Hearingaides

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Rpg

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A few months ago I was trying to remove some wax with a q tip and ended up jamming it into my ear.

The GP tried removing it with a hand held squirt bottle. It didn’t work.

Then I found an audiologist that would remove it prior to the ear exam. I signed up for the hearing test and sails pitch for hearing aids to get the wax out. She had a device that amounted to an electric psquirt bottle which produced a higher pressure pump.

She got the wax out and my hearing improved 100% immediately.

Nevertheless, she tried to sell me hearing aids. For $5000!

I think I’ll look around.

Other than Costco, where would you look for reasonable priced hearing aids?
 
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I also acquired mine from the VA. They work pretty good, but the batteries don't last long.
 
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I have 2 sets of aides, both from Audien. The smaller Atom Pro's cost $250, work well, are virtually unnoticeable to others. The larger Atoms cost only $99, actually work better than the Pro's, and poke out of my ears just a bit. Note that these are not tuneable like many of the high-cost ones -- but only about 10% of folks with nearing loss need the expensive ones. Like eyeglasses and funerals, hearing aides have been paradise for ripoff artists for many years until the recent change in law made them available over-the-counter. Trust me, a $99 expenditure can make a world of difference if you find yourself saying, "What?" every 30 seconds...
 
It depends a lot on what you need. Those over the counter hearing aids do little more than amplify sound. They just make it louder. :rolleyes:
In my case, I have hearing loss in specific frequencies. I can hear people talk, I just can't understand what they're saying. Those OTC aids are useless to me. I gotta have the expensive ones. :(

If you're a member of the Second Amendment Foundation, they offer some serious discounts on some of the best hearing aids made. This program saved me almost half on my last set. ;)
Be aware that not every doctor is on this and you'll have to find one near you. In my case, I had to go to downtown Memphis to find a participating doctor to buy them. But once I had them, my regular audiologist (very near me) can take care of any warranty or adjustment needs.
Its a great program that can save you some serious money. :D

Better hearing starts here - Start Hearing
Or call (888) 903-0113
 
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I got mine about a year ago through my Medicare Advantage plan with Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield. With the discount, etc., they cost me $2,500.

Audiologist told me what a great deal it was as they are much better than what Costco offers, per him, and normally they would have cost six, seven or eight thousand bucks... Hmm.. Really? Maybe so as traditionally hearing aids have been a huge consumer rip off. But who knows. I bet there is still a great profit margin at $2,500...

One benefit I do like is that if I lose them or break them within the first three years they will fix or replace. Wore mine in the shower and broke them. Got a new set.
 
I purchased mine from MD Hearing in Chicago. Very reasonably priced, a good product. I wear them everyday and they help a lot. Whatever you do, get the rechargeable kind, those little batteries are hard to handle.

They run sales every so often. Right now you can get a pair for $400. They are real hearing aids not amplifiers. Worth a look.
 
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I know Sam's Club has them. Probably lots of websites sell them. There should be no shortage of internet articles comparing them now that they are available OTC.

I once had an employee who in his younger days had worked for some hearing aid retailer, and he told me about what a ripoff business it was.
 
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Got my pair from Audicus for $1,548, but I really don't wear them anymore..

I'm roughly 80+% deaf in my left ear and about 40+% in my right...results of shooting thousands of rounds through pistols & revolvers when I was in my teans, and no hearing protection...and rock & roll through nice 6x9's.

Anyway, the hearing aids do help but I can't bring myself to wear them anymore after getting the little thing that forms the ends of the hearing aids to your ears lodged deep in my ear one time.

I told my wife I was not going to wear them for a bit as my left ear was hurting pretty bad...didn't notice the little piece gone from the left one.

Went on for about a week of so, was drying off after a shower and it came dislodged and fell in the floor. Miraculously, after that the ear felt felt 100% better.

Now I'm just paranoid to put them back in...
 
hearing aids

I sympathize with your ear wax removal for a long time. Several years ago, I found an ENT Doctor and he removed my wax every month. Since, I am with Humana insurance, they were negotiating a year and could not come to an agreement. My primary doctor, for a short time, removed the wax and then hand it over to one of his staff. She was horrible and found an excuse to call in sick when I was scheduled for the wax removal. Needless to say, she is no longer working for the doctor. However, I found an ENT, close to home, He is great and instead of the monthly visit, He suggested using brand Debrox Earwax removal kit every monthly and visited him every three months for wax removal. As far as hearing aids, they suck you in buying them at a cost of several thousand dollars and they are limited to the surrounding nose level, but as the existing nose level increases, such as a large hall filled with 55 and over gatherings, the conversation is limited even with the opposite person is directly Infront of you. I have been with Hear USA a number of years and the last year I purchased, from them, the brand name of the hearing aids is REXTON. Each hearing aid is one thousand dollars and Humana pays half of the price of the hearing aids. Since they are the lowest of the hearing aids, they are limited to good sound while you are watching TV or one on one conversation. The hearing aids come with rechargeable station. The best hearing aids can set you back $5000.00 or more but will give the ample sound you would expect with the expensive aids on the market.
Nick D
 
BKLooney, that happened to me, too, but I noticed right away. I wound up going to my primary care doc's clinic and a medical assistant got it out with some forceps.

The experience taught me to 1) make sure that rubber tip is securely on the hearing aid wire, and 2) when pulling the hearing aid wire out, grasp it as close to the ear canal as possible and pull it out gently. (I was yanking it out.)
 
Rpg said:
A few months ago I was trying to remove some wax with a q tip and ended up jamming it into my ear.

The GP tried removing it with a hand held squirt bottle. It didn’t work.

Then I found an audiologist that would remove it prior to the ear exam. I signed up for the hearing test and sails pitch for hearing aids to get the wax out. She had a device that amounted to an electric psquirt bottle which produced a higher pressure pump.

She got the wax out and my hearing improved 100% immediately.

Nevertheless, she tried to sell me hearing aids. For $5000!

I think I’ll look around.

Other than Costco, where would you look for reasonable priced hearing aids?
Click to expand...
That's what I paid and love em, buy em at Costco or Sams and you'll pay less, but you'll soon discover why they're so cheaper.
 
My better half just found out she has 35-40 percent loss in the upper frequency ranges. The audiologist, who works at a large university affiliated hospital (Go Gators!) explained the type of hearing aids she recommends and the prices start at 3500, up to 6500 depending on the customization required in the programming. I asked about the OTC aids you see advertised everywhere and her answer was the same as several of you have already said....they are nothing more than simple amplifiers, are not fit or programmable, and need tiny batteries that only last 2 days.
I checked out Miracle Ear and they have what the audiologist was selling at a slightly lower price.
Her hearing isn't to the point that I have to yell to be heard. The main problem seems to be when several people are talking their voices are hard to distinguish.
She tends to agree with me when I say getting old sucks!
 
I got mine through Nations Hearing. About $3500 for Phonak hearing aids. With my Aetna Advantage plan, I was out of pocket about $1500......I was at camp with the boys a couple of months ago and asked, "Are the birds always this loud?" They laughed and said, "Yes!"

Mine are rechargeable and last about 18 hours on a charge...it is nice to hear what I've been missing.


Robert
 
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delivered a drop/2 of hydrogen peroxide with a q-tip to loosen up wax in plugged up ear. Always after a shower use the finger plunger method to pull out softened ear wax so a q-tip can get it.
 
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Thanks folks. You’ve given me some good leads to follow up.

I’ll keep you posted, but don’t hold your breath: I doubt there will be much to tell you in the near future. I’m in no hurry.
 
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