Hearing aids - good news bad news

I've had tinnitus for about 10 years now, not a horrible case but irritating. I've lost enough hearing that I have a fair amount of trouble with television (over at someone else's house where I can't just turn it up willy-nilly and/or turn on sub-titles), movies and the latest was a stage show over Christmas - I lose the dialog in the background (especially movies, where whispering seems to be a thing).

For a couple years when I've had hearing tests I've been told I was close to being a candidate for hearing aids. I've fought the idea due to cost, hassle (showers, swimming, batteries, etc) and yes even vanity. I finally kicked myself and went to Costco for testing and fitting. The good news, I've lost only the upper frequencies, and my lower frequency is actually better than normal. The bad news, after a lot of discussions as to how they would set them up given my (apparently) somewhat odd partial loss where I need no help on the lower end, they fitted me for a pair. I walked around and went over the Customer Service to take care of some business, a perfect time to test them with background noise, etc. I still had trouble hearing the CS agent and really couldn't tell I had them in, virtually zero improvement.

The technicians didn't seem surprised given the amount of loss (not too much per the tests) and the "loss curve". Essentially, even though my hearing is substantially diminished from when I was younger, to the extent it gets in the way as described above, apparently it's "not that bad" and not to a level that can be helped yet.

I have to admit, after getting past my own objections and finally making the appointment, I was very disappointed. Having no experience with hearing aids, I expected it to be like a switch being turned on, suddenly I'd be able to hear. Or at least a dramatic improvement. Almost nothing.

I'm going to get another test fitting in the spring and this time try them at home under other conditions (TV, etc). It was explained that the aids can get sound streamed direct from the TV and controlled separately, which would be great as I'm already asking my kids to turn up the TV to the point I know it's loud for them.

Since apparently I'm not a candidate yet, are there other products to consider for those with hearing loss but not quite to hearing aid level? Costco mentioned hooking a box to the TV that would then stream to the aids - is there something that could perhaps just send to a headphone? Something perhaps I could plug my earpods into and control the volume separately and without interfering with the main TV volume? Interested to know what others in similar circumstance have done.

Hearing aids are not a cureall.  They will never get your 20 year old hearing back.  VA gave me hearing aids about 5 years ago.  IMHO they have made a great improvement.  DW got thru Costco Phonak hearing aids.  Her hearing loss is a lot worse than mine.  We can actually talk without screaming now.  New hearing aids use bluetooth technology.  So using a cell phone is really hassle free.  Get a call, push one button.  Dont need to search for your cell.  Watch TV?  If you have a newer bluetooth TV it can broadcast in stereo directly to your hearing aids.  Costco in the next week or two will have their latest KS9 aids that are suppose to have most all of the bells and whistles for 1300 dollars a pair.

Sorry for your hearing lose.  I had to start wearing them a couple years ago.  I downloaded an app on my android phone which allows me to tweak what i want to hear.  It's kinda cool that I can get clarity for just voices in a restaurant and other settings.  It does make my life nicer.

I've had older technology hearing aids for years, but just recently the VA issued me a new set of Signia (Siemens) rechargeable hearing aids, and the difference is amazing. The new aids are tuned much closer to my actual loss profile, and the tinnitus abatement technology works surprisingly well. They're also Bluetooth equipped, and I was provided with a TV adapter for non-Bluetooth equipped TV's, and a remote microphone/Bluetooth adapter that can be used with various circumstances and equipment. The Android app on my phone gives me a lot of flexibility for different conditions including adjusting the directionality of the sounds received to minimize background noise. According to the VA audiologist, these aids retail for $7,000 for the pair and accessories. Since I'm told the VA is the largest buyer of hearing aids in the world, I'm sure they get them for a lot less...

Scott, maybe you should see a different audiologist.  High frequency loss is fairly common. 
I've had hearing aids, from the VA since the early 90s, get new ones about every 5 years and with that 5 years always comes smaller and better.  I am due new aids next year, so will start the screening process in July of this year.  Can't wait to see what new technology there is.

phil-t said:

Scott, maybe you should see a different audiologist.  High frequency loss is fairly common. 
I've had hearing aids, from the VA since the early 90s, get new ones about every 5 years and with that 5 years always comes smaller and better.  I am due new aids next year, so will start the screening process in July of this year.  Can't wait to see what new technology there is.

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I certainly haven't given up, however I'm definitely not willing to spend $7K at this point either. Medicare comes at the end of the year, and I haven't started shopping for an Advantage Plan yet - I understand some may have hearing aid coverage - under my current plan aids are not covered.


At the moment my goal is to address the TV/cinema/stage issue with some sort of earbud style "listening device". I'd want something I could bring to my kids' place and temporarily plug in to their TV without affecting the master volume, or something I could bring to the movies/stage that boosted volume into earbuds. I've done some cursory searching but haven't found anything yet.

Is there a box I can plug into the TV that will stream to my headphones?  YES

Google Blutooth audio transmitters and use a bluetooth headset  Full headset (not an ear piece) I have a "Genereic" BT Headset next to me (2 of them in fact one is kind of nice) but Boise makes some EXCELLENT Headsets and at least one of 'em IS BT.

The only issue i have had is most of the BT transmistters need 5 volts to charge the internal battery.. now many TV's today.. can provide that from a USB port (or you can use an additional wall wart)

Scott, if all you want is simple amplification, for now, you can find several low cost devices.  From ear buds to headsets.  Internet search for amplified ear buds. 

Scott,

Next time you think about going to a movie theater, look for the CC in their ads.  This is real close to the CC on your TV.  No Cost (typically).  They pass you a box with a pod on and arm.  Sit Down and and get comfortable and then adjust the pod where you want it and read the LED display so you can finally tell what they are saying on the screen. 

I have bad tinitus (could be from standing next to massive ship engines) and still have never found a hearing aid that actually does me any good.

Matt

phil-t said:

Scott, if all you want is simple amplification, for now, you can find several low cost devices.  From ear buds to headsets.  Internet search for amplified ear buds.

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I already have some Bluetooth earbud style headphones I use for walking. Given that it doesn't seem like I'm quite in a position to be helped by hearing aids yet, I'm thinking I would like something that would address the following:


1) something to plug in to a TV that sends an independently adjustable audio stream via Bluetooth
2) some sort of small amplifier (if there is such a thing that) does a reasonable job of amplifying in a way to help with voices, that I could use in movie theaters and the occasional stage setting, that could feed the same headphones. I would think "amplified ear buds" require a source to amplify so what I'm envisioning is a much smaller version of those things I've seen advertised on TV that's basically a microphone in a box, amplifying and feeding a headset

Those are the only two situations I anticipate using amplification.

Costco mentioned hooking a box to the TV that would then stream to the aids - is there something that could perhaps just send to a headphone?

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For TV, I've attached a small bluetooth transmitter ($28) to the TV output and bought DW a pair of JBL bluetooth headphones. Now she hears the TV just fine.

For a couple years when I've had hearing tests I've been told I was close to being a candidate for hearing aids. I've fought the idea due to cost, hassle (showers, swimming, batteries, etc) and yes even vanity. I finally kicked myself and went to Costco for testing and fitting. The good news, I've lost only the upper frequencies, and my lower frequency is actually better than normal. The bad news, after a lot of discussions as to how they would set them up given my (apparently) somewhat odd partial loss where I need no help on the lower end, they fitted me for a pair. I walked around and went over the Customer Service to take care of some business, a perfect time to test them with background noise, etc. I still had trouble hearing the CS agent and really couldn't tell I had them in, virtually zero improvement.

The technicians didn't seem surprised given the amount of loss (not too much per the tests) and the "loss curve". Essentially, even though my hearing is substantially diminished from when I was younger, to the extent it gets in the way as described above, apparently it's "not that bad" and not to a level that can be helped yet.

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My hearing loss is similar to what you describe, with freqs from 0 to around 1000 Hz being more or less normal, with a sharp drop from there, and hearing nothing above 4500 Hz, or so, even when very loud.

The ReSound hearing aids (ReSound Forte 8 FT861-DRW) that I picked up from Costco were $2500 for the pair, which was half or less of what a hearing specialist wanted for roughly equivalent ones a couple of years earlier. These came with four programmed modes (the tech and I discussed various activities, and this is what we came up with), All Around, which is a decent general purpose mode; Restaurant, which is good for noisy places where I can't otherwise pick out individuals in conversation; Music, which gives me a roughly flat response when listening to music (it really helps- I can hear triangles again); and Outdoor, which helps a lot when riding a bike or when it's windy.

These are not magic, so they don't cure every situation, but they do help a lot. They do have cheaper ones, but part of the reason I picked these is that they use DSP (Digital Signal Processing) in such a way that they are roughly equivalent to 17 individual channels* in many earlier styles, giving a much finer resolution of frequency adjustments than the cheaper ones.


* Channels, or frequency bands, much like on a multiband equalizer with 17 adjustment knobs, but done automatically.

Matt_C said:

Next time you think about going to a movie theater, look for the CC in their ads.  This is real close to the CC on your TV. 

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Thanks, I'll keep that in mind

Good info Larry. I'm at 10db at 250 & 500, 15db at 1K, 20db at 2K then straightline to 40@3K and 65@8K, so I think I'm in a little better shape (for now) than you are. I'll give Costco a call about the ReSound Forte.

I've been a HA user since June.
Seems like my loss is only slightly worse than yours...
and all I can say is i wish I'd done it years earlier!
I wonder if maybe your fitting was off somehow....  I don't think it's correct to say you are not a candidate...but then I'm no expert....

I know in my case there was an adjustment period where the audiologist didn't turn them up to full correction right away.  Also, there was a few visits to tweak some of the threshold and filter settings to get them right for me. 
Yes there are some situations where the improvement is barely noticeable, but others....just wow.
I'm wearing a pair of phonak Audeo Marvel MT-90-13

My audiolgist sent me home in a trial pair to try out.  Actually tied Oticon Opn for a week or so, then Phonaks for a while.
Does Costco send you home with a trial?  Seems like it would be hard to tell with just a few minutes in the store....

suggest a forum where there's a lot of knowledgeable folks in this field.  You can enter your audiogram data and get some good input there
hearingtracker.com

I know in my case there was an adjustment period where the audiologist didn't turn them up to full correction right away.

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Yes, when I first got them they were set at about 70% of the adjustment needed. Six months later they adjusted them up to about 80%. Now, a year and a half later, I'm up to 90%.

It seems that if they gave you the full change right from the start, that you'd have trouble taking it, it would seem so loud. Your brain needs time to adjust. I was told I had to wear them at least 12 hours a day for the mental adjustment to properly take in a reasonable time frame.

Does Costco send you home with a trial?

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Costco offered a 6 month trial. Actually, you buy them, but within the first 6 months you can return them at any time for a full refund. That's hard to beat. In addition, replacement domes and wax filters are free for the asking, and their warranty even includes loss (once for each), in addition to repair. Also, no additional charge for visits for adjustment or other help.

Larry N. said:

Yes, when I first got them they were set at about 70% of the adjustment needed. Six months later they adjusted them up to about 80%. Now, a year and a half later, I'm up to 90%.

It seems that if they gave you the full change right from the start, that you'd have trouble taking it, it would seem so loud. Your brain needs time to adjust. I was told I had to wear them at least 12 hours a day for the mental adjustment to properly take in a reasonable time frame.
Costco offered a 6 month trial. Actually, you buy them, but within the first 6 months you can return them at any time for a full refund. That's hard to beat. In addition, replacement domes and wax filters are free for the asking, and their warranty even includes loss (once for each), in addition to repair. Also, no additional charge for visits for adjustment or other help.

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that sure is a slow ramp-up!
Mine were at full prescription in I'm guessing 6-8 weeks.

Interesting thread. I have Audibel hearing aids ($6k). I don't need much amplification. But they are really good at cleaning up the background noise in restaurants. Also useful for hearing voices (usually female) in movies on tv. The tinnitus mode isn't helpful at all. I rarely use the volume control?
.

blw2 said:

that sure is a slow ramp-up!
Mine were at full prescription in I'm guessing 6-8 weeks.

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The 70% was more than adequate to achieve my purpose, that is, to hear individuals better in noise such as a restaurant, and to get improved fidelity when listening to music. Since I have a sharp dropoff above about 1000Hz, too much of the music was missing. The last piece of the delay in getting up to full correction amplitude is my fault, since I was in no hurry to schedule the final appointment -- in fact I was months past their recommendation.

Larry N. said:

For TV, I've attached a small bluetooth transmitter ($28) to the TV output and bought DW a pair of JBL bluetooth headphones. Now she hears the TV just fine.

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I did the same thing for my 96 YO mother. Now were all happy! No more ear busting volume.

Larry N. said:

For TV, I've attached a small bluetooth transmitter ($28) to the TV output and bought DW a pair of JBL bluetooth headphones. Now she hears the TV just fine.

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Larry, which transmitter did you buy, and which outlet in the TV does it plug in to? 3mm? Optical?