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

Did you have your hearing tested? What kind of hearing loss do you have? How long have you had hearing loss? If you are a veteran you may be able to get free hearing care from VA.

Generally the type of hearing aid that would be appropriate for you depends on your hearing loss. So the first thing to do is get your hearing tested. Then you might have a couple choices to choose from. And since you're new to hearing aids you have to realize that hearing aids will never restore normal hearing. They can be very helpful and you will have to learn how to hear with them. Things just don't sound the same because your brain is not used to hearing with them.

While hearing aids purchased at Costco and other 'big box' retailers are often quality products, most seem to be fitted with domes rather than ear molds. Ear molds, which are made to fit your ear canal exactly, require perfect casting and fitting. The 'domes' bypass that need. Domes do come in different sizes, so can work well for most people.

The traditional ear molds are cast much like dental inlays, and require skill of the provider to get it right. Most likely, you will have to go to a licensed audiologist to get hearing aids with ear molds. Not a bad idea, as that is really the 'gold standard' in hearing aid fitting.

Arrow shooter is right. Be sure to get your hearing tested by a good audiologist. Ask for a copy of your audiogram so you can shop around if necessary. To be effective, hearing aids need to be fit properly and programmed correctly for your unique audiogram.

The hearing aid I got at Costco three years ago came with a very small "dome," not really a dome at all. The woman there, who is more knowlegable than some audiologists, told me it needed to have a real dome, quite a bit larger. The first day or two with the new dome, it felt "too big," but hearing was greatly improved. It only took a couple of days to make me really like the actual dome instead of the simple end that had come as part of the aid. You can find a superb person at Costco...or, I'm sure, one that's not so great, just as I'm sure there are good audis, even though I've only had experience with three very poor ones. The new aids I'm getting from Costco are $1,800 for the pair, custom fitted for me.

I'd like to add my welcome @omegaman17. I'm confident that members will continue to add responses to your specific questions. There are many very experienced and resourceful people participating in this forum.

There's also a wealth of knowledge in past discussions, but quite a bit to wade through. Allow me to cherry pick a few discussions that I think might be relevant to you. Please review and add your questions in these related discussions if appropriate:
- How do I choose the best hearing aids? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/hearing-aids-1/
- Reasonable aids https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/reasonable-aids/
- Ask the Audiologist webinar https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ask-the-audiologist-webinar/
- Constant tinnitus: Are there any solutions? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/constant-tinnitis/
- Controlling Tinnitus: What works for you? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tinnitus-control/
- What to Expect at Your Hearing Aid Fitting https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-to-expect-at-your-hearing-aid-fitting/
- What's One Thing You'd Change in Getting Hearing Aids?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/one-thing-to-change/

Keep asking questions as you continue learning about living with hearing loss. Questions get answers here. 🙂

I'd also like to welcome you, @omegaman17 to Mayo Clinic Connect. I wear hearing aids so I'll add some information from my own story.

In a sense, hearing aids are like prescription glasses. My husband and I both wear glasses but if I put his on the world looks like a Monet still life painting! Just as vision is one of our senses so is hearing. So, hearing aids also need to be prescribed for your hearing. The only professional that is university trained and licensed in this field is an audiologist. Until several years ago audiologists could be licensed with a master's degree in audiology. Audiologists who are more recently licensed are required to have to a doctoral degree (AuD or Ph.D.). The reason I'm writing all of this is that it's important to know the difference between a hearing aid dealer and an audiologist. There are hearing aid dealers who have audiologists work with them but most audiologists work in medical settings such as an Ear, Nose, and Throat medical practice. Also, once you purchase hearing aids through an audiologist you can return for check ups, adjustments, at no additional charge to you.

I went to a doctoral level (AuD) licensed audiologist. I was required to have a referral from my primary care doctor. I also had Blue Cross Blue Shield at that time and knew that if I "qualified" for hearing aids my insurance plan would cover the cost. Yes, my hearing loss was just enough for hearing aids to be prescribed. I worked with my audiologist to select the hearing aids best for me.

I have hearing aids with domes that fits in the ear. The reason I have domes instead of ear molds is that I needed only certain sound frequencies within the speech spectrum to be programmed into my hearing aid. The dome allows me to hear the frequencies I can easily hear on my own. An ear mold wouldn't let me do that.

Domes vs. ear molds, types of hearing aids (in the ear, behind the ear) hearing aids that you can control with a Smart Phone (I control mine with my iPhone) are all issues to discuss with your audiologist.

This is a lot of information to take in. I hope it will help you decide what you'd like to do. Personally I will tell you that I LOVED my hearing aids right away. I can function better in noisy environments, I can hear the radio and TV better and best of all it's improved communication with my husband.

Will you please come back here and let us know what you decide to do or if you have other questions, @omegaman17 ?

Best wishes for good hearing,

Helen

I have always had in the ear ITE aids. They take an impression of your ear and send it along with the aid they want put into it. It is much more secure because it is molded to your ear. Good luck.
Linda

I have severe tinnitus and hearing loss and have learned to habituate and now an American Tinnitus Support Group leader who voluntary conducts support groups for education ,hope, help and does my best to help restore quality of life. I also wear hearing aids and for me I use molds vs domes which keep out noise and are programed more accurately to the gain of my hearing loss. The amplification is superb. Their are approximately two thirds of hearing aid professionals who are not tinnitus trained and certified and do not use "Best Practices". A true hearing professional works for the cause of the patient and the sale secondly. You cant sell a person aids they have to trial them by state law 30-90 days depending on geography and also you would usually pay for them and a set up fee. You should receive your money back if not satisfied less the fit up fee. They buy them all you can do is help them by fitting them properly. You can spend $10,000.00 on a pair of aids and if not fitted properly their worthless. The hearing test is not a ten minute test and then a sale. The test is composed of many different components and a true test should take an hour or more. A true best practices hearing professional is an audiologist not an instrument professional. They have the degree and knowledge to treat many different disorders including balance issues. Since I am an American Tinnitus Association volunteer I have been helping countless people over the last 15 years. I can always be reached here and by private message. Please be careful where you go and ask many questions about the audiologist.

Hello, Sal @mattie1014 This is excellent advice.

I am a retired professor of Speech, Language, and Language Sciences, certified in speech-language pathology from the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. Honestly, this is why I'm so passionate about hearing health and hearing evaluations for hearing aids. My current audiologist is a former student of mine (he has an AuD, doctorate in audiology) who is very knowledgeable and up to date.

Here is information about audiology from the profession's website:

Best wishes,
Helen

Hello Helen
Thank you coming from you this is quite a compliment. I am going to copy the link if you dont mind and share it in my next class. I am more of an expert on the tinnitus side however my audiologist took quite an interest in me and they want me running classes for General Practioners and other medical professionals. There is a saying I wear on one of my tinnitus shirts "You dont get it until you get it". I will be shadowing my audiologist staff in two weeks learning in depth knowledge on the hearing loss side. When you go to an internist they ask in their questioner Do you have tinnitus or hearing loss? Then they file it away. We send them to us and educate them on the Best Practices and value of our Company. I was also staff for a time on the American Tinnitus Association and have been interviewed on numerous occasions as I am all for the passion of this invisible condition so many struggle with and do nothing about it. You can google me any time at Sal Gentile tinnitus. Kudos for all you so.

I am on approach to get an aid. This is very helpful particularly the part about purchasing one from a credentialed provider. Thanks.