I'm completely new to the world of hearing aids. Advice please.

Thanks again.

"The hearing aid should be selected only by the specialist from whom you are being checked and go to receptions. He understands technology, knowing all the details of your situation, so he will choose the perfect device to make you feel comfortable. My audiologist continuously checks whether the device he recommended is convenient for me, whether I need to pick up something else, what sound quality, and so on. I think that you should still save up money and go to a good doctor. Otherwise, you will constantly acquire low-quality devices and get upset."

Thank you, Julie. Here is some additional information.

Audiologists are certified by the American-Speech-Language and Hearing Association (ASHA). Their training occurs within a university that is accredited by ASHA. They have a license to practice audiology as a clinical profession through their state or province. Some audiologists have a master's degree because they were licensed prior to the requirement of a doctoral degree. An audiologist may have an AuD (clinical doctorate in audiology) or a Ph.D. (research and practice degree in audiology).
https://www.asha.org/public/who-are-audiologists/
https://www.audiologist.org/patients/what-is-an-audiologist
I go to an audiologist who has an a clinical doctorate (AuD in Audiology. and he practices in an otolaryngology (ear, nose, and throat) medical practice.

My audiologist recommended Oticon 4 years ago and I am still happy with them. I have TV adapter which makes listening to TV like surround sound. And I listen to audio books via my iPhone and hearing aides at the gym. I think my audiologist may recommend Phonac for my next pair.

There is a lot of "noise about the new laws of availability (OTC).
The result is the availability of quality hearing aids at competitive/lower prices.
Your choice of audiologist is the most important choice that you will make. Fitting is both an art AND a science.
The audiologist "must" use an REM unit to optimize the efficiency of the fitting. The use of the hearing test alone is not adequate.
I have experienced both with and without, and the results are significantly obvious.
Good luck.

In most cases, you get what you pay for. My first hearing aids (on a trial basis, fortunately) were from Costco. Their technicians were not highly trained at all and the Phillips brand they recommended just did not work for me. I have to have aids that are compatible with my Apple phone AND they must be app friendly. These were not and they messed up my phone all of the time. They were also very annoying when in the car listening to music because they picked up the a/c instead and I got so sick and tired of hearing static, despite all of the adjustments Costco made. I went to an audiologist recommended to me by my ENT doctor and while the price tag was hefty ($4,000.00), they came with a three month trial and I am almost at the end of the trial and I will keep them. HUGE improvement. Today, you can barely see the wire in your ear and the microphone is way down in the ear, so if you are worried about people seeing them, they cannot. I was shocked when I learned that. I remember my grandfather's and they were so noticeable. I detest wearing them with a mask but hopefully the pandemic will end soon. I tell myself that I am wearing them for others. My poor husband got so tired of having to repeat to me. That must be so annoying. I am extremely grateful that I can afford them and try to wear them everyday.

I am only 65 and never attended loud concerts or worked around loud noises. I do have a peripheral neuropathy (CMT2U) and that could be the cause of my rather sudden hearing loss. Who knows!

As I've commented before, don't overlook Costco. Granted, some techs there are far better than others, but Kayleen Wall at the Salem, Oregon Costco is far more than a mere tech: she has learned more about how to adapt to getting the most out of an aid and Meniere's Disease than either of the two audis I've seen. I was stunned that she knows so much about a disease that remains a mystery to most docs, but she's a master at setting up my aids to that I can hear as much as possible with as little recruitment as possible. After well over 30 years of not hearing anything on the right side, she tested me again after I got on a better hormone program (low hormones are my Meniere's "trigger") and sold me a pair of aids. I'm now hearing things I haven't heard for decades, and I can usually determine where the sound's coming from--all new! Better yet, tinnitus and aurul hallucinations are almost entirely gone, a huge relief. I still have trouble with understanding speech, am looking for a speech pathologist--which Kayleen likens to PT for my ears.

A few things here: REM stands for 'real ear measurement'. This is a very important procedure for fitting hearing aids. Some providers do not have the equipment to perform this test. You should ask whomever you go to for hearing aids to do REM. If they say they can't, you may want to go elsewhere.

From years of experience with my own hearing loss and that of many I've met through my involvement in The Hearing Loss Assn. of America, I've learned that the skill of the person fitting hearing aids is paramount. There are many providers who do not have education in the field of audiology. However, they may have had very good training from a corporation that includes hearing aids in their sales. Some of them become very good at fitting hearing aids properly. Some do not. That is evident from reading people's experiences posted here.

The new Over the Counter (OTC) standards and legislation is coming, but it is not her yet. Still, there are a lot of fly by night companies out there that are advertising hearing aids that do everything a hard of hearing person wants it to do. This is really false advertising, which seems to be OK in today's world, sadly. This kind of advertising has been going on every since hearing aids came on the market way back in the 1920s. Some of the advertisements are hysterical. Look for some on bing.com

Education is valuable. Hearing aid providers who are true audiologists have the letters AuD behind their name. That is a doctorate degree in the field of audiology. Prior to doctorate mandate by audiologist's professional organizations a few decades ago, a master's degree was standard. Some who are in practice as 'audiologists' still have MS or MA behind their name as they were grandfathered in when the professional standards changed.

Yes, you can get a good hearing aid that is well fit from the big box stores that are selling them. They train their fitters well in most cases, and they are called 'hearing instrument specialists', often referred to as HIS when compared to AuD or MS. The difference is education.

It is important for everyone who loses hearing in adulthood to understand that this loss can be caused by medical issues that can be treated in some instances. Diagnosing those types of causes is not going to happen with someone who is basically trained to fit a hearing aid. My recommendation is to be sure you have an exam by an Ear Nose Throat MD (ENT) and/or Audiologist (AuD) before pursuing the purchase of a hearing aid. Get the medical issues ruled out. This is especially true with sudden onset hearing loss. Reality: Most HL is caused over time by noise exposure or genetic predisposition. It cannot be 'cured' medically. It can be helped with technology...which is where the hearing aids come in.

I would ask anyone who is pursuing getting a hearing aid: Have you had a medical evaluation from a qualified professional so you know your loss is typical and not caused by a medical condition?

Has anyone heard of EarLens?

@bobsi
Hi,

I have a neighbor who has a moderate loss and wears small BTE hearing aids who told me about EarLens. I looked into it. I have a profound hearing loss. From what I remember reading about them, they are not for anyone who has scarred eardrums (as I have) or who have had ear infections recently. I am prone to ear infections since childhood and after 40 years of wearing hearing aids, my eardrums are in no condition to accommodate something that sits right on that surface.

It sells for about $12,000 a pair and supposedly will last in your ears for 3 to 5 years. All the electronics are in the lens that is professionally inserted by a provider. I just can’t envision having the tympanic membrane covered all the time although people wear contact lenses 24/7.

I didn’t delve further and don’t know how much of an improvement for someone like myself (if I qualified) would experience.

If I see my neighbor again I will ask if he has considered getting them. Your insurance really has to be spectacular to have them covered.

FL Mary