How do I choose the best hearing aids?

@woogie

Boy, to be honest, it sounds like you got a raw deal on all sides. What’s the trial period?
It should be a minimum of 30 days. If the trial period is still on…run…don’t walk back to that Audi and get your money back. You need to go to a better facility or a different Audi in that facility.

Of course you have a choice in the color of the aids…the Audi should have asked you. She did not fit them properly as they should not be falling off your ears. I re tube my own behind the ear hearing aids. They may not be programmed correctly…this can be fixed by programming adjustments…may take many adjustments to get it right. Or you may not have gotten use to the sound yet. The molds or domes don’t sound like they are fitting properly. The fact you have to push them in for better hearing tells me that.

Did you go to a single Audiologist with her own business or one associated with an ENT practice or a hospital? If the trial period is over and there are other Audis available, make a switch.

Let us know about the trial period, if this is your first pair of aids and how long you have been wearing them. She shouldn’t have let you leave the office.

FL Mary

I wear only one aid, as my right ear has very little hearing but lots of recruitment and distortion (Meniere's). As age-related deafness got more serious in my "good" left ear, the fitter at Costco replaced the small dome with a much larger one, explaining that it would help eliminate background noise, deliver more real sound into my ear. At first, it seemed HUGE, but the sound was better. After a few days, I couldn't imagine not having the much larger dome.

relevant

The best way to find the right hearing aid for your hearing loss is: 1. Find a reputable audiologist who can test your hearing thoroughly. 2. Ask questions of people you know who use hearing aids. 3. Let that reputable audiologist fit you with what s/he thinks is an appropriate device or devices. 4. Once you are fit with hearing instruments, use the 30 day trial period to test them in every possible situation where you will be using them in the future. 5. If you don't feel they are helping you, take them back and ask to try something different or go to another provider. Thirty days is a very short time to test this technology, but that is standard procedure in most places. There are a few who will give you more time, but you definitely want to ask so you know the parameters. 6.

Technology today has become very sophisticated. BlueTooth does wonderful things and adds considerable cost to a hearing instrument, but is worth it if you use it. The telecoil option is extremely valuable in many settings. It is considered 'old tech' by some providers. It doesn't add cost to the hearing instrument, but it is not automatically included. It has to be activated by the provider to work. And, that providers should be willing to take time to teach you how to use it effectively. I would give up my BT function long before giving up my telecoil.

It really helps to do some homework before being fitted with these devices. In my experience, the best place to get good answers is a place where you can talk to other people who have walked this path before you. Last but not least; shop like a consumer, not like a patient. It would be so frustrating to pay thousands of dollars for hearing aids, only to keep them in your dresser drawer because they don't work well for you.

I've been happy with my Oticon BT aides for over 3 years now. I'm going back for retest and checkup with audiologist who now is promoting Phonak BT brand. What do folks here know about both of these choices?

@dsh33782

Hi

I wore Oticon BTEs many years ago but they are not like the new ones today. As my hearing got to the profound point I switched to Phonaks maybe 10 plus years ago because of their power. Last year I trialed Widex and 2 other brands. While I liked certain features of all three, I opted for the Phonak Nadia UP mainly because they are super powerful….lots of punch. By that I mean that the other brands seemed weaker in all round sound experiences…not volume.
You may be overwhelmed with sound when you first try them.

My Audi is biased towards Phonaks for me and not Oticon although she would gladly let me trial the latest Oticon and I have requested her to do so for my right ear only. She and I agree that anything new for my poor left ear would not be beneficial.

We always want to try new brands so, even though you are happy with what you have, I would take the 30 day trial period for the Phonak….ya never know. There may be a feature or program in the Phonak that she could duplicate in your Oticons if you are impressed with Phonaks. . I don’t pay any money upfront for any of my trials…have a good long term relationship with my Audi.

Phonak is a well know reputable brand. I want to look into the Osia2 for my bad ear and see if I qualify.

Would love to know if you do try them and what you think

FL Mary

Thanks for the feedback. I will see what the audi says after retest and adjustment. Do you have a TV adaptor for Phonak? I love how well I can hear TV with my current Oticon TV adaptor which cost $300 and connects to TV digital output cable. It works separate from TV speakers which my wife still uses.

@dsh33782

No I don't have the adapter.....also tried the Bluetooth Paradise Phonak and it was a dismal failure for me. Constantly on my phone with the ridiculous app they use. The phone clarity was amazing but I still need visual to understand everything so I rely on my Innocpation app for phone calls. I hear voices fine on TV though....still need captions. If the speaker is not facing forward I have no idea what is being said so those devices fail for me.

FL Mary

I switched from phonac to Oticon More 1 and really notice the difference. My brother also did the same thing and was amazed at the quality and how much more clear the voices were. The only negative is these are rechargeable only with a separate unit. If you are out of town and forget the battery charger, you can’t stop at Walmart and buy disposable batteries. And the Oticon battery unit can only be purchased from an audiologist. The charging is done overnight in the battery charger. However, if this is not a concern, I rate them a 9 and I’ve worn 6 brands over the years.

Are you a veteran..? Are both ears about the same in hearing loss.. I am a veteran.. my left ear is just decoration .. amplification there is useless.. so the Starkey HAs (hearing aids) that the VA gave me are rechargable, and the left one receives and transmits to the right ear... I had several HAs before going to the VA.. but they were not very helpful.. and were expensive.. Price then had very little to do with quality... Hopefully the new revised Medicare type insurance is providing some help with costs.... The Rechargeable I find is really helpful.. the hearing aid even speaks to me when it needs a recharge... it says "battery"... and it gives me some time ...