Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

My husband has fallen for the 'ads' time and again! I kept begging him. Finally got him to Costco and he got a normal pair. Except he keeps wanting to buy the 'online' still! He has cognitive issues but his online ad buying has been an issue long before then. He believes every TV ad! At least he is having problems ordering things now. I just ignore it when he asks me to do it - tell him I'll get to it 'tomorrow' and change the subject. He has a drawer full of non-working wonder hearing ads - enough to pay for one good set!

Absolutely true about what you mentioned about technology. I do not know anyone who has a CI.

@unclefreddy How the 'powers that be' have allowed companies to advertise 'hearing aids' the way they have is a mystery to many of us. In 2017 legislation was signed by President Trump that would allow the FDA to establish guidelines for 'over the counter' (OTC) hearing aids. This was supposed to establish rules that made sense and were fair to buyers. The rules still have not been published. Then along comes more false advertising about 'hearing aids' that are basically sound amplifiers. Those ads don't call them that though...they call them hearing aids. Some of the ads are very clever and very believable. They tell it like it is to be hard of hearing. It's grossly unfair to people who become hard of hearing as mature adults.

People are shocked when they learn that a pair of legitimate hearing aids may cost them between $3000 and $7000! The fact that they are not covered by most insurers or Medicare adds to the shock for many. We want to hear; we need to hear to communicate! Real hearing aids do help, so people face a dilemma.

Something has to change. The false advertising should be illegal, but for some reason it isn't. I guess it exists for other products too, but this one costs a lot more. It's important to understand that hearing aid technology has changed a great deal in the last decade. Research & Development has a cost. There are options with BlueTooth and other things that help in ways we only dreamed of a few years back. New features add cost to hearing aids. BUT, those features are also available in other audio products that don't cost nearly as much as hearing aids do. Just look at all the audio devices being worn by people with typical hearing. They are considered 'recreational'.

We are seeing changes, not necessarily with the OTC products that are eventually coming, but with retailers that have added audiology services to their businesses. A big one is Costco. Another is Sam's Club. There are others, but those two are most familiar. The products they sell are not OTC devices. They are standard, regular brand, hearing aids that are sold at much more favorable prices, unfortunately. I say unfortunately because a hearing aid, regardless of cost, is only as good as the person who is fitting and programming it. It's a skill, one that we expect clinical audiologists to have after the years they spend getting their doctorate level education.

Those 'big box' retailers are now in competition with them. Most of the people within those 'big box' stores do not have university degrees in audiology. They are hearing instrument specialists who have received basic training in the technology available. They do not have medical training, nor do they have training in counseling. Should your hearing issues be caused by a medical condition that needs treatment, it would not be diagnosed. Should your hearing loss be causing psychosocial issues or issues in the workplace, there would be little support. And, of course, the few who have some kind of insurance coverage from their employers, might not have it in these situations.

A hearing aid that is not programmed well for an individual's hearing loss will not help much. In fact, it will probably turn the individual off on getting quality hearing healthcare. That is unfortunate, because a well fit hearing aid will lead to positive change.

It might be helpful to get tested at a 'big box' store to see what happens. They allow an extended trial period, usually 100 - 180 days. It might be worth a try, especially if your hearing loss is in the mild to moderate range. For those of us with more severe to profound hearing loss, a clinical audiologist is the gold standard in getting help.

Please let your legislators know that it's time for Medicare and other insurers to recognize that hearing loss is worth treating and is treatable. Being shut out of the hearing mainstream affects employment, health and wellbeing. Be a part of the change you want to have happen.

Information on proposed legislation and change can be found at http://www.hearingloss.org The website of the Hearing Loss Association of America, inc. HLAA is a consumer based nonprofit organization that shares information, provides peer support and advocates for people who experience hearing loss.

Now that I've expounded far more than I had intended to...I ask a question. Do you plan to move forward to get hearing help with a well fit, quality hearing aid?

Oh my goodness. Glad he bought a 'normal pair', but sad he is caught up in those ads. I'm guessing a lot of people do that. So much of the advertising is 'gotcha stuff' that doesn't do what they say it does. 🙁

I have met so many hard of hearing people, many of them pioneers in the development of advanced technology, through HLAA. I give HLAA credit for 90% of what I've learned about hearing loss, hearing aids, cochlear implants and other assistive technology. Through HLAA, I watched some of the early recipients of cochlear implants. It kept getting better and better. I'm not sure I would have gone that route had I not seen how much this changed their lives by enhancing their ability to communicate fluidly.

If you have an HLAA chapter in your area, do connect with them. THe website for HLAA (Hearing Loss Assn. of America) is http://www.hearingloss.org Currently, many chapters are meeting virtually with meetings open to anyone interested in registering. In Wisconsin we've had some wonderful programs presented by people in California, New York and Washington D.C. It's pretty amazing.

I am a 69 yo male new to this group. I suffered a sudden hearing loss 10 to 15 years ago and have not done anything about it. I was assessed last week and diagnosed with single-sided deafness. My right ear has normal hearing, but my left hears very little. I am now exploring options to improve my overall hearing. I have tired of always having to position conversations toward my right side…unless I am not interested in the conversation. I am especially interested in the pros and cons of bone-conduction hearing aids and the experience of others with single-sided deafness.

Have you tried a bi-cross hearing aid system? That involves a transmitter on the deaf ear that sends sound to the hearing device on the good ear. Thus, you hear from both sides.

No, I have not tried anything. I am currently evaluating all my options including CROS and bone conduction. I hope to try the various options before committing to one.

Whatever you are able to try, be sure that you are allowed a trial period that gives you time to try the technology in a variety of places. 30 days is not enough. 60 days is better, especially now when so many options are either limited or closed. Go to a theater, a performing arts center, a meeting of some kind, socialize in noisy places, etc. You will not know if a hearing device helps you unless you give it a chance in places and situations you usually frequent.

Some bone conduction devices like the Cochlear BAHA (Bone Anchored Hearing Aid) require minor surgery, but I think they can be tested externally without the surgery.

It's hard to get started, isn't it?

Luckily, I am someone who plans down to the smallest detail before making a major decision. So, I hope to enjoy the process. I really appreciate your advice to try aids in numerous situations (e.g., theater, performing arts center, meetings, pubs, etc.). You are right, one cannot know if a hearing device will provide the benefit desired without a thorough trial.