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Does anyone have any experience (personal or DP etc) of hearing aids - I've never bothered but...

59 replies

Jackaroo · 26/07/2007 11:40

have just read an interesting article about how bleeding tired you can get dealing with hearing loss without them.
I've had complete hearing loss in one ear since I was at primary school, and despite several tries, they can't fix it. Middle ear not cochlear btw...

This real life interview woman said that she hadn't realised how much she has to concentrate to hear people and how much she uses lipreading - well I do all that am perfeclty aware of how exhausting it can be - and now she's got a hearing aid it's made a vast difference.

Mmmm... any ideas?

OP posts:
chopster · 09/08/2007 07:51

jenwa, there are often classes run, might be worth looking into?
I picked it up naturally though and agree, you might rely on it more than you think. Get your dp to talk with his mouth covered and see!

chopster · 09/08/2007 07:52

so know about those looks! And the worse times are driving, when it is impossible to watch the road and lipread!

amother · 09/08/2007 10:50

ah too funny.
jenwa where on earth did you get your aids from ? ARe you in London???? Which hospital?? I want some quick as am going back to work soon and will really struggle at work...went for an interview the other day and found myself nodding and saying yes when I had absolutely no idea what was being said....hmmm interviewer at one point said "sure you are ok with that" after one of my "yes" nodding responses
Jenwa you might find that you do lip read and don't know it. Ever been able to decipher what your DH is saying when he is outside the car and your in it??? Or been able to work out what someone is saying on TV if the person is looking at the camera? I cannot lipread EVERYONE as some people are easier than others - sometimes they do not open the mouth properly and its really hard. Or they have an accent or something so the words are said in a different way. Try it with your DH and I think you will be surprised.

amother · 09/08/2007 10:52

babieseverywhere how funny, I think I also 'fudged' a test when I was a kid. Mum used that as evidence that I did not need aids .
Oh and the 'look'! Have you ever answered a question to have people laugh and look at you in amazement- it seems they were actually talking about something else!!!. Sure is hard, a bit of a confidence knocker...Hope I ahve not passed on the dodgy genes to DS

saralou · 09/08/2007 11:18

dp is profoundly deaf in one ear after suffering a head injury as a child, he has brain damage on the left side of his brain which has also damaged the nerves that transmit the sound... he recently went for investigations for a hearing aide as he finds it too much of a struggle, particularly at work, in meetings or when he's in a crowd to follow the conversation... he was told a hearing aide would not help but could make things worse... he has excellent hearing on his good side and the dr said all they would do is raise the volume which could damage his hearing.

it's interseting you all saying that you have to have the tv turned up... dp can't hear it if it's too loud, too many noises all wooshing in his ear at once makes it unbearable for him.... causes many a row between us (funny how it needs to be turned down when it's somethibg i want to watch!)

verybadhairdoo · 09/08/2007 11:26

the funny thing is sarahlou that although deaf people cannot hear well, they can sometimes be sensitive to loud noises. Sounds strange I know, but apparently true.

saralou · 09/08/2007 12:16

thats quite interesting.. we often joke about he absurdness of it... he's sitting their getting into the plot but i can't hear it!

he also can't stand music, has to turn it off!

Pixiefish · 09/08/2007 12:31

My dh wears hearing aids. Pre-dd he didn't and it was hard. I know it sounds really selfish but I found it hard going. He is something like 90% deaf so could hear some things if they were very loud- so guess who had to shout to be heard. The telly used to give me a massive headache.

He stopped wearing his HA's years ago wen an ex girlfriend told him she hated them and that they made him look disabled etc etc. So he had lost them.

I used to beg him to go and get new ones and eventually he did. It's made such a difference to our relationship and also to his relationship with dd. We no longer have to shout or have the telly on loud.

He still has problems with some noises and some things actually hurt him- like when dd is having a paddy- the screaming really pierces him

I know I sound really selfish in parts of this post but I just want the best for my dh and my dd and I believe that HA's were the best for him

pinkteddy · 09/08/2007 14:22

amother - Whereabouts in London are you? Haringey has very short waiting list for hearing aids atm. Btw all services are going to have to come under 18 week referral to treatment waiting time targets next year so waiting times will start coming down soon. HTH

jenwa · 09/08/2007 19:26

Hey there
I don't think I can lip read, I do find it hard to hear people when they face away from me though and yes do really struggle in the car, all I hear is "ra ra ra ra ra" but when I try lipreading I think I am over concentrating and def do have a problem with accents and when people mumble. The worst is when people wisper, even when I tell them I can't hear them they still do it!!! aghhhhhhhhhh

Amother, No not in London, am in Worcester. They were all lovely there too. When I had my first appt in Oct last year saw a consultant who said my hearing was more like a 60 yr old and balme my parents as prob genetic! And do I want hearing aids! No I said, and went away really upset so got some courage and went back to see a consultant who specialises in ear probs and he was fab, I blubbered on him and he went and spoke to the audiologist who then rang me later that day and asked to to come in that week to see her and show me the aids, I was fitted with them two weeks later. Not sure if thats the norm or because I cried!!!
You made me laugh with your interview story, I know it is actually not funny and you feel so embarrased but at least we are all in the same situation here and can have a laugh together.
Went out today and had a picnic, had such a lovely day, also knowing I am not at work til next thurs is helping but am dreading going back with these hearing aids. Trying to convince DH to let me be a SAHM!!!!!!

geogteach · 09/08/2007 20:10

DS1 wears aids Spirit 3 that someone else mentioned, they make a world of difference to him, he was 3 when diagnosed but coping fine in nursery and pre school without aids, now at 6 he would not go anywhere without them and also relies heavily on sub titles to watch tv.
I would always say try them, Ds has now lost more hearing and it definatly benefited him having the aids and getting used to them before he lost more hearing IYSM

CrookshanksinJimmyChoos · 09/08/2007 20:57

Babies everywhere -I'm positive you will love the subtitles

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 08:53

hello, this is amother. I've become a verybadhairdoo (among other things) - must get haircut. We are in South London, was referred to Guys Hospital. Had to wait 11 weeks for initial assessment where they said, "yep, you're right, those ears are useless. You need hearing aids". (that was May 3) Now have an appointment on 30th August where they will 'make an assessment for digital aids' whatever the hell that means. Does that mean they will take moulds and get them made for me?? Or do I have to have another appointment for moulds etc?? How bloody long does it take in this country (sorry, am an Aussie but to be fair, you can only get free hearing aids in Oz if you are under 21 or an old aged pensioner)...

coppertop · 10/08/2007 09:12

LOL at some of these replies. It's sooo true.

I've been wearing HAs since my early 20's when my hearing first started to disappear. I hadn't realised quite how bad it had got until I had another hearing test after ds1 was born and ended up having to take him with me. When the test had finished the audiologist said "Well I'm not sure how accurate that will be with the baby screaming all the way through." Me " Oh, was he making a noise?" Ooops!

Subtitles are an absolute lifesaver for me. I used to just have the ceefax ones but now that we have cable I use the digital subtitles. With digital ones when you record a programme it also records the subtitles too.

I have the ancient NHS analogue behind-the-ears HAs and they're not all that great but still much better than nothing. I really need to get myself a referral so that I can get digital ones.

It's definitely a lot less stressful than lipreading all the time and, as someone else said, you have the added bonus of being able to switch them off when your children are screeching, whining and generally being too noisy......

jenwa · 10/08/2007 10:50

verybadhairdoo - The hearing aids I have dont need moulds. They are spirit 3 oticon (see if your NHS have these) they are behind the ear but as my loss is high frequency I cant have in the ear moulds (the ones they take moulds for I think) as sticking something right into my ear would block out all other noise!
I went and was given the aids there and will go back end sept to choose colour as currently have beige ones! am going to ask for clear ones as more discreet.
My appt was about 30mins-45 mins, and basically they attach hearing to computer and link it to your hearing test where it bascically tunes in to frequencies you need. If your hearing test was done awhile ago they may re do it on the day to make sure it is accurate and then tune the aids in. If you are having in the ear aids then maybe you have to have moulds taken which I was told can be a little uncomfortable as they have to push them quite far down your ear canal to get a good mould. (sorry dont want to worry you but make sure you are prepared)
Just seems such awhile to wait. If you need glasses you can normally walk out the shop with them the same day (I think, Sorry dont wear them but thats what it seems to be)
I have just rang up about a new job, am really impressed and will def go for it but am really worried about the whole hearing prob thing! I feel like I should say "by the way I have hearing aids" but will be really embarrased about it!!!
aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 11:22

Hi Jenwa, I previously had some in the canal type aids and loved them. I had bought them privately (they cost an arm and a leg) when I was living in Ireland. But they are kaput, and with DS around and me on maternity leave, we are having to opt for NHS versions. I am hoping they will provide some ones that don't go around the ears as I am extremely self conscious about wearing them. The old ones I had were so discreet nobody knew I had them.
Personally I would not go to an interview telling them that I wore hearing aids. People tend to assume that you are dumb and stupid and often...start..to...talk...slower...in...case...you...do...not...know...what...they...are...talking. ..about! Makes me want to say "Hey mate, I'm deaf not stupid. So LOUDER not SLOWER!!!!! YOU MORON!!!!!". So, anyway, I would only tell them once I was working with them and felt comfortable enought to do so (usually because I dont want them to think I've snobbed them off in the morning when they say hello - prior to inserting the aids!!)

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 11:24

LOL coppertop! That is just too funny

Tortington · 10/08/2007 11:27

the audiologist said exactly the same thing to me - imagine how exhausting it must be for your dd to have to concentrate - all the time.

Weegle · 10/08/2007 11:27

I haven't read the whole thread as I'm about to go out but I wear a hearing aid - I should wear two but I never bother with the left one, don't know why just prefer the one!

It's in the ear, digital, v small, you can hardly notice it. I still have to lip read though, especially in certain circumstances but I really notice how tired/isolated I feel when I don't wear it. You can find out what it would be like for you by going and getting a test done at a hearing centre like in Specsavers, as they can programme their computer to your hearing loss and you get to try it out before commiting to buying the aids - might be worth a go?

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 11:29

hi weegle, how much were they (sorry to be so direct) but I'm on unpaid maternity leave so the purse strings are rather tight

Weegle · 10/08/2007 14:56

they were about £1000 for the two - but look out for special offers. And they certainly weren't the cheapest available.

jenwa · 10/08/2007 16:10

Wish I could have discreet in the ear ones, I would def feel less self conscious, hate the fact these are behind the ear, does anyone else have high frequency loss and wera in the ear ones? I was told it would not help me as would block all other sounds that I can hear!

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 18:05

i have high frequency loss and used to wear in the ear ones

verybadhairdoo · 10/08/2007 18:06

they were great

Weegle · 10/08/2007 18:16

yup I also have high frequency loss and mine are in the ear. There is a hole in it which allows in the sounds I can hear, making it a more "normal" sound, not so tinny. Because they are digital they are programmed so that you have higher amplification on the frequencies you need, and lower on the ones you don't. But my aids are private - NHS would only provide me with over the ear ones.

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