Hearing Aid Rant

[Sibling DavidH]

I've been thinking for a while that I might be getting a bit deaf.  So off I went to the audiology clinic this morning and the news was medium bad.  In both ears the response drops dramatically above 4KHz, the right one is almost 30dB down between there and 8KHz. I expect all the shooting I did in my youth didn't help - we didn't use ear defenders in those days.

Anyway, the verdict is I need hearing aids in both ears.  The appointment to fit them is next Friday, 26th

[Swatopluk]

At least these days hearing aids can be rather inconspicuousand quite effective. How many people know for example that Bill Clinton uses one (and not just since yesterday)?
My mother seems quite happy with hers' (both ears for quite some years).
It's just that the really good models are not exactly cheap (and insurance fully covers only more basic models over here, so the difference is the patient's to pay). But the expensive parts also last quite long and the others can be exchanged easily and cheaply (like the nose saddle in eyeglasses).

[Sibling DavidH]

I'm afraid I'll have to make do with the free ones from the NHS.  New bits and batteries also free with those.  They don't look all that bad, but whatever, I can't afford to be vain. 

[Griffin NoName]

(Thankfully) I know nothing about hearing aids. I do know a bit about NHS breast protheses but I guess they are a bit different. I'm sorry you have to bother with all this, getting older is fraught with obstacles. I don't know why we spend our youth thinking it'll never happen to me (old age). I think if I get deaf I shall just ignore it and go around saying What? What?, it's not as if I have people to talk to much anyway  (I might miss music and TV though).

I hope you will be able to get used to the darned things, and maybe to say they changed your life David !!

[Swatopluk]

I do know a bit about NHS breast protheses but I guess they are a bit different.

So, tech-tits were not covered?

[Sibling DavidH]

Maybe I was careless, but I never asked about prosthetic boobies.

Yes, I hope they will change my life in that I'll be able to hear what people are saying.  That's why I requested the test.  Snag is, they tell me it can take a while to get used to them.

[Swatopluk]

Well, many say the same about glasses and contacts.
The good hearing aids allow for a lot of fine-tuning with different programs for varying situations but it takes time to find the optimum settings.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

My dad's experience with hearing aids has been mostly bad.

Part of the issue, unfortunately, is that he has had really crap luck with the companies he chose to fit him out-- finally, this last (and yet different again) company seems to actually give a crap, and has fitted him out with some that actually seem to work.

We'll see.

Here in the USofA, where health care is a luxury, he's had to foot the entire bill himself.  So, it's taken him 15 years or so to get to here... meh.

On the other hand, he seems happy with them, finally.

[pieces o nine]

Good for you, DavidH!   

When my maternal grandfather first received his hearing aid, he quizzed the doctor about the squeaking noise -- was it a malfunction in the piece? No, it was a small squeak in his chair which all of us heard and immediately tuned out! He really enjoyed re-connecting with the world again, and rediscovering how much he had gradually lost. Very best wishes that yours work as well for you!



~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~   ~
Murkins who can  afford to get hearing aids but refuse to do so,  then compensate by grunting HUH?  at everyone, or irritably picking fights over nothing because they fear others are "whispering about them", or belligerently ordering everyone to STOP MUMBLING!  are very high on my pet peeve list.

[Sibling DavidH]

Thanks, Pieces. 

[Opsa]

Let us know how it goes, willya? I feel that someday I will have to get them, too. (Propensity for standing near the speakers at loud concerts.) I want to have a clue as to what to expect.

[pieces o nine]

Let us know when you hear cool new (or old!) things...     

[Opsa]

What?

[Sibling DavidH]

Pardon?  I'm in Exeter at the moment, so I couldn't understand the locals if I could hear them.  But I'll be back in Yerefrrd and get sorted out on Friday.  I think she said Friday ...

[Opsa]

LOL! What a great photo.