Loss of hearing clarity: Solutions or strategies anyone?

Comments in this discussion show how unique everyone's hearing loss is. What works for one person may or may not work for another. Then the question becomes; is it because of the product, the fitter, or the uniqueness of the individuals hearing loss?? Even the cause of the hearing loss can be a factor.

If you have been told that you have 'nerve deafness or nerve damage', that is what people were told 30+ years ago before cochlear implant research and development showed that, in most cases, the auditory nerve is functional but is not being stimulated properly. The damage is in the cochlea, not in the nerve or in the brain.

You have to have some understanding of the cochlea and what it does. It is a very tiny organ that has hundreds of 'hair cells' that send different sounds to the auditory nerve, which sends those sounds to the brain for interpretation, The hair cells deteriorate due to different causes including excess noise, ototoxic drugs, genetics, aging, etc. They rarely go all at once (but can if there is sudden sensorineural hearing loss). In most cases it's gradual and we lose our ability to understand certain sounds. Usually, but not always, the higher pitches go first so it's harder to hear children and women's voices. In most cases consonants start to go first. Vowels give speech power so we hear them. Consonants give speech meaning.

Example: This is a 10 letter word with only vowels. i_ _o_ _i_ _e. I doubt you know what that word is.

If I give you only the consonants it would look like this: _mp_ss_bl_ There's a good chance you would figure that out. Try this with a sentence. You will be able to explain the stress that comes with poor hearing with others. It's exhausting to always be filling in blanks.

Back to reality. Some hearing aids are better at picking up what's missing than others are, but it will depend on what is missing. It will also depend on the skill of the hearing aid fitter to make adjustments. Your audiogram will share some information on that.

When it gets to the point where you are not able to understand as much as you used to with your hearing aids, cochlear implants may be an option. Cochlear implants bypass the damaged cochlea and stimulate the auditory nerve directly. It's pretty amazing. Of course, it means that your brain must learn to interpret sound differently. It takes time to adjust.

I'm curious about the 27% comment. Most people who experience considerable difficulty with clarity in speech have a far greater percentage of hearing loss. Many are far below 50%. Again, though, that is related to what you are hearing and what you are missing.

When in doubt, it makes sense to try a different provider. Compare the audiograms done by all providers. Make sure they are similar. And yes, sometimes a different brand of hearing aid can make a difference. Many providers sell and fit only one or two brands. It's OK to shop around if you are not getting the help you need. Always request a copy of your testing so you can compare results.

I also am fully in favor of using hearing assistive technology that works with hearing aids and cochlear processors.. Has your provider mentioned telecoils, Bluetooth, and/or accessories that work with them?

I would highly recommend seeing a private audiologist. Most if not all people at Costco are not certified audiologists.
Even many audiologists are so swamped that you might actually go to the audiology department at a hospital. They have more time and better equipment to test your specific hearing loss.
Good luck.