Hearing Aids

[SMSW]

The time has come for me to check out hearing aids. I've had my exam and seen an ent MD, and have scheduled a visit with my hospital's hearing aid provider. I'm still in information gathering mode, and that's why I am posting this thread.

What was your experience getting hearing aids?

My first take is that these things are way overpriced. I have gotten one quote for $5500, and the guy used technobabble until I cut through that, and had him using more common scientific terms. These sound like eyeglasses - an item with a huge markup. I'm not opposed to paying for a good product (heck, I bought an ST for $10k) but I want to avoid the scams.

 

[Andrew Shadow]

I suggest that you talk to Robert (@kiltman). He not only uses hearing aids, he has figured out all the inns and outs of using them while riding on a motorcycle including using Blue-Tooth hearing aids while riding.

 

[WaynefromSCal]

Welcome to the "Hearing-Aid Club" Mine were $1,600....AFTER... my Insurance allowance. Your price will also be determined by how much High-Tech options you would Like / Use. My only challenge with using them when I ride....is taking my Helmet OFF without pulling them
out of my ears....haha !!
Wayne Cornell
Wallingford , CT
96' ST1100
#8973

 

[Tedbrogden]

Mine are blue tooth enabled from the VA, and I never ride with them on. My ear plugs connect with the noise makers so don't want the hearing aid making it louder. Now if I can just remember to remove the hearing aid before attempting to put in the ear plugs...

 

[ChriSTian_64]

Mine never works well when the wife is asking help to wash the dishes, take the garbage out, etc.

 

[Erdoc48]

OK, something to discuss when I actually know something!
I bought the Kirkland brand from Costco- Bluetooth enabled, $1500 for the pair (no help from insurance)- I’ve had them for several years and they work very well (and are moisture resistant). Costco has audiologists that can test your hearing and tweak the aids to get you the best hearing. I would buy those again in a heartbeat.

 

[motomac]

I have a pair from the VA that are bluetooth capable and a pair from Costco that are also bluetooth capable. The VA set are not nearly as up to date as the Costco ones, so are kept on charge and I wear them about once a week. The set from Costco are worn daily. $1399.

 

[Mondo]

I am an old fart and my insurance/Medicare paid for mine to the tune of 5 grand. I wear them around family but seldom else. I'm still having trouble filtering out enough ambient noise. Rechargeable and Bluetooth to my phone. I suspect the price is jacked up since insurance popped for them.

Greg

 

[larryg]

I have been wearing Hearing Aids for about eight years now. Phoneak brand, non-bluetooth and non-rechargeable., I paid $4K for them back then, and they're still working well
They correct my severe high-freq loss quite well. Using them I can even enjoy my stereo at home, which is totally unlistenable for me without them. They don't color the music at all if I set them properly.
I take them off when riding - they just amplify road and helmet noise anyway. I have a Sena on my helmet, and use earbuds with it under the helmet to listen to music, phonecalls and intercom.
The earbuds also act like earplugs, keeping helmet noise down (I can still hear ambient sounds, as long as I keep the Sena's volume reasonable)
A good helmet liner ( I use a Buff ) is essential to keep the earbuds from pulling out - or your hearing aids, if you want to wear them under the helmet.
But I recommend leaving them off when riding, there's way too much chance of losing them.
Having said all that, I've heard lots of good things about the Costco aids, and when the time comes to replace I'll probably give them a try.
Good luck...

 

[kiltman]

Mine cost 10K Canadian. Yes they overpriced! I have 5 years of warranty service, consumable pieces like filters, receivers are free. They are rechargeable. Mine are Bluetooth and I can pair with my GPS, phone, tablet computer. I have a number of modes that I can deal with depending on the environment and I can with the app make adjustments to the sound quality.
Currently they are behind the ear, I have keepers on the receiver so they stay put when you take your helmet off.

 

[ST-Traveler]

I have lost a large amount of my hearing, have constant severe tinnitus and say Huh ?? a lot....- high tone range went first. I have the "over the ear" type instead of the "in the ear" type. Go to a good audiologist and get a hearing test. They can help get you what you need. They are not cheap. The ones being mentioned above for under $2000 from Costco are most likely sound amplifiers and not true hearing aids. Mine are programmed by my audiologist to help pic up the higher tones that I have lost and sync'd down for the lower tones that I can hear relatively easy. I think mine were around $3500 back when I got them ( insurance paid all costs) .
Don't get the ones you can recharge. IMO they don't last- and you have to go to regular batteries pretty fast and those are expensive too.
I don't wear mine alot around the house cause I am constantly using loud machinery and have to put in foam hearing protection to keep what little bit of hearing I have left.
I don't wear them on the bike but use hearing foam plugs and use Pac talk bold intercom and can hear that well while riding.
The loud tinnitus causes a very difficult hearing situation because the constant loud ringing in the ears over takes any normal sound level conversations.

 

[dbst1300]

I have been wearing hearing aids for eight years and currently on my third set of Costco/Kirkland hearing aids as my insurance pays for a set every three years. The hearing aids have greatly reduced my tinnitus problem and I wear my hearing aids sun up to sun down unless riding my motorcycles. I have been very happy with the quality of the aids and the service from my local Costco hearing aid center. My last two sets are controlled via a Bluetooth app on my cell phone.

Other than the extreme cost of some hearing aid providers, you will wonder why you didn’t get them years ago.

 

[Sheriff41]

I've been wearing mine for about fifteen years. They are tuned for my specific hearing loss frequencies and do a great job helping me hear conversation. The USAF was kind enough to provide them after 21years of jet noise. They're Signia brand and are Bluetooth capable. Definitely get the Bluetooth option.
If I had to buy some I would definitely check out Costco, based on what acquaintances say.
Tip: Be sure to remove them before taking a shower. DAMHIK.

 

[Weaselinsuit]

Are the audiology tests at Costco, or other clinics, objective? I get a bit hinky about people who want to sell a product being the ones who test to see if you need it. Cynical and suspicious in my old age I guess.....

 

[ST-Traveler]

Are the audiology tests at Costco, or other clinics, objective? I get a bit hinky about people who want to sell a product being the ones who test to see if you need it. Cynical and suspicious in my old age I guess.....

I got my test at a local ENT Dr's office because I was experiencing tinnitus and wanted a doctor to see if there was medication, or any other treatment. They basically said I had lost a significant amount of hearing and needed hearing aids. Of course they have a clinic they quickly referred me to that wanted to quickly sell me a pair for like $5500
(I think?). Just ask for the hearing test results and you can take them and shop around in your area for the best prices.
There's a test that makes you listen to words at normal conversation level and then repeat what you heard. I only got like 50-60 % of them correct----

 

[Erdoc48]

With the replies above, I failed to mention that I use the aids mostly when at work, rarely at home since it’s pretty noise free here, and if the Mrs is calling me, I just say ‘huh?’. Also, I don’t use them when riding as I use Plugfones Liberate BT so I have music and noise blocking. I can hear reasonably well, it’s just in a crowded room where I would have difficulty with discrimination of individual voices.

RE: The Costco test- I was advised by my brother in law as he was happy with the services they provided, as was I- I see audiograms all the time (occupational health patients)- mine in the upper freq. was pretty bad, so it matched the Costco audiogram. I don’t think they’re looking to sell you something you don’t need.

 

[JPrieST]

1. They are all trying to sell you something, even the ENT docs.
2. You probably need it if you have taken the steps to be there.

Costco hearing aids are not just sound amplifiers. They have actual audiologists that do complete hearing tests, then they will program the hearing aid based on those results. No, they are not doctors. I'm told that Sams Club does the same. I took my mother to Costco for hers and they were very professional and patient (she was in the early stages of dementia at the time) I could take them in any time and they would clean them and replace the filters for free. They also gave me extra filters etc to change at home. The only cost was the cost of the hearing aids themselves (they were rechargeable). They even retested her a couple times and made changes as needed, no additional cost. As her dementia progressed I would find them in the drain of her shower, but they still worked, so I would say they are pretty good quality.

Now that I am starting to think about the need for some myself I am sure I will go to Costco again. I don't have a membership, but the cost of a membership is well worth it for the hearing aids alone.

Now, my question for the group: This year, due to health issues I have transitioned from being a heavy equipment mechanic to working on the parts counter of a heavy equipment dealer. I spend a lot of time on the phone with customers. I have to use a headset as I need both hands available to run my computer. Are hearing aids helpful in this type situation, or would it be better for me to just spring for a better headset than what my employer is willing to pay for? My specific problem is differentiating when a customer is saying similar sounding letters like M,N or D,P,B and mostly on the phone. Not as much problem face to face. What are your thoughts?

 

[kiltman]

Are hearing aids helpful in this type situation

Yes and no depending on the type. I’m a stage manager for opera, I need to wear a headset to call the show( tell the technicians when to do a cue). The “in the ear canal” work best in this situation as the headset muff covers the ear. So I use my old hearing aid for that purpose as my behind the ear as the microphone in it. I either have to put the muff over the hearing aid behind the ear, which is uncomfortable or nestle the hearing aid in my ear with the headset on top. Your employer might spring for a Bluetooth phone so that you can pair the hearing aid to the phone then you will have hands free

 

[SMSW]

I spend a lot of time on the phone with customers. I have to use a headset as I need both hands available to run my computer. Are hearing aids helpful in this type situation,

From my limited experience, it will depend on your customer's voice and the specific frequencies of your hearing loss. I can hear some folks perfectly, and others (especially chirpy voices) not so well. I was told yesterday that the more expensive hearing aids offer more 'channels' that can be adjusted. That is technobabble - go back some years to stereo equipment that allowed you to adjust the bass and treble in a number of discreet frequency ranges. This is what they are saying - higher cost h.aids give you more frequency bands to adjust.

I don't know if a high end headset will help as much as boosting the frequencies you cannot hear. Theoretically, a doc should not have irons in the fire and should be giving you the straight poop. I started this thread because I answered a routine direct mail offer of hearing aids only to find my doc is the physician associated with that vendor. My cynical meter pegged the pointer.

 

[Weaselinsuit]

Part of my reluctance to get tested is likely fear that I may need them .