Hearing Aids


Coop

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I have a friend that he/she is at the stage where hearing aids would be beneficial. Ok, so I will dispense with the bs! :D

For those on here that wear hearing aids, can you give ME the pros and cons of yours and where do I start? 

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Find the right doctor. My mom got them a year or two ago and you cannot tell she has them in. They say to get them early before your hearing really starts to go and you won't notice much of a change. Her hearing aids have bluetooth which always makes for interesting calls with my parents because my mom thinks it's on speakerphone but it's through her headphones. Same thing happens if she uses her phone for directions. :) 

Her doctor guided her towards some with a 5 year warranty on the battery and perhaps, hinted that maybe, she should say the battery isn't lasting long in about 4.5 years.

Seems like some companies are starting to make hearing aids you can buy off the shelf instead of going through an audiologist. Bose has some for $800

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I did go through the tailoring of a very granular graphic equalizer to help dad when his hearing started to go.  There was a bypass button so others could listen to music as well.  The sound through the curve that made his music sound "right" was near-intolerable to others.

I have a similar situation in the shop to a lesser degree (so far).  I have a system that tunes itself.  From there I have to drop the low mids and boost the upper mids and highs to get the clarity I think I remember from a decade ago.  I'm sure this sounds harsh to visitors but . . . tough ;-)

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On 3/28/2022 at 11:52 AM, Ronn W said:

I may be in the market soon as well.  My biggest problem is tuning out the background noise so that I can participate in converstions.  I have heard that hearing aids don't really do much for that condition....???

Mine sure don't.

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I would like to find an audiologist that sells more than one or two different brands. Not knowing where to start, I have a call in to my primary care doc for a referral. I’ve been told to be sure to get ones that have blue tooth capabilities and I guess that, like @JohnG says, I can take phone calls through? I would just like to be able to hear conversations with my grandkids at a restaurant (right now I just nod my head when I see their lips move) and to hear all of a movie or tv show. To be able to tune out my wife’s voice on chosen occasions with be a nice extra. :D

Also, I see that you can get rechargeable ones and ones with replaceable batteries. I can see the pros and cons of both? 

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For anyone curious, the FDA very recently (last October) got around to publishing a legal framework to support over-the-counter hearing aids. Some companies have been skirting the rules and regulations with things marketed as "hearables" and whatever other buzzwords, but there are not currently any OTA hearing aids. Hopefully there will be some more affordable and more accessible options hitting the market soon though.

https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/over-the-counter-hearing-aids/

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On 3/28/2022 at 10:06 PM, Coop said:

I would just like to be able to hear conversations with my grandkids at a restaurant (right now I just nod my head when I see their lips move)

Just so you know, they can tell. My favorite Uncle has become almost impossible to talk to unless it's one on one because of his hearing loss and refusal to get hearing aids. He and his wife just shout at each other all day and then claim they can hear fine.

My mom has the rechargeable ones and likes them just fine. She puts them in the case every night to charge. And her phone and her watch and her Kindle...

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My dad, mother in law, and grandmother all can't hear. I can't count the number of arguments that could have been prevented by them having hearing aids.

My dad can be rude, if he doesn't hear something he'll blame it on the people around him for not talking loud enough. Or he'll get irritated at people for yelling at him....

From those that use them, are they as ineffective as people claim? My dad claims they won't help, or grumbles about cost ... He can easily afford them. All three above seem embarrassed to need them. I don't get it.

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They are not ineffective at all but they do have limits like in a crowd, noisy restaurants and so on, I wear mine in the house all the time and they really help, I remember when I got them, I heard birds for the first time in years, it’s like glasses for me if you need them and they help get them no embarrassment for me just a fact

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I have a couple friends that wear them and they have the same opinion as Dave re crowds etc. I don't understand the stigma around hearing aids my MIL wears glasses, uses a walker on occasion, and takes medications daily but if you bring up hearing aids she goes nuts. It's really sad becuase we can be sitting across from each other and its obvious she has know idea what I'm saying. I've got to the point where I really don't talk to her much becuase I know she can't hear me :(

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