Hearing aids

[Gemini]

You may have been following my OH's recent problems with hearing aids.

She has had NHS ones for a few years now. For about 3 years now has has been missing lot of conversation, sound on TV and cinema.

After me nagging her for some time she eventually went down the private route. She chose Boots Hearing Care. She bought the top of the range aids from there. Just under £3000 with an offer discount, There was a definite improvement and being able to answer her phone via them was a bonus.
However after about 3 weeks she really felt that for the money spent she was very disappointed. We had cinema trip where she could hear very little.
She returned the aids as it was within the 3 month money back period.

Her friend had just had an upgrade of her NHS aids and they sounded similar to the private ones. She managed to get an appointment. Sadly the NHS ones she had in mind were not suitable for her hearing. So they gave some different ones. These are bigger and hurt her ears! Plus I think she is hearing less.
She will give it another week then get in touch within the clinic again if shes still not happy.

She is obviously free to pursue the private route again.

So, do you or your OH or family members have hearing aids? If so can you recommend any?
I know what suits one person doesn't necessarily suit another, but it's good to have recommendations.

[WeeGranny]

I've had hearing aids from Boots for nearly two years and am very happy with them and the service provided. Can't remember ow much I paid for them, but compared to the NHS ones which I tried previously they are a massive improvement and have certainly improved my quality of hearing. My family can tell when I've not gone them in because of my lack of responses or, as DD says, I 'hmmm' when in conversation.

Perhaps S just needed the Boots ones adjusted for her hearing level.

By the way, I still find it difficult to hear in the cinema, especially American accents!

[Plantaholic]

I doubt if there is an aid available either NHS or private that is completely satisfactory but I do believe Daisy’s OH is happy with his.

[Oma]

B got his privately from Spec savers , just over £3000 he had a few hitches at first but now has no bother ,
She may have to try several before she gets a good fit .
I worry if I ever have to have hearing aids as I can’t even stand earbuds in they hurt my ears ,
I still have earphones to listen to music etc .

[Gemini]

WG, she went back to Boot for adjustments 4 times before giving up on them.

Earbuds hurt my ears too Oma

[WeeGranny]

Aaaah! Some other problem then!

I don't like things in my ears and worried about how I'd get on with them, but these ones have different sized, what look like little soft umbrellas, and once I'd got the right size,I've been fine.

[Nanto2girls]

I don't know anyone who has hearing aids. Not that i know of anyway.

[Daisy]

I doubt if there is an aid available either NHS or private that is completely satisfactory but I do believe Daisy’s OH is happy with his.

Plant, my OH was happy with his NHS hearing aids (supplied by Specsavers) when he first got the upgraded, more modern ones. Having something in and round his ear doesn't bother him at all. But these last few months I have noticed he's hearing less and less. He needs to go back and either have them adjusted for his changed hearing or get different ones. He doesn't think there's a problem, but he hearing is bad enough for me not to have a conversation with him before he puts them in in a morning, but I still have to make sure he can see me, and he uses the phone on loud-speaker all the time.

I tried NHS standard ones, and they didn't make any difference at all - even after they were adjusted. Also they kept falling off my ears and hurt. I've now got some in-ear ones (also from Specsavers) which fit right into the ear canal. Once they're in I totally forget about them, and it's very rare I feel them at all.

The sound is never going to be as good as natural hearing, and I find random noises difficult. I can't tell what the noise is, or where it's come from. I'm told this is because the hearing device picks up the noise but isn't able to give it better definition, and probably true for all hearing aids. I think this will improve in years to come, but at the moment they give me much better hearing than I could have hoped for in most circumstances. I've got a 'television' setting and others for traffic/outdoors and for noise/parties. There is also volume control and a treble/bass sound balance on all settings. All controlled by my phone.

I didn't think I'd be able to tolerate in-ear ones (they go just into the ear canal) but in fact they are fine. There's nothing behind my ears, they're so easy to put in and take out, and don't get caught on earrings or my hair. The only downside is I often forget to take them out when I go to bed and have to get up again!

By the way, Wee Granny I find American accents really hard as well, and Oma, I can't tolerate ear buds either, but these hearing aids are no problem.

[Gemini]

Very useful Daisy . Thank you.

OH has had in-ear aids with no problems before, but the ones she were given last week are massive! Much too big. They will have to go back

[Daisy]

Gem, perhaps S has small ears - I've got one ear canal smaller than the other!!

I hope she finds some that work for her soon. x

[Lizzie48]

Gem, I only have the one, it is neat, like someone said, a mushroom, they come in different sizes to fit different ears. The lady I go to aqua with has really small ears, she has the same type and is really satisfied with them. When I was on the trial I had them in both ears, I found them "noisy" in the car and when out on the bike.

[Grauntie Mag]

IMG_5452.jpg IMG_5453.jpg This is my answer to uncomfortable earbuds. They sit just in front of the ear. I can hear perfectly and they are easy to pair to an iPad etc. The only thing I don’t like is the joining piece. It can’t be made smaller but it doesn’t bother me.
For some reason I’m having difficulty in posting the pictures. They have now appeared twice!

[Daisy]

Grauntie, I've never seen those, but they look like a really good idea.

[Grauntie Mag]

They are Daisy, because they sit on the cheek bone at the edge of the ear so no discomfort.

[Gemini]

Grauntie those look good.

Well OH has more or less given up on the current hearing aids so I am shouting a lot
She has an appointment tomorrow morning.