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

[BerkshireBear in reply to Legsy0714]

I'm in the US so cannot comment on the NHS offerings, but Legsy0714 makes mention of the kind I have had for about 10 years now. (Is the NHS that slow to catch on?) Anyway, those newer ones come with many fitting options: the main unit sits behind your ear and has the microphones. One type has a little plastic tube that reaches into your ear canal; it carries a tiny wire that has the speaker at the end. That speaker has a cover which centres it in the canal, those covers can be baskets with lots of holes for ambient sounds to enter or domes which seal the canal and only have a pinhole to allow pressure to equalize. There's also a kind which has a big molded piece (2, each molded to fit an ear). There's a lot of difference between the styles both in sound and in the ease of positioning. I have experience with all three. In the hands of an experienced "fitter" you should find something that works.

I have over 75% hearing loss, so I qualify for the expensive ones. The ability to answer and talk clearly on the phone is fantastic. And I am a classically trained musician, and the only way I can enjoy music now is played from my phone through the hearing aids. And the quality puts me right back in the orchestra, better than any fancy Hi-Fi that I ever owned.

I have PN advancing into my fingers, too. Not too serious yet. If you hang the HA receiver over your ear, it will just fall into place. Next, the correct move to poke the tiny speaker into your ear canal might take a bit of experimenting, but usually they self-aim allowing you to just give a gentle push. It may help to have someone (wife, partner) watch and guide you into making the correct motions. After a week, muscle memory will take over and you won't have to think about it.

[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.

[BerkshireBear in reply to viv112]

This expansion on your condition makes me think you will benefit from a session or two with an occupational therapist. They are trained to analyse the task and evaluate your capabilities, then help you develop the pattern of motions you need. You might find that analytical talent in a friend, too. But don't be reluctant to ask for a referral to an OT.