The Wife said for Christmas I should get her expensive she wouldn't get herself so I'm thinking a hearing aid.
She has some serious hearing loss in her right ear due to damaged nerves from a stroke. The audiologist has said to think about a hearing aid, and we have an appointment with him again next month. A search of the google show a wide range of prices but little on why I should pick one over another. Any ideas on ones to buy, avoid, or where to buy from?
I researched this extensively about 3 years ago and came to the conclusion that Costco was the best overall value, so that's what I bought. They are made by Rexton, and have very similar performance, features and quality to Miracle Ear hearing aids at about a third of the cost. Costco has audiologists that will test your hearing and recommend the correct hearing aid for you. You might go to somewhere like this to get opinions on different brands:
http://www.hearingaidforums.com/
Go to an audiologist, get tested and fitted with the proper unit. Of course any amplifier will work. I have aids in both ears. They suck.
Hu?
We have an appointment with an audiologist in a few weeks. She went to the first one alone and came home with more questions than answers. I am going to the next one and like to go to the Dr.s with some idea of what I need to know and if there are some that are better than others. I tend to be one of those annoying people that goes in to the office with a notebook and questions.
Costco is what I found to be the best as well. I really need to talk my father and law into getting them.
My dad had a stroke last year. He has no paralysis, but he has lost hearing in one ear and has significant balance issues because of it.
There are audiologists who specialize in hearing loss due to stroke. He wears hearing aids in both ears and the one on his right re-broadcasts sound to he left ear to help with his balance. Unfortunately, he gets frequent feedback, especially when he sits on the passenger side of a car with his bad ear near the glass. He can't hear it, so he does nothing. It drives the rest of us crazy. I think that the audiologist could tune it out.
I have also heard good things about Costco's prices on hearing aids, but I think she should see a stroke specialist first to find the right equipment. Where you choose to buy it should be up to you.
My dad has hearing loss from working on loud equipment for years with no protection, so does his twin brother. My dad tried his brother's hearing aids and decided the world was too noisy! He took them off. It reminds me of a quote from my grandfather (mom's side) who, when asked if he wanted hearing aids said "why would I want that? I earned my deafness!" For the record his wife was a yeller and he had 8 kids, that's enough noise to make anyone pray for hearing loss...
As for actual hearing aids, I have no useful advice.
Wally, you've got to get this if only for a prank while waiting for a proper one.
A good friend of the family is an audiologist...I'll ask her and get back to you.
In reply to Woody: Thanks. She has just started to complain of the hearing loss last week, and it didn't occur to me that some of her balance issues could be connected to it. We will look into a specialist for it.
Wally wrote: She has just started to complain of the hearing loss last week, and it didn't occur to me that some of her balance issues could be connected to it. We will look into a specialist for it.
Definitely see a specialist. Hearing loss due to nerve damage is not fixed by any of the "run of the mill" hearing aids. Straight amplification of sound will not work when the problem is loss of transmission of certain frequencies (tone deafness).
Following with interest here.
I'm not 40 yet but lost 40% hearing in one ear due to a work accident. I can't hear E36M3 if there's any back ground noise going on, which with young kids is constant.
I just can't cave to the point of wearing a hearing aid before I'm over the hill...
got news for you. Work tested all of us a month or so ago. I came back with near perfect hearing. Way beyond what a 20 year old should have (I am 43) and it is just as much a curse as bad hearing.
I can hear damn near everything, and it is -very- distracting
When I was in my teens, my parents tried to use those ultrasonic bug repellers.. I had to unplug them because they drove me nuts.. nobody else could hear them, not even my younger sister, but the constant ringing I got from them was about to drive me from the house (which I don't think was part of the plan)
We get checked for hearing annually at work.
Somehow when I hired in they missed me in this program, and didn't get me in it until the incident happened. So my "base line" started there which screws up the whole process.
Sure I tested better a couple weeks after that but it still isn't accurate. In their eyes I improved from 80% hearing loss to 40%- which is now my baseline.
mad_machine wrote: got news for you. Work tested all of us a month or so ago. I came back with near perfect hearing. Way beyond what a 20 year old should have (I am 43) and it is just as much a curse as bad hearing. I can hear damn near everything, and it is -very- distracting When I was in my teens, my parents tried to use those ultrasonic bug repellers.. I had to unplug them because they drove me nuts.. nobody else could hear them, not even my younger sister, but the constant ringing I got from them was about to drive me from the house (which I don't think was part of the plan)
paranoid_android74 wrote: I just can't cave to the point of wearing a hearing aid before I'm over the hill...
She's only 38, and hasn't gotten entirely used to having a cane even though it helps her walk so much. I know the odds are slim to none but her acupuncturist made such a difference with some of her other nerve and muscle issues we are going to ask if thee is anything she can do tomorrow.
They only work if you use them. Seriously, I know people who have spent close to five figures on top of the line hearing aids and then neglect to wear them. Just like safety glasses, buy one that you are going to wear.
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