Hearing Aids?

[JOERM]

My wife is in the market of hearing aids but her doctor was not much help, totally confusing. They will work, they won't work, blaa, blaa, blaa. Stressing me out. Price from $150 each to $4k each with no guarantee.

Let me tell you something....her ears ring loud and she cannot hear a bird or a rain drop,,the only thing she can hear clearly and loud is my snoring! But, I put a pair of PELTOR TACTICAL 7 CLASSIC shooting ears on her and guess what? She could hear all the birds, frogs, dog panting, and a truck from a long ways away. In fact her ringing in her ears was minimal. What's up with that? a $100 shooting ears works great, you should have seen her smile when she could hear with them on. Of course she cannot and will not wear them at work or in public but hell, the technology is there, right there!

She is so upset about being almost deaf that she cries almost every night. Her dad and mom are all but deaf and so the doc said it is hereditary and no hope. Yet the PELTOR head set allowed her to hear really good. I plan to take it apart and come up with some more cosmetic design, yea, good luck with that.

For you folks who have been through all this already what is your story?

Joe

 

[carpriver]

Don't depend on a Family doctor for hearing suggestions. Get to a Audiologist they can do a detailed hearing test to find just what frequencies she has problems with. If you think that ear muffs are good you should see/here the new hearing aids. Hearing aid can be very expensive but they can be life changing also. I have hearing loss and buzzing in both ears. I have been wearing hearing aid for about 18 years. I have had some good ones and some bad ones the good one made my life better. Being able to hear my grand children, and the birds, crickets, and my wife.

 

[rwsmith]

Good advice

Don't depend on a Family doctor for hearing suggestions. Get to a Audiologist they can do a detailed hearing test to find just what frequencies she has problems with. If you think that ear muffs are good you should see/here the new hearing aids. Hearing aid can be very expensive but they can be life changing also. I have hearing loss and buzzing in both ears. I have been wearing hearing aid for about 18 years. I have had some good ones and some bad ones the good one made my life better. Being able to hear my grand children, and the birds, crickets, and my wife.

There are many different kinds of deafness and all of them aren't helped by a hearing aid. My son got a hearing aid and the thing is a miracle. They can program them nowadays to be something like a sound studio and filter out certain frequencies (kind of like the hearing muffs did) and all kinds of cool tricks like limiters for sudden noises and compression to keep loud/soft sounds within a fixed level. Old hearing aids just made everything louder, even the ear ringing and buzzing and were only good for people needed a little 'boost'. Get thee to a good audiologist. With technnology the way it is now, I'll bet she can be helped.

 

[Skunkhome]

I can only hear about half of what my wife is saying most of the time but I have no intention of trying to correct that.

 

[Maddog 521]

Starkey was the answer for me. They work great to improve my hearing. My wife really loves them.

 

[Moonman]

My Sorodin Pro-X electronic muffs work better than my $5500 hearing aids which are presently not working.

I think the hearing aid industry is not far off from being a major medical scam sometimes.

I use a $135 ear AMPLIFIER sometimes now, other times my Muffs, and sometimes nothing, just turn up the TV or radio.

 

[wuluf]

Many Costcos have hearing aid centers, with trained audiologists to test hearing and recommend hearing aids. I've used Costco hearing aids going on 17 years now, good quality professional help and less expensive than most. Except Peltor...

 

[feralmerril]

My wife just got a set about three months ago. She really likes them. They were $2,750s. Her insurance paid $2,000 of it. I was checked too and our results are almost the same. I have tried hers on and they do help. I didnt buy any----yet. Medicare wont pay. My ex father in law was a audiologist and for awhile even marketed his own brand. He himself was stone deaf.
It seems to me those $3,000 hearing aids should be built for $300s.

 

[H Richard]

She needs to see a specialist. There are all kinds of hearing defects. I understand the "ringing 24/7" as I have it and the hearing "programed for my loss ranges" diminish the ringing to almost nothing. Once her true defect range can be determined hearing aids that are programed to assist just those ranges can be a big help. I oost my hearing in the USAF as a jet engine mech. standing under large jet engines running full blast so I could do adjustments. I didn't do anything about it for many years, but I did file for military disability and was approved and the VA furnished my hearing aids. Not the most expensive ones, but more than adequate. (My electronic muffs also help a lot, but don't drown out the ringing).

 

[cussedemgun]

America hears

check out

America Hears - High Quality Digital Hearing Aids Direct From The Manufacturer

 

[feralmerril]

Those are $999s and "each" in very, very fine print. Not many people buy just one. Thats what I mean.

 

[tops]

I have used hearing aids for 11 years and should have had them for longer than that. I can't think of anything that is a bigger rip off than hearing aids. My advice is to try different brands and grades. A cheaper grade of one brand might work better for you than the high priced grade of another brand. If the dealer won't let you try them out at no charge go somewhere else. Larry

 

[Jst1mr]

Just back from my first trip to an Audiologist - he claims there is only a 30% success rate with hearing aids (success defined as putting them in first thing every morning, and taking them out last thing before bed). He uses a fairly extensive schedule of education/training before prescribing anything, but does offer a 60-day return policy with only minor cost incurred (~ $200) if you don't, won't, or can't wear them. Hoping for the best!