Serious question. I'm getting deaf to the point its really interfering with my day to day living. Except for the fun of hearing things incorrectly, for instance the preacher this morning saying "sperm and egg" right in the middle of the sermon ( actually woke me up)....its getting to be a real problem. Question: Does anyone here have a hearing aid? Do they really do any good or do they just amplify and distort? I have found that if I cup my hand next to my ear it actually helps. Really. In fact I made a pair of curved cardboard Mickey Mouse ears to wear while I watched TV but my kids unanimously outlawed that for fear ANYONE might see me. I conceded it WAS probably over the line. So, anyway, do they work? Mine began with high freq loss due to pistols, shotguns and lumber planers. Now it is worse with significant tinnitus.
I find that my hearing suffers when I am in an environment with a high level of ambient noise, e.g. a noisy restaurant with inadequate soundproofing- i cannot then discriminate to hear conversation close by. While part of it is a function of age, I also think heredity has something to do with it- my father is stone deaf as was his father (of course, the old guy lived til he was 95, chasing women on Venice Beach, so as far as trade-offs go, I guess he had the best of all worlds). Seriously, though, I know a number of folks my age (50) and younger with hearing problems- one guy lives in the countryside and at age 51 or so, is wearing devices in both ears now- he had some sort of infection that put to ruin whatever hearing remained in his 'good' ear. While I know, in his case, it has nothing to do with the din of the big city, that's another thing that I factor in- the level of ambient noise in midtown Manhattan is unbelievable, and you unconsciously filter it out to survive. I don't live in the city anymore, but I think city critters must pay a price for this, as well. I used to pride myself on being a 'golden ears' in hi-fi, and fiddled with systems to increase the level of clarity without increasing the volume (although there is a 'natural' volume for almost every recording). I also wonder how much lack of clarity has to do with digitization, since most audio signals we hear today, whether telephone, music, or other forms of electronic communication, are highly processed.
My bf and I were just talking about this very topic...it was part of the decision making process of installing subwoofers in two of the cars. He is only 34 and suffers from some hearing loss due to loud music in the car. Here is an interesting article we reviewed in Newsweek on the topic of hearing loss that might help you out... http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8017906/site/newsweek/ BTW, my bf is an FP and he recommended also going to aafp.org for more literature on hearing loss/aids.
I lost over 40% of my hearing due to Car Stereo competitions (sound quality not how loud can it go). I was working for a company that actually used to check your hearing once a year and this is how it was discovered. I now love to tell the harm of having loud stereos in your cars. Be careful you can't take a pill to recover that lost hearing.
IMO people(in general) take their hearing for granted. It's like anything that should be protected(ear plugs, refraining from loud music/environments etc.) to keep it from going bad later. I think hearing aids have a stigma attached to them and if you can just get over that I'm sure it will be a vast improvement.
That is the CLASSIC presentation of loss caused by loud noise exposure according to my audiologist. In fact he used it as the example as he talked to me about my problem(about 7 years ago). I've noticed that if 4 people are at a table, and the women are across from each other and talking I cannot here the person in front of me although I can tell the volume is high enough, I still can't make out the words.
Welcome to the club. Too much trap/skeet and "stereophile" BS here. Don't know about hearing aid devices - I think most of them squeal alot mainly when you're on the phone. Do you know a FP who owns an otoscope? Maybe it's just a simple case of impacted cerumen. Don't give up hope. Remember Beethoven was stone cold deaf when he wrote the Ninth - never heard it played by an orchestra, except in his head, which was where it was before he wrote it and it turned out OK, IMHO. I'd try some kind of hearing aid and see if it helps and if you like it. I think there are tiny ones that are all but invisible. What could it hurt to find out? This isn't a result of too many vodka/gin & tonics, is it? Quinine, ya know. On the other hand, quinine prevents malaria, which I'd be concerned about if I lived in the swamps of NC.
uro: What does your audiogram show? Although my hearing isn't THAT bad for my age, I'm having trouble hearing patients who have soft voices (mainly girls and mothers). I also have trouble in the situation you described -- a table in a restaurant full of people. I have also keep turning up the television set. Well, I finally decided to bite the bullet -- I get my hearing aids on Tuesday morning. After much discussion and research, I'm getting high-end digital hearing aids. The people I spoke to said that the kind of hearing aids that fit in the ear canal are difficult to adjust to because they block out normal sounds that you can actually hear -- lower frequency sounds. Like you, I have tried to limp along without doing anything about it. I have had my hearing checked once a year for the past 4 years or so. I am also a lot more careful about my hearing. I wear sponge ear plugs anytime I am around loud noises. Interesting, both my audiologist and ENT doc, as well as the Head of Hearing and Speech here at the Children's Hospital, have said that the longer you wait to get hearing aids, the less effective they will be. That, over a prolonged period of time of not hearing the higher frequences, your brain just starts to stop trying to hear them -- they said it better than I am but you get the point. So, Tuesday the new behind-the-ear hearing aids go in. I do like the idea of hearing better but not the idea of looking older than my years. The Newsweek article had a great quote in it: They're afraid to look old, but they don't mind looking dumb." They even said that some patients prefer to cup their hands around their ears so that they can hear better. Sounds like someone has been in both your family room and mine.
(all joking aside) Why not give something like these (the first two) a try? I bought this one as a novelty last fall when I was going deer hunting and they were on sale for $9.99. I didn't shoot a deer, but it did help me hear wierd noises around the house. Maybe it would help with the TV watching situation, and when you're around the family... since they're cammo green, you may need to buy a matching dinner jacket when you go out socially though.
"I'm having trouble hearing patients who have soft voices (mainly girls and mothers). " The "girl behind the corner with the tiny voice" has become my enemy. It's gotten to the point where my daughter automatically tells me what they've just said. I play with music a lot and hate the idea of losing relatively full hearing range. Does anyone know if hearing aids give you full range, or only address certain frequencies. Too much loud music and too many loud engines, now I wear earplugs but....
My father has been deaf in one ear since he was a kid, he's 70 now. I think my grandmother must have bopped him in the head a good one when he was a kid since it wasn't a birth defect. He has a hearing aid now but doesn't wear it all the time as you get alot of irritating background noise with them in busy places which causes head aches and irritation, his is a behind the ear, there also is a bit of difference in quality of various models so it pays to check around, I'd stay away from the strip center hearing aid places that are not run by MD's, I think their was a negative expose on them awhile back on 60 minutes or another show for gouging people.
What each individual has descibed thus far is ]Sensorineural Hearing Loss[/i]. Mentioned within the context of the article is rubella or German Measles, which plagued many in the late 50's and early 60's - resulting in near epidemic proportions of expectant Mothers acquiring the virus through no fault of their own and passing it on to their unborn children. It could have been worse, I could have been born blind or, bless their hearts - mongoloid. Instead, I have been profoundly deaf (Nerved Deafness) since birth. On a good day, I have an 85%+ hearing loss in both ears. Incidentally, the above hyperlinked site happens to be from the same now world-renowned facility where my hearing loss was first diagnosed so many years ago. Going on 45, I've worn hearing aids for 42+ years. 85% deaf in both ears on a good day. Wait, I already said that. First, the hearing goes... This places me squarely in the profoundly deaf category, so, if that means I'm deaf, it also means I'm profound. Woohoo! On to more important matters: Your Sensorineural Hearing Loss. While hearing loss of this type cannot be recovered, it can be aided, hence the humble, aptly named hearing aid. For obvious reasons, I don't know if I'll ever own a Ferrari. With my type of hearing loss, turning the volume down doesn't help. "Take it off, har de har har" will only net a "sod off" in return, so save it. Maybe a quieter Lotus is in the cards, though I do love these Italian Stallions. The saving grace is my ancient ties to Merry Olde England are a matter of no small pride, so a UK car is no compromise in my book. So, there. These are not the hearing aids of yesteryear. What you'll find now not only goes far beyond the pale, it also goes beyond the graphic equalizer. I think this addtional article from another site does a nice job of explaining things. If you read the second artlicle, you'll see the typical equalizer present in modern aids not only has 9 bands, it is responsive to different environments, like a nipple to cold weather. And who doesn't like a nip in the air? It's the pause that refreshes. I encourage each and every one of you to visit a Hearing Professional and get your hearing tested for free... and follow through. It's an investment, not an expense. My stubborn-as-a-mule Father did for the very same reasons as you folks who've posted thoughts, and from day one of his new lease on life, only regretted not having done it sooner. You have no idea how loud that damn TV was... and this is coming from a deaf guy. Yowza! Visually, you would not know he was wearing them. [size=-2]They're quite small.[/size] So, any excuses about pride have summarily been dismissed. Since pride can't be lost, what have you got to lose except your hearing? Don't be dismayed if there's nothing but fuddy-duddies with pants hitched up to their armpits, either. They were young once & heard much more noise in the Pre-OSHA Industrial Age than we ever will. When I was in L.A., I made acquaintance with a few younger celebs & musicians in my Hearing Professional's office - as older celebs goes, my earpiece and Laker Broadcaster Chick Hearn's hung out in the H-I drawer together. As a side benefit, the receptionist was a hottie who kept a nip in the air.
I'm 46. I find myself turning up the TV volume a bit more in the last year or so. I would like to get a hearing test. If it leads to testing out a hearing aid that would prove to be the slickest thing since sliced bread, it would be like wiping a dog's butt just once in it's life!
when I was one year old, I had a fever of 107 - which caused nerve damage in my ears. Last August, I was 92% loss and 30 years old. I say last August because the audiogram was done prior to my cochlear implant sugery in my right ear. Now my left ear is 92% loss and my right ear is 100% loss. So.. I wore two hearing aids. Behind the ear types - not the kind you guys would need. You'll likely go with the inside-the-ear kind - I can't help you with that. If your loss is considerable enough that an inside-the-ear hearing aid is not enough, then there is a wide variety of options. Either way, all hearing aids do is amplify sounds. The higher quality ones are better at focusing on a specific sound source allowing you to "tune out" the ambient sounds (other people chattering, noises, etc..). Higher quality offers less distortion, but then again, I've never heard distortion with any of my hearing aids. Just don't visit only one hearing aid place. Like any business, its a biased world - you need to judge each brand available and develop your own opinion. Don't listen to how one brand salesman "disses" a rival brand's product. Look to see how quickly a specialist can adjust the hearing frequencies to your tastes, how easy the hearing aid is to adjust (multiple programs), and how well they reproduce sound. Cost isn't something to consider since most insurance companies will cover a significant portion. I've worn Bosch hearing aids for 8 years and love them. (My implant is made by MedEl). Two things to consider - hearing aids can only do so much. If your hearing has enough deficiency, you might not be able to hear specific ranges of sound - IE: highs and/or lows. Also, digital hearing aids offer an almost infinite range of adjustment - thereby it is possible you may hate the hearing aids until you and your hearing aid specialist can tweak the program just right. I'd never heard crickets and other higher pitched sounds before the implant. This thing still amazes me to this day. The change was so dramatic I had to see a speech therapist just to learn how to adjust to hearing all these new sounds. My dogs' dog tags clicking against each other, the dogs' nails on the hardwood floors, the "S" sound when people speak, lots of new sounds that I'd never heard before and really had difficulty identifying. Don't fret over it. Hearing loss is not a sign of age or bad health. It's correctable over a wide variety of ways - like vision and breasts. Even with such a high degree of hearing loss, I work in a field that demands the most of all human senses - and I still do quite well. Better so with the implant, but nonetheless. See what your options are, talk with people who have experience in this. I'm always happy to discuss it. PM me if you would like more info....
I have the same problems, put me in a crowded room and I have trouble hearing normal conversation. Years of playing in bands and mowing lawns without hearing protection. I've been meaning to get to an audiologist to see how bad off I am.
Good Lord FD, what! Do you think I'm MADE of money. $10!!! No way. I did buy one of these: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5788863720&category=14957&rd=1 for $.99 plus $2.80 shipping about 2 years ago (to help with TV) and it worked pretty well til I lost it. Maybe its down in the sofa, I gotta look. Anyway, it worked pretty good, only trouble it made stuff like ice dropped in a glass really loud. Edit: you will also notice this works in BOTH ears so its only 50 cents per ear, plus shipping. Edit Edit: Maybe we can do a group buy of these "Spy Ears" and reduce that onerous shipping charge.
Not a day in my life goes by where I don't say to my wife "What???" about 80 times. My hearing is fine, she's just quiet. I hate that. I have nothing more to contribute...only that hearing loss is not nearly as bad as other things that can hit ya as we age: roll with the punches amigo!
FWIW, My grandmother (who is 87) has been totally deaf in one ear as long as I remember and her hearing in the other ear started to go, to the point where she had the TV at the loudest setting and it was all distorted sounding (and none too well received by the neighbors). She had been told so many times that various hearing aids would really help, but none of them ever really did what was claimed, and they all seemed to annoy her and give feedback or static or whatever. So this past Xmas she was taken to hospital for pneumonia and while there, she happened to meet up with their audiologist (or whatever they are called) who was checking her because he wasn't sure if her fever had damaged her hearing. He said times have changed in the past 2-3 years even, and todays hearing aids can work wonders over those of a few years ago. She was skeptical, but she tried a few different ones they had, and to her surprise (and our glee) she found one that worked very well for her. It's an in-the-ear type that was custom molded for her ear. It took a few weeks and almost a grand but it works for her very well. And this is from a lady who swore they were evil contraptions that all gave her more grienf than the inability to hear did. It's amazing to hear her sing the praises of the device and even more amazing not to hear "WHAT?" ever other word.
Well, 2.5 years later I went to an audiologist. He said my low frequency was OK so i should not get any kind of in the canal hearing aid as it would block the natural sound which i am fine with. He suggested a behind the ear digital something or other. For $2500. Each. But he said he recommended only one side for me, which I agreed with. I recently read an article in Motorcycle Consumer News written by the MD who does their medical column. He said he just got a hearing aid from AmericaHears and its the cats PJs. Like this one: http://www.americahears.com/freedomv_of.shtml I have my audiogram from the $2500 guy, i think I will give the web place a try, what do you think?
sounds good to me, from a guy who used to wear a hearing aid. i was born with 70% hearing loss in my left ear, but have learned to live with it and compensate for it. i don't remember what the hearing aid cost back then, i'm sure it wasn't 2500, but i'm positive it wasn't cheap either, but technology has definitely gotten a lot better. i take it insurance will cover the cost, or at least most of, the aid?
Yup, very true. I'm deaf from my left ear and my hearing on my right is slowly starting to get worse. Sucks..but oh well.
