Audiology Hearing Tests

[HissingSid]

I just called my Audiology department in local hospital for an appointment as my tinnitus is getting louder now. Also asked about hearing aids with masks fitted to help ease the sounds of tinnitus. I’ve been told that there is a 6 or 7 week waiting list which I’ve now been added to. They don’t yet have hearing aids with masks fitted although they are on order. Hopefully by time I get my appointment by post then Audiology will have a supply in stock. Is this normal experiences for others here - long waits and inadequate supply of adequate hearing aids?

[Ingrid-p]

Hi, I phoned my hearing aid department and got an appointment to see the hearing therapist in 2 weeks. After I saw her I only had to wait 1 week for my white noise hearing aids. I’m guessing this is all down to the area you live in. I’m in Essex and my local hospital have been amazing.

The new aids haven’t cured the t, but it is definitely quieter with them in and the option of white noise is a bonus. I use the white noise all the time there in as this is supposed to aid habitation. I’ve habituated about 5 times in the past over my 35 year journey with t.

Really would love a cure to be found 😁

[HissingSid in reply to Ingrid-p]

I live in Fife and local audiology department in NHS hospital is small in size and I guess they have a large number of people with hearing problems due to the hospital being in a large catchment area and being close to heavy industrial sites in past like naval dockyard, shipbuilding, coal mining etc. I’ll just have to take it on the chin and wait until early July when the department should maybe have their ordered stock of aids that assist tinnitus better than I have at the moment. White noise hasn’t helped me in past though but thanks for your reply.

[Ingrid-p in reply to HissingSid]

Good luck, I’m sure the aids with built in maskers will help xx

[Lynne-H]

We had an excellent audiology department and then the CCG in their wisdom decided to close it down. In our area NHS hearing aids are now provided by Specsavers but they don`t deal with anything out of the ordinary such as tinnitus. We do still have an NHS hearing therapist available.

The tinnitus group that I attend is held at a place which is a charity and there is someone there (a volunteer) who goes out and repairs hearing aids for the elderly and vulnerable - that is IF he can get the necessary parts.

Lynne

[HissingSid in reply to Lynne-H]

Yes I’ve got a local Specsavers shop that does hearing tests and I’m sure supplies hearing aids as necessary. However they are in a business aimed at making profits so I feel sure that I would be sold aids that may not be suitable for tinnitus or that I will have to pay for servicing and necessary batteries. Unfortunately there are no tinnitus support groups locally in my area, charitable or otherwise. I’m hoping my long wait will be worth it in the long run. Thanks for your comments.

[HissingSid in reply to HissingSid]

Lynne-H I’ve since discovered that I cannot get NHS hearing aids in Specsavers in Scotland so I’ll be giving them a swerve. According to the Specsavers website I’ll be charged £495.00 for 2 hearing aids plus 4 years supply of batteries. If I hold on to my Audiology appointment in local hospital I should get these free.

[Jojo313]

The hospital where I saw the (useless) ENT, sent me to their Audiologist in the same hospital , they did hearing tests and Vestibular tests etc, then said I could have maskers in 3 months, for some reason I was then sent to another hospital that the big ‘Mr ENT’ works at as well as my local hospital, the senior Audiologist saw me and I explained about the maskers, she gave them to me there and then, so lord only knows how these things work! Having said that if you have to wait , the wait is worthwhile they really do help, some times nothing covers it but life is better with them!

[HissingSid in reply to Jojo313]

That is encouraging news at least. I am hopeful that I not only get the aids with masks fitted but also give me some peace of mind throughout the days ahead. Patience is a virtue so I’m definitely clinging on to that thought just now!

[Jojo313]

Definitely, I resisted them at first but now they are my best friends, just wish I could sleep in them! Hope you find them as helpful as I have 🙃

[HissingSid in reply to Jojo313]

Yes nights can be a pain in the ears with the silence. I sometimes wish I lived next to a motorway! I tried a sound ball at night but it was ineffective as it was battery operated and quickly ran out of power. A full night’s sleep would be a blessing!

[Ruud1boy in reply to HissingSid]

Have you looked at one of the Sound Oasis machines?

tinnitus.org.uk/shop/sound-...

Mains powered and a huge range of sounds you can distract your ears with while you're sleeping.

[HissingSid in reply to Ruud1boy]

Thanks Ruud1boy I’ll check that out and discuss it with audiology when I get my appointment.

[Freddy17]

I wish you well. And the hearing aids with masking it's going to help you a lot.

[HissingSid in reply to Freddy17]

Thanks Freddy17 I could do with a movement in the right direction towards silence from tinnitus just now!

[Ruud1boy]

Got to say, I have my concerns about what the NHS can do / offer for tinnitus - that is, next to nothing - but I can't fault their provision re HA's, in our area at least. I'm on my 3rd pair within 12mths, all held in stock there & then. I got the 2nd pair when I asked if I could have black ones, rather than 'HA beige', and then they gave me another pair so I could have one set w/ DAI shoes & one without.

[Spotted]

Well in answer to your question, here in Portsmouth we have an 18 week waiting list for ENT. So I think 6-7 weeks your time frame is excellent. I am in dire need of seeing an ENT.

I was astounded to see that the excellent hospital QA audiology stated that there are no appointments available at all!

In the past , this ENT were extremely good so I have written to them begging to open an appointment for me soon!

[HissingSid in reply to Spotted]

Hi Spotted I got an appointment date of 20 June by post but told them by email I was on holiday then and I guess I must have got a cancellation date as I was seen by audiologist on 13 June so my wait was successful. I got new hearing aids fitted with white and pink noise masking so I’ve been using them for a week now with some success. Previously I had just one hearing aid but with the two aids I can hear sounds a whole lot clearer now and with the white noise masking my tinnitus is calmer so far. Time will tell if it’s a success and I have a follow up appointment on 15 August. Lots of good luck and best wishes in gaining your ENT appointment soon.