Hearing Aids

[viv112]

Does anyone have any advice about hearing aids? I have peripheral neuropathy in my hands and I also suffer from cerebral ataxia. I tried NHS hearing aids a few years ago and as I cannot fasten jewellery and struggle with buttons I struggled to fix it in my ear. My hearing is getting worse. I have difficulty with conversations because words are unclear and background noise is a problem. I am happy to pay for a hearing aid that is comfortable and efficient. Any suggestions please?

[1jay]

Hello, I am a hearing aid wearer (private purchase, in ear, very fiddly, needs dexterity) and appreciate the benefits/challenges of hearing loss. I wonder if this organisation might offer advice/support? rnid.org.uk. They have an informative website. Might be worth a look. Good luck and best wishes.

[jimister]

Hi, I ha hearing aids, and I found them very big and cumbersome. So I decided to go to Boots, and pay for them. They range from £2000 up to £4000. They are very discreet, smaller, comfortable to wear. I find them easy to put in. You get followed up by the Boots hearing clinic and you can arrange appointments anytime you want. They are also much more advanced than the nhs ones, and have far more features that you can customise to your own needs. It is a lot of money but if you can afford them it is worth it.

[Legsy0714]

Hello VivSorry for your difficulties. It's so isolating to be unable to hear efficiently.

As I understand it, finding the right aid is difficult and there's a lot of profiteering. Whatever you do, take your time and do some comparisons - see what several audiologists suggest.

I'm in Scotland and recently got new NHS aids. They are a big improvement on previous models.

They are smaller and there's a great new feature - they can be linked by Bluetooth to your phone or other device, making it simpler to listen to phone calls or a radio or TV programme.

Whatever you get you will have the insertion problem and cleaning too.

The audiology department I used was very patient and helpful and programmed and later adjusted my aids To suit.

I don't know what is out there in the private sector but I do know friends who have spent small fortunes and been disappointed.

Like most technology, development today is swift.

Best of luck. I feel for you.

David

[viv112]

Thank you for your replies. My peripheral neuropathy and numb fingers make many things more difficult. I can’t thread a needle and sew any more, my writing is deteriorating,. I drop things. I have made an appointment and will talk to an audiologist and hopefully eventually find a suitable hearing aid.