Hearing Aids

Another problem you'll find CountessFrosco is the complete lack of soft furnishings in lots of restaurants, coffee shops, etc. & this makes hearing so much worse when you're wearing aids because there's nothing to absorb the sound so everything echoes, which in turn, makes for a tinny reception. You also have to see people's lips even if you don't lip read. Covid was dreadful with everyone behind masks - it's purely psychological. There are so many new things to get used to.

grannygran

Hearing aids..the bane of Mt life. I've worn them 10-12 years and still not used to them. I'm sitting by an open window right now, the passing traffic sounds like it's in the room with me. I can only watch tv with subtitles..mostly unsatisfactory because I'm still reading about one thong, the speaker has moved on to something else!
I had them replaced in January..no different to previous aids..I was in a meeting yesterday..conversations going on all around but I heard the odd word.
I have an app on my phone to adjust the sound ..not enough to enjoy the experience.
They are NHS Oticon battery operated.
Been seen a few times in the last few months. Nothing they do makes any difference..

This is 100% exactly what I am experiencing. Mine are also Oticon from NHS. They are useless, although now have an appointment with audiology department to "see if they need adjustment". Don't actually know whether there is an answer to this thorny problem. Maybe efficient aids simply do not exist for our particular problem?

Growing0ldDisgracefully

Should also add I have very small ear canals, so even the smallest size do e, not much bigger than the tube itself, is difficult to actually get in my ear and I do get itchy ears from them. A squirt of Ear Calm, recommended by the audiologist and available at pharmacies, does help.

This has always been a problem for me - well, the left ear would have had the same size small eardrum as the right were it not for two mastoidectomies. I cannot get on with the domes that are generally prescribed these days so l have moulds which are, obviously, custom made. They are far more comfortable and I can recommend them. It might be worth asking your audiologist about this as a possible solution for your discomfort.

My DH is on his second pair of NHS battery hearing aids, and I had high hopes that he would actually wear them instead of them living in his bedside drawer. Wrong! After ten minutes they’re out because he says they irritate his ears.

I know I’m very fortunate that my hearing hasn’t deteriorated much at all, and perhaps I’m being mean but having to constantly repeat myself is driving me to the brink. Sometimes he doesn’t hear me at all. It doesn’t seem to bother him at all, either being unable to not to hear, or the fact that it’s driving me crazy. It’s obviously a hereditary thing, his many siblings are all hard of hearing, and two of them have bought the tiny ones that fit into the ear and said they’re useless, in spite of costing several thousands.

Any ideas?

*CountessFosco” it can take some time to get used to hearing aids. I’ve worn them for years now and they’re still not spot on. What you have to remember, it’s not like wearing glasses where the improvement is immediate. With hearing, it’s not just a case of turning the volume up. If only it were that simple! The timbre and pitch of other people’s voices vary so much. My hairdresser is the only person in the world I can actually hear without my aids, her voice for me, is pitch perfect. I, too, have Bluetooth aids, controlled by my phone; the sound feeds direct into my ears from both my phone and the television. I still need subtitles, though, because people do mumble. Subtitles are fine on recorded programmes, not live ones, they can’t keep up. When I’m in the garden, the birdsong is deafening, in the kitchen, the crashing of plates, etc, when DH puts them away is excruciating. Persevere, but it does sound as though yours still need some adjustment.

Been wearing them for decades. Yes, totally normal to need a good while to get used to them. DON’T be tempted to not wear them - your brain needs to adjust to them but DO get them adjusted. I’ve got new aids and it’s taken 3 visits to get them right.
And btw the best bit about wearing hearing aids is taking them out at the end of a busy day - like TAKING YOUR BRA OFF 🤣 good luck with them and enjoy the birdsong!

cookiemonster66 I'm the opposite. I was born with poor hearing which has worsened, I've worn aids for 46 years & I would never knowingly be awake & not have them in.

I couldn't hear the doorbell or phone, I speak/ shout much too loudly (to the dog if I'm alone), having had a big flood when I was in but didn't hear the water running through the ceiling I'm very aware of the dangers also of being in silence, and I get tinnitus if I leave one ear silent for 24 hours or more.So mine go in when I get up. If I inadvertently get in the car without them( no engine noise), I go back & get them no matter how late it makes me - I would never leave the house without them - it makes me feel incredibly vulnerable & I'm not someone who often feels vulnerable.
Mine are NHS bluetooth with volume control but I should play around with the app more & use the different settings (I'm tech-lazy).

Should also add I have very small ear canals, so even the smallest size do e, not much bigger than the tube itself, is difficult to actually get in my ear and I do get itchy ears from them. A squirt of Ear Calm, recommended by the audiologist and available at pharmacies, does help.

I have the free NHS battery aids. I don't need to use them every day (don't think they'd stay in for my gym classes!).
I find them useful for eg hearing speed more clearly in meetings, craft group etc. They are pretty tinny in tone so I don't use them to listen to music I have on my phone, but the in-phone adjustments are useful if in a restaurant etc. I find changing the batteries pretty fiddly and on occasions a new battery has been duff and not worked, but hey, they're free so I don't think I can complain.
BTW, I got mine last November, and find them OK to use, even if I don't do so every day.
Maybe the OP just needs the audiologist to tweak the settings a bit?

I was born deaf, so have worn nhs hearing aids for decades, I can't stand wearing them, my ears sweat, i get sore where the tube goes over my and behind my ear, and i love the silence when i do not wear them, so i only ever put them on if someone is in the house with me to save them the frustration of communicating with a deaf person. so my advice only wear them when you need to!

Autumn rose
Are yours free on nhs pls?
Iv not heard of them
Are they small buds with ear piece?

Aldo
Are yours nhs pls?

Mine are now made from moulds as the first pair would drop out as hair very thick and swished them out ! The moulds stay in place even if over ear piece moves

I have used NHS Oticon miniRITE aids since 2018. I am now on my second pair but can say that from day one they were transformational and I don’t even feel them in my ears. I was offered rechargeable batteries but prefer to use disposable batteries. It seems to me that the key is having a competent audiologist who can make the right adjustments. And of course there is a range of programs that can be accessed via the app eg speech in noise, music etc

I initially had a problem with the in-ear dome irritating and making my ear itch. I followed the audiologist's advice to persevere, and I no longer have that problem.

Yes it took me ages. Every slight sound was exaggerated. DH breathing, crashing about in the kitchen etc. Mine are liked to my phone with a noise filter option. Go get them adjusted. Can you turn the volume down.

Hi I have had mine a year now, I would say it took about a month before I started to forget I had them in. Mine are NHS Bluetooth and I can adjust them on my phone for different circumstances like tv, restaurants etc.
They’re not without problems though the right one buzzes if I put anything near it, I’ve had them changed once, but it’s just the same again. I still can’t hear my DH unless he’s facing me and I can lip read as well.
I would make an appointment, tell them of your problems, they might need adjusting. I think there’s a lot of trial and error to begin with.

Took my brain a few months to totally adjust to life with sound (and for me to suss out programme and volume control in various situations). They aren't a magical device and some don't get on with them but l found, with perseverance they totally enhanced my life.
Altough mine, NHS Bluetooth, can be adjusted through my phone l don't bother. The Bluetooth is great for listening to calls, Google maps etc through the hearing aids.

I went to Boots. They test your hearing and if the prescribed hearing aids aren’t helpful ,you have a trial period. They also offer 0% payment monthly.

I started off with good battery NHS ones. They wore out and I got some bad NHS ones so moved on to private rechargeable ones which are excellent. It does always take time to adjust. DH is struggling with his as they can't get one wire right and it keeps popping out. As for volume, that takes some getting used to at first but can also be adjusted. Persevere, it's worth it. When I first got my rechargesbles I was in a cafe with moderate noise and realised I could hear every word of a conversation on the other side of the room.

I had to go back to Specsavers with my NHS hearing aid for a problem like that described by the OP.
i.e. the noise from the road two fields away overpowered the audio book I was listening to through the aid. I tried using the rocker switch, but although that increased/lowered the sound, it didn’t solve the problem.
They linked it to the computer and narrowed the field of sound. It was like watching a balloon deflate.
I had already been back a couple of times, but that solved the problem.
Good luck.

Hearing aids..the bane of Mt life. I've worn them 10-12 years and still not used to them. I'm sitting by an open window right now, the passing traffic sounds like it's in the room with me. I can only watch tv with subtitles..mostly unsatisfactory because I'm still reading about one thong, the speaker has moved on to something else!
I had them replaced in January..no different to previous aids..I was in a meeting yesterday..conversations going on all around but I heard the odd word.
I have an app on my phone to adjust the sound ..not enough to enjoy the experience.
They are NHS Oticon battery operated.
Been seen a few times in the last few months. Nothing they do makes any difference..

I need new hearing aids. My hearing has deteriorated considerably in the past few months and l am struggling in many situations now, especially with music and this is obviously the biggest problem for me. Last week, I was in an orchestra rehearsal playing second violin and was fairly near the flutes and oboes. All I could hear from those instruments was a harsh cacophony rather than the beautiful melodies they normally produce. When I am being accompanied, I cannot hear the piano and, when I am the one who is accompanying on the piano, I find it difficult to hear the soloist! Apparently, there are some good music programmes for hearing aids ….at a price so l am going to have to tighten my belt as it will make a huge difference to me.

I have had my recent rechargeable ones for three months. I can hear the TV and most telephone conversations better, but going out for coffee or a meal is hopeless because I cannot hear what the other person is saying. It is not background noise, I cannot explain it.

I also must make yet another appointment because they were not cheap.

You shouldn't be having such a bad first experience with your hearing aids. Something isn't right. Like eye glasses, occasionally the prescription is wrong and sight is adversely affected.
I've had hearing aids for 18years. Never had a problem. Just the joy of being able to hear the wonderful sounds that were missing from my life.
My first few hearing aids were the battery type, but for the past 4 years I've been using rechargeable aids which are linked to my phone. I can adjust the volume using the app on my phone.
I hope your audiologist can solve your problems and that you experience the benefits of hearing aids. Let us know how you get on.

Nhs ones? Can you link them to your phone? Sometimes you can adjust themselves.
Also on the aids you can sometimes press button and adjust the volume.
Yes it can take a while to get used to them . All best wishes.