Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

The best advice I can give you is to try what the audiologist suggests but be honest with both that provider and yourself. If you are not getting enough help with those aids, ask to try a different model.

Providers generally allow only a 30-day trial period for returning the product. A few allow 60 days. That is in the fine print of whatever you are asked to sign. Be sure to read it...and ask questions. It takes time to get used to using hearing aids. Be sure to try them in all the places you usually want and need to go. Too many people get frustrated and take them off rather than continuing to experiment. The brain needs time to adjust to hearing sound that way.

IMPORTANT: You are entitled to a copy of the test results from your provider. Ask for it. If you don't feel comfortable with what you are being fit with, you will have the audiogram to take elsewhere.

Does the audiologist you are seeing sell only one brand?

The audiologist I am seeing now is doing business as livingston hearing aids. They sell only starkey, which I bought 3 years ago, and they gave me the newest evolve 2400Series to try for a month. I gave them back last week. The noise canceling is improved, but the overall function in noisy environments is minimally better, not worth spending another $8000. I am now exploring cochlear implants, both from cochlear america, and comparing to Advanced Bionics. I have not yet chosen a surgeon in the Tucson area to see if I even qualify for CI.

Personally, I've had better luck with audiologists who sell more than one brand. But, I understand why many don't. The testing and adjustment equipment varies between brands, so that adds cost to their practice.

Good for you to check out the CI option. It was one of the best things I ever did. I was fortunate to know a lot of people through my involvement in HLAA to get some good suggestions and advice about brand selection.

Do you know other people with CIs?

The only people I have been talking to are on the discussion group. I am thankful for support I have received. Now I have to choose a surgeon!

Yes, they only represent Signia. I do have a copy of the audiogram from my test, but I would think there are other documents that would show my hearing situation better.

The audiogram provides the information that shows the degree of hearing loss. Yes, there are other tests that are important, but are not always done. Ask the audiologist about your scores for other testing if they did other testing. Below is a synopsis of logical tests. They do not always do these unless your HL is severe. Do you know if they have done 'real ear measurement? https://www.healthyhearing.com/report/53319-Real-ear-measurement-hearing-aid-fitting

There are other parts to audiometry testing that look at aspects of hearing such as:

speech recognition
speech discrimination
tympanomety
acoustic reflexes
word recognition percentage
hearing threshold

Different levels of hearing loss typically include symptoms that are not recorded on the audiogram. It's important to ask questions. If they did a 'speech in noise' test, did they tell you your score?

Thank you Julie I think what is right for me now is to find a surgeon and audiologist team that services both AB and cochlear implants, maybe even Med el.
I dont have enough data to make The Choice myself for which calcular implant manufacturer would be best for me, I need the surgeon's advice. Closest big city to me is Tucson Arizona. Can you recommend a team In Tucson to help me with this decision?
Thanks again.

I’m completely deaf without my CI. I have the resound HA in my right ear that is supposed to help but it doesn’t. $2500 wasted! I am now considering a second CI. All of my childhood I’ve had sinus infections every spring and fall. None of my physicians have said they are what cause mySNHL but I’ve always felt they did. Seeing an intro from another person who had hearing loss after sinusitis was something I can identify with. Just in the last 6 years, I’ve had allergy shots but still react to triggers. Still sick every spring and fall. What do doctors say cause hearing loss after sinusitis? Also, my tinnitus is in the high frequency range so is it a complication from the sinusitis as well?

I'm not a doctor or an audiologist, just someone who has been dealing with severe SNHL for 40+ years. If you have been diagnosed with SNHL, it isn't likely that the primary cause is sinusitis, although sinus issues may be additive to your existing loss. When hearing is affected by sinus problems, it is a mechanical or functional problem usually involving eustachian tube blockage and is separate from SNHL, although again, the two may be additive.

Good Luck!

Making the decision about which of the three brands of cochlear implants to go with is a tough one. Most surgical centers do all three and the surgeon often expects the patient to decide which route to go. I suggest asking a lot of questions of the audiologist and the surgeon if you have a chance to talk to him/her. There are good reports about all three brands. People who have gone the CI route with success will tell you that theirs is the best one.

I strongly believe in peer support groups that meet to discuss this kind of thing. HLAA has many of them that relate to CIs, but they are generally 'chapter specific', meaning they are located where a chapter is. The Wisconsin chapter I belong to has a non brand specific cochlear implant discussion group that has decided to continue to meet via Zoom, rather than in person. By so doing, people who don't live in the chapter's region can participate. Sometimes there are many participants and other times only a few. Nevertheless, the conversation is interesting. People who have CIs will discuss their thoughts and ideas. People who are considering them can ask questions. If you might be interested in participating in this group's July discussion group, you can personal message me and I will send you the e-mail address to get on the announcement list. Those meetings are held the 3rd Tuesday evening of the month at 6 PM CT.

Other HLAA chapters do this too, but I only have information from the one in Appleton WI.

You may want to go to http://www.hearingloss.org/chapters to find a chapter in your vicinity,