Hearing aids. Anyone wear them, contemplating needing them?

[Waihou Thumper]

So expensive! I have had to sell toys to even get to the point of affording used ones!
I know I need them and my life/work/survival/mortgage depends on my ability to communicate...
What about you guys?
I recall that in 1981 I had severe concussion whilst in the RNZN, but how do I prove that the head injury MAY have caused the loss, or is it congenital or is it the fact that Mum really dug down deep with those cotton buds till I screamed?
OR when flying over from the UK in 1974 I had a cold and my ear drums were harmed? All of the above perhaps?
OR when working in the NZFS with pumps and the fireground I was exposed to more than the normal levels? Acute or Chronic?
OR when working as a Flight attendant, the noise on take offs and landings, the environment inside the aircraft harmed my hearing more......
Geez, just thinking about it, I am fucked! :no:
Where to next....?

Thoughts, opinions.....Noticed a OMFG moment the time you heard someone whisper?

[Ocean1]

So expensive! I have had to sell toys to even get to the point of affording used ones!
I know I need them and my life/work/survival/mortgage depends on my ability to communicate...
What about you guys?
I recall that in 1981 I had severe concussion whilst in the RNZN, but how do I prove that the head injury MAY have caused the loss, or is it congenital or is it the fact that Mum really dug down deep with those cotton buds till I screamed?
OR when flying over from the UK in 1974 I had a cold and my ear drums were harmed? All of the above perhaps?
OR when working in the NZFS with pumps and the fireground I was exposed to more than the normal levels? Acute or Chronic?
OR when working as a Flight attendant, the noise on take offs and landings, the environment inside the aircraft harmed my hearing more......
Geez, just thinking about it, I am fucked! :no:
Where to next....?

Thoughts, opinions.....Noticed a OMFG moment the time you heard someone whisper?

Eh?.......

[Waihou Thumper]

Eh?.......


Oh that's right this is the Kiwibiker who gives a fuck as long as it isn't me site.....:yes:

[Hitcher]

I've got hearing aids. Apparently it's contracted by listening to fuckwits.

[Motu]

I've had hearing aids for the last 6 years, but hardly wear them. ACC are sending me for a hearing test next week, then they'll give me a new set - funded by my 45 years of unclaimed ACC payments. They can tell if it's industrial hearing loss by the frequencies damaged, usually higher frequencies. So you need to get a hearing test to see if you qualify for ACC funded hearing aids. Only industrial hearing loss, and only for old fullas because no one told us we could damage our hearing and earmuffs were for girls. I have a 25% hearing loss, my wife thinks it's 95%.

[Ocean1]

I'm on my second set of hearing aids. The first set cost $9k, were fucking useless and lasted a year before I lost the remaining good one on a mountain in Japan.

These ones live inside my ears, cost a fair bit less and have been worked better for me.

If you read between Motu's lines you can probably organise to be deafer in the mid-high range. I wasn't that clever and ACC told me to fuck off.

It is one of "those" markets I'm afraid, the cost of manufacture is a tiny part of the price, which pisses me off rather a lot. I can only hope that a decent supplier rocks up one day soon and does for hearing aid suppliers what spec-savers did to the previously hugely overpriced optician's market.

Good luck eh?

[Voltaire]

I've got tinnitus from years of low level plant room noise and bike wind noise...and Led Zeppelin and so on....
I'd spring for this.
http://hearingdogs.org.nz/Uploads/internalIMGDog1.jpg

[awa355]

Got my 1st pair in 2004. ACC coughed up because 12.7% loss was work related, the other 7% was age related. 2014 and I went to look at replacement aids. Crusher Collins had changed the rules and Acc would only pay for the percentage caused by work. (fair enuf I suppose). So it was cap in hand to the credit union, hearing loss now 27%. Wolfe hearing was way cheaper than Bay Audisomethingorother.
The pair I have now are far better than the 1st pair, if only I would wear them. :(

They don't like dust or water. Batteries seem to barely last 5 minutes. I find in the heat they make my ears sweat. These were over 4G. I think I don't need them that much, until I put them in then I notice how much difference they make. They are programmed to pick up the pitches that my natural hearing has lost. I should be wearing them at work but feel a bit self conscious with them in. With grey hair and hearing aids, I feel I am not 'measuring up' compared to the younger gungho set. Have worn them a few times and to be honest, no one has even noticed them.

[Ocean1]

http://www.hearingaidforums.com/archive/index.php

[Motu]

If you read between Motu's lines you can probably organise to be deafer in the mid-high range.

I went for a prelimary test a couple of months ago - the telling part is when they give you a word recognition test at reduced levels. I didn't have a clue what they were saying! The girl said ''Just take a guess , I have to write something down!'' but I couldn't recognise a single word. Amazingly she said there is no change from my last test. Which is good, because I spent the last couple of years in the same working conditions that caused the hearing loss in the first place...but I guess I know now and wore protection at the correct times. I was told if I don't wear them at work I should wear them at home....but what's the point? I wear them to funerals and weddings, and sometimes familly get togethers....or more often just forget and act normal, they are used to it.

[R650R]

My grandfather had several and kept comprehensive notes on their performance just like the various brand VHS tapes.... (guess you have to do something when you get old)
However all that data which would now be pertinat to your cause is gone along with him....

I was fortunate very early in my linehaul career a company health nurse picked up a slight drop off in my right ear of industrial deafness. She said it would be from the wind noise of drivers window open at 90k.
I now drive with passenger window open instead and wear earplugs on bike. Tested again at new job and it hasn't gotten any worse than it was then some 15 years ago so that's good.
A lot of people don't realise but bass and low frequency noise like helmet and window wind noise is the most damaging.

[Oakie]

I've got tinnitus from .... bike wind noise.

Me too. Fortunately I realised in time and now always ride with earplugs in. The ringing in my ears is managable. Just took one noisy helmet, 5 years time and me prefering to ride with my visor up which made the vents whistle.

[Moise]

Hearing aids are a very expensive Band-Aid. WEAR EARPLUGS when you ride on the open road.

[awa355]

In my original application to ACC for funding, years of motorcycle helmet wind noise and rifle shooting were listed as contributing factors along with my occupational circumstances. The doctor said to expect a struggle with ACC but they came to the party quite quickly.

The threshold for ACC funding was work related loss amounting to 7% of the total deafness. The goalposts have probably been shifted a few times since then tho'. Back then ACC staff were possibly still under the illusion that they were there to work with you, for the most part.

One of my let downs on using aids for the first time was, I had thought everything was going to be louder. It isn't. Just the frequencies that I have lost, and the aids are tuned for are amplified. Some sounds seemed to be tinnier. They show their worth when trying to listen to a conversation in a crowded place. Without them at work a number of people can be talking to each other at the same time and I am not hearing the full sentences. I'm picking up every 2nd or 3rd word and putting the full sentence together in my head. If I go a few days without them I think my loss isn't too bad, then wearing the aids I realize how much I have missed.

[Flip]

Go to the Bay Audiology and get tested. Don't mention motorcycles, hunting, racing cars or any other noisy hobbys, just discuss work related exposure.

I did my informative years as a boiler maker, then did a stint in the engine room of a ship, this along with firing naval weapons, motor cycling, sports cars and many years of small arms fire has stuffed my hearing. I have lost 84% of mine. Hearing aids make a big diference. ACC pay for mine for life.

Its actually all the mid range for me that has gone. I wear hearing aids when I have to but I don't find the current set that comfortable. I wear ear plugs when riding 100% of the time and I have two sets of electronic hearing protectors, one cheap grade 4 and one expensive grade 5 which both work brillantly.

[Waihou Thumper]

All of this information is very helpful guys. I really appreciate your straight up comments :) Many thanks....

[Oakie]

Hearing aids are a very expensive Band-Aid. WEAR EARPLUGS when you ride on the open road.

Or even when commuting. That's where my damage was done.

[buggerit]

Anyone used www.hearingtrue.co.nz ?

[Waihou Thumper]

Anyone used www.hearingtrue.co.nz (http://www.hearingtrue.co.nz) ?


Just had a look and downloaded a .pdf of one of their CIC models.
They advertise it as a hearing aid and the manual says it is a amplifier but NOT a hearing aid, so what gives?

[Ocean1]

Anyone used www.hearingtrue.co.nz ?

Aye. I bought pro CIC items from him last year. They're less sophisticated than the previous ones, (can't fit as much machinery into the smaller device) but I suspect it was the clever software involved that made the old ones difficult to live with. I don't care about the "not visible" aspect of the CIC aids, It's just that they're out of harms way in there, and so far they've performed OK.

The guy works out of a shared clinic in ChCh, I had to get a local audiologist to test my hearing so I could send him the data to set them up. I collected them on a flying visit through. Slightly less good that he's the only agent in NZ, and if he goes tits up I'll have to get consumables from off-shore.

Edit: In my experience hearing aids recover most of your "hearing noise" capacity, but at least in my case understanding people's speech is very difficult with any sort of background noise at all. In a busy room or restaurant I tend to smile and nod a lot.

[Waihou Thumper]

but at least in my case understanding people's speech is very difficult with any sort of background noise at all. In a busy room or restaurant I tend to smile and nod a lot.

Sounds familiar...I want to fix that.

[Moise]

Sounds familiar...I want to fix that.
Sorry but you can't with current technology. Buy maybe by the time I need one ...

[awa355]

I work in a big place with about 400 staff working 24/7. A lot of staff present with some degree of hearing loss. Sad to see many of them are younger people, 40's and 50's age groups. Shouldn't be with all the H&S hoohah that get pushed these days.

[Ocean1]

Sorry but you can't with current technology. Buy maybe by the time I need one ...

Unfortunately true. Other people seem to have less trouble with hearing aids, or at least gain more benefit, but while my hearing is nominally better than actually deaf without them, and even though the aid's amplification matches the deficit across the frequency spectrum it's only slightly better with them. At least out in the real world, less noisy places I manage but there's no denying it's a significant disability.

Other people seem to manage more improvement with hearing aids. Or maybe SWMBO is right and there's some hard of listening issues as well...

[Moise]

It seems that our auditory system is very good at "tuning in" to speech and filtering out other noises. This ability seems to be one of the first things affected by noise damage - I have trouble in social settings despite having only a slight measured hearing loss.

[Motu]

What I found, if the brain doesn't recognise sounds, like words, then it just ignores them...so you don't hear that stuff. When you wear hearing aids it recognises that stuff again....so even when you have the hearing aids out, you can still pick that stuff out pretty well because the brain has put it back in the data base.

[Waihou Thumper]

Sorry but you can't with current technology. Buy maybe by the time I need one ...

Yep, but I guess I have to do something. The thing is, my line of work depends on communication so whatever I can do to improve or at least mitigate further loss has to be proactive.
Maybe then my employer will look at me a little differently and realise I am a worthy employee....:facepalm:

[Ocean1]

Yep, but I guess I have to do something. The thing is, my line of work depends on communication so whatever I can do to improve or at least mitigate further loss has to be proactive.
Maybe then my employer will look at me a little differently and realise I am a worthy employee....:facepalm:

I'd be reluctant to hide the fact that you have some hearing loss. Firstly, because your employer might misinterpret your inability to hear as an inability to listen. Secondly, because the people you work with need to know about it, it takes some time but most people eventually learn to face you when they talk so you can read their lips. And it's surprising how much difference that makes even without some hearing loss.

And if, after they understand that you have some disability they don't want you there then fuck 'em, they're not worth working for/with.

[pete376403]

If you think hearing aids are expensive, wait till you price up cochlear implants - starting at (including the surgery) $50,000. The NZ health system will pay for one if you're an adult (kids get both sides done), the threshold is pretty high and the waiting list is long (in my case 4 or 5 years) but the end result for me was just amazing. I really can hear a pin drop.

And jeeze the world is NOISY!

[Padmei]

Bloody interesting info here guys. I'm learning a lot about the limitations of hearing aids.
My hearing is a bit shit & consequently I don't bother hanging around in noisy rooms or social situations anymore- I just feel like a cock nodding & grinning stupidly while trying to decipher what is being said to me & the effort is tiring. I have become pretty antisocial because of my hearing. That is a bummer really.

On the upside if I know someone is a bit deaf I now make an effort to face them & talk slightly slower & louder.

[awa355]

When I'm on the phone, my wife is always telling me to keep my voice down. It must be that if the other person sounds quiet to me, then I must think I sound quiet to them.

If I make eye contact with someone, I can usually tell by their body language that I am speaking too loud.

Geez! with hearing loss, eye sight dimming, teeth falling out, hair falling out, heart attacks, strokes, dementia, arthritis, not getting your leg over the pillion seat any more, growing old may be an achievement, but comes at a cost.

[awayatc]

Noisy workplace, motorbikes and tonnes of ammo in military have taken their toll....
tinitus ringing in my head like a world war 2 radio set.
cant hear anybody in noisy setting, don't bother trying anymore...
Have become even more anti social then before.
dreading visit for hearing loss assessment, but will go.....

very isolating.......

[Padmei]

Well that was interesting.
Got a phone call for a telemarketer for a free hearing test @ Bays audiology.
Went along expecting a bad test & a sales pitch for a new hearng aid.

On the scale of hearing I marked mine as about a 4/10.
Test came back as a lil low around the 1000hz in one ear but well within the range of normal hearing. They said they'll give me a call in a couple of years for another test.

So after all my moaning my hearing is actually OK. Never would have thought that.

[Moi]

... So after all my moaning my hearing is actually OK. Never would have thought that.

The usual male hearing problem - selective hearing... :lol: :lol:

I'm told I have it... :no:

[Ocean1]

Well that was interesting.
Got a phone call for a telemarketer for a free hearing test @ Bays audiology.
Went along expecting a bad test & a sales pitch for a new hearng aid.

On the scale of hearing I marked mine as about a 4/10.
Test came back as a lil low around the 1000hz in one ear but well within the range of normal hearing. They said they'll give me a call in a couple of years for another test.

So after all my moaning my hearing is actually OK. Never would have thought that.

Same problem with eyesight. By the time mine was testing under 20/20 I thought I was half blind.

[pete376403]

Many years of hearing aids to the point they were no longer effective, followed by a cochlear implant, which is just astonishing. According to the testing I have the frequency responses of a teenager, which is the time when normal hearing peaks, after which it's all downhill. Would love to get the other side done but thats $50k I dont have.

Biggest thing I found from both the aids (initially) and the CI - how noisy, really loud, everything is. The continuous racket takes a lot of getting used to. Normally you would have a lifetime of getting used to extra noise and ignoring it, but when it's suddenly turned back on after many years of not noticing - that can be difficult.

Stick with it though, and be thankful that you can, if need be, turn the racket off, which is something people with un-assisted hearing don't get to do.

[TheDemonLord]

Not me - but my Dad has really bad Tinnitus and has been wearing hearing aids for the last 10 or so years (after much Nagging and yelling from my Mum).

He has the ones that are synced to his Phone - which initially were great, but over time he still has issues.

If you talk to him on the Phone, you wouldn't notice a problem.

Talking to him in person - You need to be in the same room, looking at him and clearly enunciating your words. In direct conversation without much background noise - he's not too bad, the big things are when we have all the family together and simple questions like:

"Dad, would you like a Cup of Tea?"

Where he isn't aware that he's being talked to and so doesn't stop what he's doing and focus on the conversation.

However the initial period when he went from no hearing aids to a set of hearing aids was like night and day for the first couple of years - My Mum in particular was happy at being able to hold a conversation at a typical volume.

My suggestion would be (from the other perspective) is that for the sake of the people around you, don't delay.

[Oakie]

I've had mine for 15 months. I went to the audiologist just to satisfy Mrs Oakie who had this strange notion I had hearing loss. Turned out she was right. I thought that everyone was just talking quieter and that the tv volume was failing.

It didn't take long to become comfortable with them physically in my ears. Probably a couple of weeks although it made it easier when I changed the size of the rubber ear bud thing for a smaller size. Took a bit longer to get used to using them I guess. I have a phone app so can change the mode and then adjust settings within the mode. I still struggle getting the best setting for some environments though ... the worst being ordering takeaway food because of all the noise going on behind the server. Bay Audiology have been really good though with little tweaks to improve the aids. Oh. I did buy a dehumidifer to stop moisture buildup and run them through that every night. Made a big difference as mine were being affected by moisture.

[roogazza]

My eyes are a bit fucked but the ears are fantastic at 70 odd. I think I'd prefer the other way round?


Have a mate with a Cock Implant (50 grand as someone said). The bugger switches it off at night.
(can't hear nuttin ! like door knocks or phone!) I said what if the house is on fire ??? :eek5:

[pete376403]

My eyes are a bit fucked but the ears are fantastic at 70 odd. I think I'd prefer the other way round?


Have a mate with a Cock Implant (50 grand as someone said). The bugger switches it off at night.
(can't hear nuttin ! like door knocks or phone!) I said what if the house is on fire ??? :eek5:

There is that. I hope the wife will wake me up. There are smoke detectors made with super bright flashing lights (but you would need one where you sleep). Something that shakes the bed (besides that) could work as well

[R650R]

Had bit of early hearing loss from driving with truck window open. Early diagnosis nearly 20 years ago has seen it self cure by corrective actions. Didn’t knot possible but informed of that on last check up.

Popular channel Cross Training and enduro skills had good video on their FB about bikes and ear plugs but not on YouTube yet.
What was interesting is the experts said those noise cancelling headphones are not good for you in an environment where levels are changing often...
Even wear earplugs for the lawnmower now as the duration is a key element in exposure.

[Berries]

Even wear earplugs for the lawnmower now as the duration is a key element in exposure.
I wouldn't worry about it, dark winter an all.

[R650R]

I wouldn't worry about it, dark winter an all.

That's a potentially unpleasant but eminently survivable event ;)