Hearing Loss: Come introduce yourself and connect with others

@amberwaves Welcome to the hearing loss forum on MCC. You're key word is 'young'. You sound ready to move forward to better hearing. Don't short change yourself. Hearing aids are very helpful. Yes, they cost too much. But if they help you hear, and keep you in the hearing mainstream it's worth it. Online hearing aids for the most part are PSAPs, personal sound amplification products. They are not hearing aids that are regulated by the FDA. Proceed in that area with caution.

Go to a clinical audiologist; one that has AuD after their name. Let them test you and recommend a hearing aid. Try what they recommend during the required trial period. If you don't feel you're getting help, return it and go elsewhere. Be sure to ask for a copy of your audiogram so you can take it elsewhere if you choose to.

Big Box stores like Costco, do sell hearing aids for much less. However, there are some disadvantages. One, being most fitters there are not audiologists. Another being that the products they sell may be 'last year's models'. But, those may work just fine. There are a lot of quality hearing aids that sell for $2000, not $5000. Again, the key to being fit properly lies with the person doing the fitting, and the buyer who is willing to try the product in different settings during that 30 day trial period. Warning: If you return it one day late, you are likely stuck with it no matter where you go unless the provider clearly states there is a longer trial period.

You sound like a positive person who will do well with a hearing aid. I could not manage without mine, but I've been using hearing aids for decades.

There is a misnomer out there that an audiologist, preferably an AUD, is the best for hearing aids. Training the audiologists and hearing instrument specialists in a major manufacturing facility taught me the secret is more in the programming, not the education. Most AUDs are exempt from taking state licensing tests and so have very few real life experiences in learning OJT for an extensive training program. A good example is a patient comes in with squealing in his/her aids. An AUD, newly out of school , will take the highs down. An experienced professional would know to leave the highs that the patient needs in there, and compensate by increasing some lows. I have worked in ENT clinics, for ENT physicians, set up protocols for large chains which often employee audiologists, usually for insurance purposes. The same aids you might get in a physician's office could be purchased at Costco under a private label and be $4000 less expensive. Not only that, but take the aids back in 2 years and Costco would refund your money. They don't "sell last year's models" as I set up many of the protocols for Costco. They sell top quality and have a return policy of 90 days. The audiologists are great for complicated fittings like bi-cross or cross or anyone under 18 yrs of age. And outside of the VA, Costco does more hearing aids than any one else in the US and have strict education guidelines. I have also worked for OTC hearing aid companies including United Health Care, and for a routine high frequency loss, OTC can be quite effective if you have multiple programs. Often these OTC hearing aids also employee some audiologists, some hearing aid dispensers and then there's also customer service reps, which don't know that much. I would suggest getting a copy of Consumer Reports, research want you want, and then shop around. Check the feedback. And you will save quite a bit of money and be happy in the end. Gina

Several answers. Where 2 go depends on your location. I would first suggest ENT visit and hearing test. Then shopping (in person) with at least 3 providers. Check the ratings of recommended choices for hearing aids (Consumer Reports), prices, and most importantly, the feeling of service and quality you get from providers. If too pressured, don't choose that one. But do get help for hearing loss

Remember to ask if bundled or unbundled (see the checklist for purchasing Hearing aids on the http://www.hearingloss.org website), and always get the ones with a t-coil

Hope this helps

I don't know if this is allowable, but if you had a copy of your audio, I could give you an array of choices that could help you. The most important thing is to remember is dexterity because batteries are small and so are battery doors. The rechargeable aid might be good. Starkey Mgr has a foundation for free hearing aids. And one is always better than none at all. Be glad to help you and definitely keep the cost down for you (I only am offering advice but I know my manufacturers and price points for pretty much all of them.) Thanks, Gina

I checked out this site. Great info. However, a manufacturer owns that website and will give your name as a lead to one of their clients. No problem though, because they are all good hearing aids and if I remember correctly, there might be a plant in India.

I, too, had sudden sensenoral hearing loss in left ear. I wear cross/phonak. Essentially the left ear is a microphone which crosses over to the right where I have the hearing aid. Works okay with blue toothed comPilot. I've adapted to hearing loss but in groups I struggle.

@earscan Hi Gina, are you as knowledgeable about C.I.s as you are about hearing aids? 🙂

Learning lip reading would really help. Request our Lip Reading Orientation on Saturday March 6th. http://www.treasurehearing.org

@earscan Some of the information you've posted is incorrect. Officially, OTC hearing aids are not yet on the market. The FDA has not written and published the regulations for them. At this point, while some of the devices being advertised as hearing aids, they are not so under regulations. Until the FDA regulations are published and posted there are no legitimate OTC hearing aids. Hopefully that will happen soon.

Those who are audiologists (AuD) have more than a master's degree in audiological studies. They have a doctorate degree. Hearing instrument specialsts (HIS) do not have that kind of education and many don't have any college level training. Yes, some do as this is a lucrative profession. In my state, both AuD and HIS take the same state exam to be licensed to sell hearing aids. Most HIS do internships before taking the exam. I believe that is typical of most other states. Personally, I believe in education and would be inclined to put my trust and health in the hands of someone who is educated in the field I have issues in.

There is way to much misinformation in the hearing healthcare field. Distorted information as well. Most advertisements for hearing aids market denial by suggesting that people should hide their hearing loss with 'invisible' products. It's a shame that hearing instruments cost so much. That would change if the people who could benefit from them would get them, or if insurance coverage for them would be standard. Many cannot afford to buy them, and denial fuels that fire.

I would also point out that while the big box stores do sell quality hearing instruments, some of those stores are able to 'lock' the hearing aids they sell. This simply means that they cannot be adjusted or repaired by another entity. Not a good deal if you need support and are not in a place where that particular franchise is available to you.

Hearing aids have been part of my life for over 40 years. I am thankful for the information I have accumulated.

I agree with Julie. Moving from a state that had only Audiologists with Doctor degrees putting hearing aids in people [after conducting full exams including hearing test booths, assessments and the like] to a state where there are fewer Audiologist and more hearing loss specialists doing the same thing but with only a few hearing tests and no booths - I am dismayed at the outcomes. Many of our consumers are dissatisfied wearing instruments that aren't working for them. I hear their complaints since I moved here. I have to be careful in my responses because of their loyalty to whom they are seeing and having their services provided for in this merry-go-round of a trap that does not benefit them in the short or long term. Their disgruntle remarks only makes it worse for those around them - their neighbors or friends to decide not to purchase a hearing aid because of all of the difficulties they see in this one person. That is one reason there is so much disharmony in the experience of finding, fitting and purchasing and wearing a hearing instruments. Too many choices without the GOLD Standard identifying what should have been set up years ago by the FDA.