music, especially the piano (which I love to play), sounded unnatural and tinny. And ambient noise bothered me a great deal. In a restaurant, the sound of other diners touching their knives to their forks, or the sound of plates or pots and pans clattering against one another in the kitchen, almost made me jump out of my skin! I was tempted to take them back, but I kept telling myself that these irritations would pass and I would soon get used to the sound.
And then one of them stopped working. That was the last straw. Back they went, and my money was refunded. I won't say "cheerfully" but at least the store gave me no hassle.
I'd be interested to know how my experience compared to those of others who have either tried and rejected hearing aids, or tried and kept them and still use them.
Comments
I only have a minute right now, but do have experience with wearing hearing aids. First thing that comes to mind: do your hearing aids come with various "programs"? Some have options for "general", "conversation", "noisy background", etc. If so, the audiologist should be able to adjust the programs a bit to make you more comfortable. If I'm in a noisy place, sometimes I'll just shut the aids off for a while--especially in a restaurant. Noise levels tend to ebb and flow, and I can usually turn them on again.
FWIW, YMMV.
Cons: Slight inconvenience.
I find Miss Amanda’s comment re piano interesting. I have sung in choirs and small madrigal group type groups for years. No longer. An important part of such singing is to listen to those around so we are together in both pitch and tune. Since having aids I find that what I hear is sharp. Pianistsaid hewouldtell me if I sang sharp. My reply was that I knew I was singing sharp but it was what I was hearing.
Mine are middle of the road type aids and as such they do not easily differentiate in direction.General noise is terrible. Coffee hour is dreadful. I stopped staying behind for it many years ago.
Even before i had aids, noise was painful. I have put hands over ears many times in church. It was actually painful inside my head. Church one day had a pageant and acting pastor told sound desk he wanted levels up. They were to remain high. This was passed on to me byson’s friends who were on duty that day. I walked out and said I would not be back.
When I first had them, grandchildren were tiny and it was good to be able to hear them.
I had many ear infections as a child, a legacy from PinkDisease. This has led to the deafness. One ear is classed as severe loss,the other very severe. They have many disadvantages but over all, I persevere or I would hear very little without them.
I use them most for personal conversations and medical appointments. I wear them in movie theaters, because IME the sound there is loud but not always clear. The aids clarify the sound, not just amplify it. Then I have to turn down the volume on my hearing aids!
Firstly, if you leave it too late to start wearing them, then your poor aging brain finds it much more difficult to rewire, to adjust to being able to hear after a long period of deafness. I think this may be why the Dowager, at 90, gave up on them so quickly. She's started again, but she's so confused now it's hard to know how much help they are.
Which brings me to my second point - deafness >> isolation, lack of social interaction >> dementia. Not always, of course, but it doesn't help. My grandmother, the Dowager's mother, was severely deaf for much of her life and very hard to converse with, and she had dementia long before it became A Thing. (Decades of smoking probably contributed, too...)
As a young Occupational Therapist of my acquaintance tells her clients - 'you wear glasses, don't you? Why won't you use hearing aids, or carry a stick?'
YMMV etc etc
Mrs. S, looking forward to telling Mr. S he needs to wear them too...
I have learnt there are various technologies - one device I was given picked up everything, which I found intolerable, like having constant tinnitus. But apparently some users like the constant awareness of ambient noise.
The model I have at the moment is a very small, behind the ear model, perfectly comfortable to wear, eats about 2 batteries a week (I wear it all day). I have never had it make any sounds or suffer interference. Without it, conversation would be difficult and I would be disinclined to use the phone.
I would not be without a hearing aid, and may splash out for the other ear soon. Social isolation is a subtle thing and you can find yourself quite far in without realising. Discuss with the audiologist, and don’t necessarily take the first thing on offer, but find the personally optimal one.
When I finally decided it was time to try them again I asked my G.P and 2 people I knew who wore hearing aids to recommend audiologists. G.P said to avoid the closest one, and users both said to go to the same clinic.
The audiologist tested my hearing and asked me about my lifestyle so she could recommend the most suitable pair. I got mid-range ones with 3 programme options;
1) Normal. For listening to speech and everyday use. I understand that the sound is somehow compressed so that it may not be a accurate representation o the tone
2) Music - the sound is not compressed and live music is wonderful. I click onto this when listening to the organ at church or song birds in the bush. (I don't know whether I sing in tune with it or not though).
3) Loop system- this is difficult to explain, but some buildings have a system wired in the building so that I can hear the speaker as though through headphones. I really loved it, but we lost it at church due to earthquake damage.
Initially the audiologist didn't turn my aids up to full volume, but allowed me to get used to the increased sound gradually ( over a few months I think it was) This was very important in my successful use of them. I was lucky there was a very helpful man at church who had worn aids for years and was happy to answer any questions. One thing I noticed was that my hearing improved even without them in, which was due to my brain getting used to hearing better. (which is what Boogie mentions with the re-wiring.
The clinic I go to allows a trial period of a month, during which time they can be returned with only the cost of the custom made ear moulds charged.
I still have difficulty in large groups - but then I always have. There are techniques that can help - like sitting in restaurants with a wall behind you - more expensive aids may help too as a friend in a high powered job found.
Totally agree with Boogie about the isolation of not hearing.
Sorry for the screed.
I've been deaf since I was five (severe case of measles). At first although my hearing was not good, and I never could hear high pitched sounds I managed without aids. I hated the idea of being different to my peers. In my twenties I started wearing one when in group situations, though one to one I could hear fine. Now in my sixties my hearing is very poor, severe loss in both ears, and without them I can hear very little. As others have said the switch from analogue to digital aids has been a big improvement, and if I wanted to fork out loads of money I'm sure I could have some with more features that are prettier than my NHS aids, but on the whole they suit me fine. Mine do have a setting that helps a little in noisy places, but I often find I cope better in such places than my husband and son. They both have excellent hearing, but a feature of their dyslexia is they find it tricky to distinguish speech in a loud environment.
It is better to try and persevere if you need aids. I played hearing aid fairy to my MiL, who had some lovely little aids provided on the NHS that she just couldn't get used to. I put them in for her, explained about wearing them a little every day in a quiet environment to get used to them etc. etc., but I could see without me there to supervise she wouldn't bother. That's a shame as it is obvious that at least some of her confusion is due to not hearing what people are telling her.
They are uncomfortable, and unlike glasses can never totally correct hearing loss, but the alternative is much worse.
Most days my aids go in as I get dressed, and stay in until bedtime. I'm not wearing them today, as yesterday I had a slight irritation of the ear canal as occasionally happens. I'm giving the ears a rest so that can settle down.
(I have considered training to lip read before that happens.)
My current plan, having seen older members of my family go through this process, is to get aids as soon as I have definable hearing loss. It seems to be harder to adjust if you leave it later.
I think the social isolation thing is very significant.
Since that day I have had tinnitus, a continuous high pitched kind of whistle. Mostly it doesn’t bother me, and when I am concentrating on something I don’t notice it.
So I am considering taking this further.
As a singer, I do not want to lose my sense of pitch, or to be unable to enjoy music, so I was interested in the detailed comments.
and then went on to say here
I’m convinced my hearing is deteriorating.
🤔
My friend who inspired me to try them in the first place has aids that are programmable (through his smartphone!) for different social situations. The ones that I had were not. That probably made a difference.
Unfortunately here in the USA, Medicare does not pay for hearing aids. Some Medicare Supplement plans do, but the premium for those plans is high and the co-pay for aids is also high. (My current Medicare Supplement plan does not cover aids and has no premium. And I like the docctors and the service I get.) I see that I'm going to have to dip into my old age stash (where's Fagan when I need him so badly?) and "treat" myself to a good pair dispensed by a really competent audiologist.
It may interest you to know this. My hearing loss is the sort that increases with frequency: The lower notes I can hear fine, but the very high notes/overtones I can't hear at all even with assistance. My hearing aids have a feature that takes the highest frequencies and transposes them down, so that I hear them better . But there is a "music" setting on my aids that defeats this feature, so I hear all the pitches true (well, the ones I can still hear).
What is their excuse for not replacing it pronto?
I want to echo all of the above. My mom had severe hearing loss. She found the hearing aids uncomfortable, so would wear them only when needed-- i.e. she would leave them out all day and put them in only when we came to visit.
That Did. Not. Work. Not only did she never get used to the aids, so they always were uncomfortable, more seriously, she lost the ability to distinguish/interpret sounds, rendering the aids useless. The audiologist was able to determine the sound was coming thru-- clearly-- but at that point her brain was unable to interpret it-- it just sounded like noise-- because all of those neural synapses had deteriorated.
The social isolation is very, very real. After my mom's death I really had to go thru a process of working thru my anger/resentment over the way she let her relationship with me and particularly my kids deteriorate-- because it really does. It was a significant loss in my mom's case that impacted every member of the family. I plead with you not to take that path, which feels easy at first (not to ear the aids) but costs so, so much in the end. The hard thing is that, at the point when you realize how much the hearing loss is costing you, those synapses have already decayed and the opportunity to fix things is gone.
What I have determined for myself (and promised my kids) is to get my hearing tested frequently. At the first signs of significant loss, I will buy the best aid I can afford and then-- here's the key-- wear it every day, all day. As soon as you step out of the shower until I you go to bed. Even if no one's coming over, even if you think you don't need it today. Every. Day. Faithfully. Friends who have had hearing loss similar to my mom's but follow this path have had enormous success. They become used to the aid the same way you get used to glasses-- they feel uncomfortable and your vision is off at first, but soon you become used to them and they work great. These friends were able to age gracefully and continue strong, vibrant relationships and function well up until the end.
I've lost high frequencies such that voices of certain pitches with noises such as water from a tap, fans, wind often the drown out the voices. I've taken to telling the person to look at me. Reading lips in the context of some recognized speech sounds works fairly well. But I've lost only high frequency sound.
The one bothersome situation is when there's background music, including at Xmas when visiting. I've taken to merely saying without any emotion that I'm unable to be part of conversation with the background noise, which results in it being turned down. About the way people speak of anything uncomfortable, like an allegedly comfy chair which doesn't suit. I've also asked people to look at me so I can read their lips.
The issues I've got with wearing the aides always is they don't work well if wet and also I'm not adjusting them when cycling, sailing, running, playing soccer, skiing. I'm a very daily active 60 year old who lives in an environmentally extreme climate (-36°C this morning). I've felt hearing aides aren't designed well for people like me. Not prepared to stop an adjust.
Now I have come home and DH is watching a film with cinema sound and I cannot bear the volume. I ask myself, how would I cope with this, with hearing aids in?
Any advice from users is welcome.
Memo to self: take advice as well as give it. I must put my hearing aids in every day.
They’re pretty basic, not many bells and whistles activated atm apart from volume control. Folk who don’t know I wear aids (most people?) might think I’m scratching my ear or brushing my hair aside. Much of what other posters have said about adjusting to sudden loud sounds applies. Quite fun at times; in restaurants I can hear plates being dropped in the kitchen ; hell- I could probably hear the chef effing and blinding if I put my mind to it!
I’ve had a few adjustments made because of mild feedback (Greenbelt Festival, I’m looking at you) and what sounds like wind blowing down a chimney flue when I up the volume when I’m outside, but on the whole, I’m so glad I got them.
Advice re wearing them ALL the time duly noted.
You speak Russian?
They have replaced it with a sound system that seems adequate for most other hearing aid users, but which I personally don't like as much as the loop allowed me to hear the sound easily, clear of background noises. Also there are issues about a possible rebuild.
Miss Amanda, you know your own financial situation best, but I am tempted to say go for the most appropriate for your needs that you can afford.
Since I have reached retirement much of my budgeting effort has revolved around ensuring I have adequate money to replace my hearing aids every 6 years. (Here in NZ there is a subsidy of $500 per aid every 6 years. This has worked out as about a fifth of the cost.)
Puzzler, I don't have hearing impairment, but I have the same difficulties you describe, because I have auditory processing difficulties. This is about how the brain processes what the ear hears, rather than a difficulty hearing. I mention that in case your hearing is fine and maybe it is a auditory processing issue. If it is, hearing aids wouldn't do anything. People can have auditory processing difficulties (and any other sensory processing difficulty) for all kinds of reasons. The only solution I know is to meet your friend in a quiet coffee shop and go somewhere else if it gets noisy. I make myself familiar with all the coffee shops and find which are the quietest. Though the very quietest one closed down, because it had barely any customers, other than me!
Sadly it is quite a common problem as we get older. I can no longer pick one sound out when there is background noise. Which often means that I can’t hear one voice when there is music or a lot of chatting, so I can’t carry on a conversation.
I’ve had my hearing tested and it was fine, when there was no other sounds,. but not when there is background noise
I have just said to a family member at a family do tonight – ‘I am sorry I can see you mouth moving but I have no idea what you are saying
I do know one man who wears them only if he is expecting someone at the door, or a possible phone call. He is more concerned about extending battery life, than about helping brain to adjust.
I am fortunate down here. Hearing has relief packages for those on any giovernment pension. Free aids every five years. I pay $45 annually. That gives me as many free batteries as needed and also covers maintenance. I would spend more than double that amount on batteries annually. It also covers retesting every couple of years and any necessary tweaking of settings, along with a follow-up visit to audiologist.
I mention this, although I guess many would know of it. The batteries available now last longer if protective cover is removed and they are given a few minutes to acclimatise, so to speak, before using in the aid. I found the difference between immediate insertion and waiting a short time, to be quite obvious in battery life.
(I've been lurking for a bit while I tried to remember my password, but am now sorted out with a new one - that was a new year's resolution accomplished).
For shipmates in the UK, I thoroughly recommend NHS aids (if you don't mind the waiting list to get started): free aids, free batteries, free servicing - wonderful!
When I first went for testing, I was given some priority because of the lack of focal vision. In spite of the inconveniences, I wouldn't be without my hearing aids. The quality has improved over the years, although the current design must have been made by someone who did not wear the things! I agree so much about the listening to music and although I have been to concerts earlier on, I would not choose to go now and find that the best way to hear music is with headphones, the sort that go into one's ears, is the nearest I get to real enjoyment of listening. There are little buttons on the aids for adjusting background noise, but the difference is just not the same! Not being able to see people's faces when they talk means that I definitely need them, but in any more than one to one conversation, I tend to give up trying to hear what anyone is saying. I do not turn on TV, but the hearing aids make a big difference in listening to the radio - clarity, instead of listening as it were through cottonwool!
Ah!! The sound I have just heard is the penny dropping!! That describes my hearing difficulties perfectly. I also have problems with being able to bear loud sounds when I am very tired or sometimes when I am ill.
https://speak-see.com
He says I am tech savvy and read captions etc very fast so thinks it would work well.
Any experience on board?
The other is very light headphones which are compatible with wearing hearing aids. The are not big clunky headphones which I would hate wearing. They work by transferring the sound carried by bones in cheek. I know test results for me show a big difference using sound from bone rather than what is available from within ear. About US$130 in a range of colours and prices.
Https://www.everydayhearing.com/hearing-technology/articles/bone-conduction-headphones
Again comments welcome. My problem is making sense of a lot of input and I miss heaps. No problem when I lived by myself or had a visitor. Living back in the family is frustrating us all as I miss things.
But then it is worsening over time in any case.
My conclusion is that infections can accelerate the process - and DO NOT fly if you have a heavy cold. That definitely intensified my mother’s hearing loss.
it seems to be more for meetings, family meals etc than parties. I avoid those, just as coffee hour at church is to be avoided for hearing and other problems.
Infections etc are bad as they fill the Eustachian tubes with junk which does not allow sound to be transmitted. They also need nasty drugs like prednisone to clear things out.
I am glad your problem has cleared.
I have had infections and hearing problems since I was three, a long time ago. All GPs over that time have grappled to find solutions to it but do not have side effects which are different to the problem. These rarely work. I have seen several ENT specialists and attended for many years the ENT clinic at a major Sydney hospital. I have been on friendly terms with many audiologists over the years.
There have been surgeries too. The last was to insert silver tubes out of nasal cavities to aid drainage. Also many years ago. Hearing does not benefit but it has lessened frequency of infections through poor drainage.
What has helped has been advances in technology which have been incorporated into hearing aids. However the major one of sounds from multiple sources being sorted is only partially addressed.
The two links are using technology differently. captions for meetings etc looks interesting, real time, not written accounts down the track.
The light headphones which capitalise on the transference of sound through bones in cheek also look interesting. Such transference is measurable and shows much better results than hearing aids. This is the first fairly practical attempt to use the technology. Even in US dollars it is fairly cheap light and can be used with hearing aids.
I find the concept interesting and it definitely fits into family dynamics here.