Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

@nurseheadakes After having hearing tests in a few different states and situations over a couple decades, the tests I had concerning hearing and balance at Mayo MN a few years ago is a "gold standard." The Hearing aid folks were separated and really just for information...in my case..I ultimately received my hearing aids from the VA near my home..

First of all, check out High Health Innovations, OtC from United Health Care, and Eargo Hearing Aids which are now traded on the NY stock Exchange. These are OTC hearing aids and can be ordered on line as many other hearing aids can also be ordered on line. There are many OTC hearing devices available on line. I worked for United Healthcare in the education department on all the states regulations and many states exempt audiologists from taking that same exam that hearing aid healthcare professionals take. Their exam, and I helped write the training courses, are more about what the hearing aids can do, about receivers and mics and the IC chips, about acoustics and ethics. Many hearing instrument specialists are also audiologists and are working in "big box" places. Some are actually ENTs.

The cost factor is a misnomer and relies on the overhead of the provider. A Siemens hearing system can sell for $7,000 at Miracle Ear or at an Audiologist/ENT office and the same system can sell for $2,000 at Costco. More education in this environment does not mean one knows how to program correctly. When Eargo turned their internet sales over to sales by customer service, who memorized fixes to problems, the return rate was much higher than if the aids were programmed by hearing aid professionals, and a little higher than if they had been programmed by audiologists. Look at the return rate of different groups and those with the most experiences have less returns than those right out of college. The hearing aids, wholesale, only differ in price by the quantity the client buys; but the retail price is often determined, not by expertise, but by degrees after one's names. I have been in this field for 40 years and have seen it all. It benefits the consumer/patient to shop around. Insurance currently covers a lot of hearing aids, but the amount the insurance provides often does not constitute the price of a quality hearing aid. The difference? It is how the hearing aid is manufactured, ie. the parts are typically $300, and the whole sale price for a quality hearing aid is around $1,200 so the rest is what the professional charges. I dealt with all major manufacturers. This gives you an idea of how to approach buying instruments and, again, the key is in the programming so look for the most experienced person.

sorry, I only know when to refer patients out for an CI. This is the time to find an experienced professional. Thanks, Gina

Reply to earscan (Gina): I recommend Costco; that's where I bought an aid for my "sorta" hearing ear (other one is toast). The fitter (or whatever I should call Ms. Wonder Woman) is great: she has studied a great deal and knows more than either of the audiologists (or the doc) at the big CI clinic two hours away. Believe it or not, she actually knows what Meniere's Disease is and how to fit an aid that will work for someone with it. My single aid cost $1,500 instead of over $3,000; it's a Bernefon (Oticon). Costco has a very liberal return policy. Also, there's zero charge for additional hearing tests, adjustments, etc. For the $1,500 I spent, I've seen this woman several times, as I went bilateral a year after buying the aid for my "good" ear. She was able to reset the aid so that I could tolerate the recruitment that comes with Meniere's now that both ears are affected. The one thing I'd say is that not all Costcos are equal, so, if the one nearest you doesn't have a great person to fit your aid, try another Costco.

Actually the FDA is not the determining factor since hearing aid manufacturers only submit a few samples of hearing instruments. A lot depends on the Board of Professional Regulation and what each state requires to achieve licensing, be it AUD or HAD. Most professionals cannot read the manufacturers' spec sheet sent with hearing aids and again, they are massed produced by the manufacturer. Hence, having a test box to read your own specs out is essential so that the distortion rate on the instruments can actually be seen. Often test booths are used to find medical problems not associated with hearing aids. The best test is the QSIN Test, or speech in noise, to see how well a patient performs during a noisy background because that is where the patient typically wears his/her hearing aids. The bells and whistles often done during testing are often used to increase the value of the hearing instruments but in the long run, does not increase the understanding of speech while using the hearing aids. Sorry to go on so much! It was my passion for many years and while the average return rate for hearing instruments is 25-30%, I typically might have had one per year, but I worked very hard for my patients and often thought outside the box to make them happy. The better educated the consumer is, the better choices he/she will make because they do help tremendously! Thank you for your patience! Gina

@amberwaves. You've come to the right place to get some good advice about purchasing a hearing aid and learning all about the things available to help us hear more easily. I was in the same place you are several months ago, i.e. I knew nothing about how to go about buying a hearing aid. You are a step ahead of me, actually, since you've been tested by an ENT. With the help of people on this site, I learned there are hearing aids and devices that will help me hear better, located an audiologist to visit, identified the kind of hearing aid I need, and put together a plan to try them out this summer.

In addition to this wonderful site, where kind smart people share their wisdom and knowledge, I'd like to recommend three sources of information that really helped me: (1) HLAA, (2) Consumer Reports, and (3) DrCliff AUd videos on You Tube. Other people recommended the first two.

1. HLAA - Hearing Loss Association of America,
https://www.hearingloss.org/ Years ago Julie, who responded to your post right away, helped establish the national organization Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA). They have state and local chapters around the country and a great website. It is a wonderful source of information and has become one of my go-to places to get good information about a whole host of issues related to hearing. I'm hopeless when it comes to understanding new technologies and am learning a lot about technologies from their website I didn't know existed to help people hear better, not just hearing aids. She and Toni in Michigan, who post here, are leaders in their state and local HLAA branches and have volunteered thousands of hours over decades to helping people hear better through HLAA, MayoConnect, etc. I'm looking forward to getting involved with that organization when it's safe to attend their meetings.

2. I love Consumer Reports and printed out their articles on hearing aids. I'm not sure how often they test hearing aids and print their reports, but I trust their evaluations. They have a great website too.

3. DrCliff AUD on You Tube. Toni in Michigan recommended some wonderful informative YouTube videos by DrCliff AUD on everything I ever wanted/needed to know about hearing aids. People learn in different ways; and it is so easy for me to learn new things from his short fun videos He even reviewed Consumer Reports articles on hearing aids and Costco's hearing aids in two separate videos. His pet peeve is audiologists who don't practice best practices and really shortchange their patients. He set up a network of audiologists around the country who vow to practice best practices. The audiologists pay him to be in his network, and he uses the money to produce videos. I recently moved and had no clue how to find a competent audiologist. I found one near me in his network that I'll be visiting this summer. She seems to have sterling credentials, including working for 4 years in the department of one of the nearby major medical centers testing people and fitting hearing aids. I usually am wary of these cozy relationships, but I think he is genuine in wanting to connect patients with good audiologists. Audiologists pay for advertising in fancy magazines and might as well give their money to him to be used for a good cause. I'll also be going to Costco, since Consumer Reports and DrCliff AUD, recommend their hearing aids.

I don't know anything about OTC things you can get over the internet. Anyway, I hope these suggestions help you. Good luck! Nancy

I think I may have discovered the reason for my ear pain when taking hearing tests.. A month ago I was diagnosed by biopsy with Giant Cell Arteritis, a rare but curable disease, which may cause ear pain as well as jaw pain and other problems. My audiologist has lowered the volume in my aids, which helps considerably, and I can adjust them higher for short periods. At this point I need to focus on recovering from GCA, and am glad to have the help of a audiologist with realistic expectations. This forum has been very helpful.

@sophie32 Thank you for sharing this information with us. It helps so much to have 'answers' and reasons. Knowing it is curable has to be very comforting.

Also, the vagus nerve runs along the floor of the auditory canal and pressure on it will also cause pain. Gina

I appreciate the information, Earscan. Giant Cell Arteritis at this point is only a possible cause of my ear pain, so I may have to look further. Thanks.