Hearing loss help

[Cactuslover88]

Hoping someone with experience of hearing loss can help. I first noticed my hearing wasn’t great in 2021, went to Boots for a free hearing test and they picked up on a mild cookie-bite style loss. Told me to speak to my GP which I did and got referred privately through my health insurance to an ENT specialist to check if there were any treatable causes. He did bloods and an MRI and found no obvious cause. As part of his assessment he referred me to a private hearing test service who advised that Boots test results aren’t always accurate. My hearing loss from their test showed a mild cookie bite sensorineural loss. They let me trial behind-the-ear hearing aids for a week but I really struggled with the rustling from my hair and didn’t feel they were making a massive difference to my hearing so I decided not to go ahead.

It’s now 15 months later and I feel my hearing has deteriorated. I went back to boots for another free test and their results show my loss is now in the moderate category. I’m not sure I trust the result is 100% accurate after being told their tests aren’t as good as at the private place, however my understanding is that any NHS referral for hearing aids just goes straight to Boots or Specsavers anyway so surely they have accurate tests? I’m only 34 and worried that things are going to get worse and not sure what to do.

Do I go back to the ENT specialist, assuming he’ll refer me to the private hearing test centre for confirmation of the deterioration? Should I just assume there’s no treatable cause for the loss and go to my GP for an NHS referral for hearing aids? I’d like to trial in-the-ear hearing aids to see if there’s less rustling. Can I get those style of aids on the NHS or would I have to pay privately for those? Are NHS hearing aids as good as the private options? And if I do go privately should I go via the private hearing center I went to previously under the ENT specialist? I’m so confused and don’t know what to do! Would really appreciate some mumsnet collective wisdom! Thanks!

I've only just seen this,so sorry for very late reply. I've got the same condition - hearing just switched off in one ear during a mild infection. Fortunately steroids and antibiotics saved a bit of hearing, but high and medium frequency has gone for good.

I saw a private ENT consultant because of the waiting list being so long. He said to avoid Boots and Specsavers, choose an independent centre and make sure that anywhere I went would allow me to trial a hearing aid for free for at least a month. The place I chose actually let me trial for 3 months and set the hearing aid to remotely turn up very slightly each day over 90 days. That avoids the shock of sudden loud sounds (like your hair!).

Like you, I wanted an in ear aid, but there are advantages to the behind ear ones. Mine is rechargeable, has 2 microphones and is so discreet that noone has ever noticed it (including some family).

You can go wherever you want to be seen, no need to go back to Boots or the private centre. Maybe do some research into a few places and look at their reviews. As far as I understand it, private aids tend to have more advanced technology and be the most discreet. They are expensive though, so I guess that is a something youll have to weigh up versus NHS. Wishing you all the very best

Really interested to read your post as I've just started on this journey. Went for a soecsavers test yesterday and they said I have moderate hearing loss and need hearing aids. I also have tinnitus which hasn't caused the hearing loss, separate issue

They charge £2700 for their in ear hearing aids. So I've got another appointment at Hidden Hearing which is an hour long vs specsavers 30 mins. Soecsavers could only show me photos of the aids too, no samples.

I'm going to visit my GP too to see if I can get referred as have medical insurance with work which might pay some of it.

Already v confused reading about the options. Behind ear won't work for me as I wear glasses.

I had a similar experience at Specsavers although they did have samples as `i wanted in the ear ones as have tried behind the ear and agree with the rustling of the hair and also they kept falling off my ear. I tried a sample of in the ear but found it hard to get in and feel it was too big for my ear and the audiologist just sat 6' away from me saying push it in harder so was most unhelpful and made no attempt to help so I gave up but really need to start again and would be interested to know if Boots do in the ear on NHS too?

I wear glasses and have a behind ear aid, it's fine. Here's an article about the two sorts, there's quite a difference in technology https://www.newyorkhearingdoctors.com/comparing-completely-in-canal-and-behind-the-ear-hearing-aids/#:~:text=Owing%20to%20their%20discreteness%2C%20in,sound%20from%20your%20television%20directly

As I said upthread, an ENT consultant told me to steer clear of anywhere that didn't let you trial aids for a month, and go to an independent provider. The place I went to said they'd lend me an aid for as long as necessary to make sure I got the right one for me, and the right settings (3 months in the end). Only then did they place the order.

Best of luck!

This is brilliant thanks so much
I've got another appointment next week with Hidden Hearing who have great reviews. Definitely want one to try and potentially over ear could be more comfortable now I think about it more. But need to see a few options in the flesh . When I went to specsavers, they had no real ones to show me. Just pictures.

@WalkingOnAcorns , just read the article thankyou. Opened my eyes to the over ear option as I'm not sure I'd like the idea of feeling 'plugged'. Food for thought.

Glad it was helpful. Mine is vented so it doesn't feel at all plugged, which like you, I'd hate. I was sure I wanted an in ear one just like you, but once the audiologist had explained the pros and cons, I changed my mind. There's a very occasional noise if it clunks against my glasses, but it's rare, and I couldn't tell you when it last happened. See how you get on, maybe you could try both sorts.

If it's at all reassuring from a cosmetic pov, we went on holiday with our family and noone even noticed it was there. A few days in I told them and even looking at my ear, they didn't believe me! Best of luck.

I have nhs behind the ear aids. Re hair rustling - it takes about 3 weeks to filter out such sounds and I found everything incredibly loud but persevered. So glad I did. I’d like different hearing aids but can’t afford private and the nhs repair my aids too.

Sorry I know this is a zombie thread but how did you get on @Cactuslover88?

I've got to the stage where I can't ignore the hearing loss any longer so went and had a test at boots and it's mild-moderate in both ears. It's also deteriorated from my last test 4 years ago.

Interested to know what aids people used. I was recommended the top of the range 4k ones with AI technology (obvs)! Not sure I can justify it especially as when I tried them my voice just echoed. The auidiologist said I wouldn't notice after a few days, is this true?

Also had bad experience with hidden hearing who kept calling me constantly after I had a free test in the past badgering me to buy aids.

Meningitis survivor here which led to significant hearing loss over the years.

I have Phonak behind the ear aids, and I cannot believe how good they are for me anyway. I don't know how the hell I managed to work, attend and contribute to meetings, speak and listen on the phone and all that jazz, since now everything is so clear and I could (drama llama ish...) cry with joy every morning when I put them on!

They were calibrated over about a six week period with an independent audiologist and I came from thinking I would forever be profoundly deaf, to hearing most things more or less straight away. It reminded me of looking at the little kids who get cochlear implants. The joy and wonder of it all, and I am not exaggerating!

Anyway I have some issues of course, such as when in crowded noisy places like a restaurant/pub as background noise is a killer and it's a struggle to hear. I have an app that is supposed to filter out background noise, but it's not really effective, but I can live with that, since the number of times I am in such places is tiny compared to day to day living!

I also use the bluetooth feature to listen to audiobooks, the radio, podcasts, phone convos and the like, and that my friends is the best thing ever.

Best of luck on your journeys to better hearing.