Cochlear Implants

[ralph7]

I have been wearing hearing aids for some time, now. I have never been real crazy about the ability for me to understand what is being said, although it is a lot better than nothing.
I would like to hear(ha) from some of you that have had the implants and how happy you are with them as opposed to hearing aids.
By the way, I have had many different brands over the years.

 

[cfplinker]

I will be watching this with interest because I am in the same boat as you are hearingwise. On my last visit to the audiologist he gave me the flyer on the cochlears. I told him that on a previous visit the other audiologist said I was not a candidate for the cochlear implant. He looked at my hearing test and said "Don't worry, you are getting there".

Several years ago I was sitting next to a lady that had cochlears. I could understand what her husband, who was sitting across from us, was saying better than she could.

When they do the procedure they wipe out all hearing in that ear except for what the implant provides. My understanding, and I hope I am wrong, is that you have to learn to hear all over in that ear because the signals the implant sends to the brain for a given sound are not the same as what your ear is used to getting.

I have not been able to find any studies that show what the word recognition scores are for those who have had cochlears 6 months and also 2 years after the procedure.

Right now I am getting by (although it gets harder every year) with power aids. So I am waiting until my hearing is totally gone before I opt for the cochlear. That way I don't have much to lose if the procedure isn't as successful as they expect.

Try to find people who have had it done and see how well they get along with it especially in restaurants and on the phone.

Just my thoughts for now.

 

[TLflag]

Cochlears are always falling off while trying to wear glasses, corona mask, or a hat or like now, radio news and broadcasts or very loud machine noises or music. It can go on for days and nights. Medicare paid for most of it ; was told $26,000.00 for the unit, $42,000.00 for the surgery; had to go to Phoenix. Between Army, Law Enforcement Qualification, and shooting competition events, I shot my ears out. Most of all I found out I wasn't missing out on anything. Don't tell my wife I said that ! I had 3 different hearing aids, but they could not be set up high enough to help. What other choice do we have. Still not much word definition; volume yes.

 

[SMSgt]

I have found that hearing aids are good for making what I cannot understand louder. They have not helped me understand what is said to much effect. The bluetube option is nice for tuning out the wife though.

 

[Greyman50]

Unless things have changed, hearing loss from loud noises can not be helped by normal hearing aids. VA gave me pair after they said I didn't have hearing loss, they were totally useless. May go back and see them again, with a attorney this time as I'm tired of their lies.

 

[carpriver]

The Last Pair of hearing aids I got from the VA I was able to connect via blue tooth, The VA set up a program on my phone, I can set my hearing aids for comfort or clarity. It helps a lot when I am out for dinner I can make adjustments the for comfort. I am getting to the point being deaf in my right ear.

 

[Oracle]

I got my first pair of hearing aids two years before I retired from the U.S. Coast Guard, yes active duty. Since then the VA has been providing my hearing aids. In the ear canal hearing aids are not an option, they aren't strong enough. My most recent pair of aids are rechargeable, sweat plays havoc with the batteries in disposable battery hearing aids. The Covid pandemic has caused myself issues, I hear people but I can't understand them, blame those masks covering their lips. There are those kids driving around with the highly amplified audios of bass thumping, you can hear them two blocks away. I wish they wouldn't be doing that, hearing aids aren't fun.

 

[bearman49709]

Unless things have changed, hearing loss from loud noises can not be helped by normal hearing aids. VA gave me pair after they said I didn't have hearing loss, they were totally useless. May go back and see them again, with a attorney this time as I'm tired of their lies.

What do you think causes most hearing loss, soft elevator music?
One of my brothers and I both get VA comp for hearing loss from LOUD noises. He has 98% loss in one ear, I don't remember how much in the other but I know it's over 70% maybe in the 80% and his hearing aids from the VA work just fine, he can hear TV and talk on his house phone and cell phone.

Good luck getting a attorney to go with you, let us know how that works for you.

 

[Greyman50]

What do you think causes most hearing loss, soft elevator music?
One of my brothers and I both get VA comp for hearing loss from LOUD noises. He has 98% loss in one ear, I don't remember how much in the other but I know it's over 70% maybe in the 80% and his hearing aids from the VA work just fine, he can hear TV and talk on his house phone and cell phone.

Good luck getting a attorney to go with you, let us know how that works for you.

Not taking attorney " with me" but getting them to do all the paper work. Hearing loss can be result of many issues, certain illnesses, accidents, age, on and on. Noise loss causes the tiny follicles that vibrate sending nerve pulses to have build up around them so they don't vibrate enough. Ex used to work for a Md. that developed several hearing loss surgical procedures.

 

[Muss Muggins]

Ex used to work for a Md. that developed several hearing loss surgical procedures.

I'd go to that fella'.

While I don't have hearing loss per se, I've got pretty severe tinnitus, which gets in the way of hearing things at times. My wife says I hear what I want to, and that's hard to argue with . . .