Thread for those of us that are deaf/hard of hearing?

[flamingo40]

I've looked through the health topics and can't find any particular areas for those of us who are deaf or hard of hearing to turn to if we are after advice or just fancy a chat with people who are in the same situation?
I guess I'm asking firstly if I'm missing something or secondly if there isn't an area we can go to would this be something Mumsnet would think about adding?

Having been hard of hearing for years and now a permanent hearing aid wearer I'd love you get help and advice and talk about experiences to other people

First time in the whole time of wearing them this has happened 😢

Lose it as in its probably in your house somewhere? Or did it get caught on your jumper when you were removing it and it pinged off?

I once thought I'd lost the shoe and receiver for my radio aid, but I found it when I got changed that night in my t-shirt! Could it be around somewhere?

It's in the house
But I've retraced my steps and I just can't find it 😓
I don't even recollect taking it off although I know what I was doing when I must have taken it off
I feel so shit now. It's the ear that I've got the headphone in at work, just to make it worse.
On top of that, that ear is also a bit blocked as well and olive oil is not helping. I rely on the hearing aids so much

Severely deaf in one ear and wear a hearing aid. All came out of no where and I have had constant tinnitus for over 12 years, it’s been a struggle !

@purpleme12 Has it fallen and got tangled in some clothes? Jumper etc.

Also this thread is almost a year old, so party time and birthday cake on Sunday!

Sorry to hear this @ppurpleme12. Call/email your audiologist. I lost a hearing aid during the pandemic, like you, I'm very dependent on them. It was a very windy day and my long hair must have knocked it off my ear. Spent hours in the field, where I lost it, looking. I got a replacement FoC. I appreciate different trusts work differently but, if it's still missing, just call them.

Does anyone get pain in their ear when wearing hearing aids? I can’t get used to mine as every time I try wearing them, I get a pain deep in my ears. Ivan tried turning them down but nothing helps. Hospital have taken new moulds but that wasn’t successful plus it doesn’t feel like the pain originates there but deeper.

@Mydoghealsmyheart Not a pain but my ears can ache after wearing them.

Has anyone any experience of a Roger pen -? I intend to return to volunteering in schools and think ( from what I’ve read) that such a thing may be useful especially for 1-1 reading - I’ve also been told people can get one from DWP. - Also Broadgreen hosp Audiolgy in Liverpool have a fantastic service whereby batteries are sent out by post.

@eveoha I have a Roger Pen to use at work. Very handy for 1:1 situations. Sometimes if my DH and I are listening to the radio I'll put it next to the speaker, so he can have the radio at his volume but I get a boost from the Pen. I love it for phone calls, too! Very useful. I got mine through the Access to Work scheme, so didn't pay at all. But I'm not sure how it works with volunteers.

Thanks for that info Suzi Q - I was applying through Access to work as well - I’m a teacher and had thought about ‘supply’ but wanted to be sure any assistive technology would help my hearing loss before committing - v grateful to you as I’ve decided to press ahead with my plans 👍🏿🙏🏽☘️

Oh poor you! So annoying that it must be in the house. Where do you usually take them out - has it dropped down behind something? Did you stuff it in a pocket because it was whistling at you or rustling on your hair at the end of the day? I sometimes tear mine out of my ears when I'm tired in the evening just for some peace.

Re blocked ears my audiologist recommends sodium bicarbonate drops rather than olive oil, as does the guy who micro syringes the wax out of mine. When I told him I couldn't afford £80 any more he said that the sodium bicarb breaks down the wax and the usual process of conveyor belt moves it to the outer ear where you can gently wipe it away.

Very cheap from chemists and pharmacies.

So I sent to audiology...
They gave me a new hearing aid just like that, no problem....
But there must be something wrong with it.
When I got near my hob just now as I'm cooking the hearing aids made a horrible noise!!! And also when I went through some doors or something in the hospital earlier.
However I have never had this problem before...
And they only replaced one hearing aid...
Why is this happening???
I feel so stressed out now

I'm outside, not even near anything and there's this horrible noise in my hearing aids just then.
I don't understand why it's affected my hearing aid that I've still got?!

Are they on a different setting to usual? My aids have volume but also a normal setting, louder setting and t-loop. Are the tubes okay? I'm thinking it could be feedback but odd to just happen. If it doesn't stop you'll need to go back. Only they can really tell you what's up!

No it's the normal setting (unless they've done something wierd at their end anyway!)
I think I'll have to ring on Monday.
Feel like I'm worse off than before now 😔
Would happen at the weekend 😔

I sometimes get this too with my new Bluetooth ones. I think it's when I'm near a phone mast or something. Weirdly it also happens in my sister's downstairs loo where there are apparently no electrical devices to cause feedback! It's a mystery. Is it happening all the time or just the odd once or twice? My noise is sometimes a low humming thrum that gets louder, and sometimes a more usual shriek. Neither is nice.

Thanks so much to @Violinist64 and any others why mentioned disabled rail cards, despite wearing hearing aids for a few years I had no idea i'd qualify. Applied yesterday and approved today - this is going to save me £100s !

Just to update on this for some reason it happened that day only! Really strange

Nonono brilliant news - however re DWP and Roger pen - I’ve been told that you have to pay for the proportion of the time you use the device when you’re not actually working - ie leisure time 🙄 does anyone know if this happens with other government provide disability/ mobility aids ie cars

John Bishop and his son

This programme looks interesting tonight, about John Bishop and his son who became partially deaf in his teens.

Potentially, does anyone know any hearing aid that can be worn in the ear without a full hearing aid mould?

Im currently under medical supervision regarding something else, but there is a chance my ear pain could be related.

I have a terrible pain at the bottom of my ear where it meets my face. Agonising and it hurts to wear my hearing aid.

NHS only

Many hearing aids don't need a full mould? Mine are Ambio 62s on the NHS and before that I had phonak ones. They just have a little receiver that sits in the ear canal. Perhaps it depends on the extent of the hearing loss, however.

This is the type I have. I have had these since I was 5.

So maybe I could bring it up with the audiologist about having a different type.

I have a Roger Pen through Access to Work and did not have to pay anything. Presumably work will claim it back when I eventually leave but I could just claim through my new employer, I suppose. But I have not had to pay a thing, and that was even when I was only working there 2 days a week!

Can you call Access to Work and ask them? Or is it them who've said it? I had a very helpful person take me through Access to Work, hopefully you have the same.