Hearing aid

[SusieF68]

Hi. I was diagnosed with an AN several years ago. I have loud tinnitus in my right ear with whooshing and high-pitched beeping. I have been told that I might be able to get help with a hearing aid. Does anyone have any advice about how or who I need to talk to? Many thanksSue

[Karbob]

Hi if you are in the uk. Ask Go to refer you. Where you live does make a difference. You do have to persevere with the hearing aid,they have lots of noises that we aren't either used to. Hope that helps

[Bluenorm]

I have hearing aids and it has helped with the tinnitus. However, it's different for all people. The best thing to do is go and see an Audiologist and get your hearing tested and explain your problem You could also contact tinnitus Uk which is a charity .

[Mickyb123]

If you are in the UK, my advice is go through the NHS first, get a free hearing aid to see how you get on, paying £3000 to go private might be a total waste of money.Just my experience

[flappers]

Hi Susie, whoever is overseeing your monitoring for your AN should refer you to your local audiology team, or your GP can. I thought you would have been automatically referred and seen as I thought testing your hearing was all part of the diagnosis and understanding what your main symptoms were. I have the constant tinnitus too and found wearing a hearing aid with a masker setting helpful once I got used to it. Definitely worth a try, hopefully you won’t have you wait an absurdly long time. Also, hypnotherapy via the brainstrust and support groups for those with ANs helpful. Good lunch, hope it helps . Lin

[GGourmet]

I have to agree with flappers that this should have been part of your care pathway.

I was private but got my GP to refer me for an NHS hearing test for a hearing aid. This is supposed to be done 12 months after surgery as this is the point where your hearing will be at its worst.

I was loaned a hearing aid by the private hospital I was in and quickly discovered that the NHS one could not perform for my work. I ended up paying £2,195 for a Widex 440 which came with a 5 year guarantee. You really do need to try the NHS first before such a financial commitment and note that not all NHS trusts provide the same aids so, the one you are given varies from trust to trust.

The gold standard is receiver in ear but NHS ones are usually receiver behind ear and use a pipe to transfer sound to the ear.

I hope this level of detail helps.