luluaugust
The modern NHS hearing aids are very good and there really is no need to spend large sums on private ones. Mine have Bluetooth and of course I get free batteries and good aftercare. All hearing aids sometimes need adjusting but people often think they just don’t work, you have to persevere.
I would agree with this if you have the typical age related deafness and it is in the mild to moderate range. However, if, like me, you have a much more complex loss, NHS aids are not always able to help as much as private ones. 95% of people who need hearing aids have a sensorineural loss, which affects the high frequencies most and makes hearing and understanding speech, particularly women's and children's speech more difficult. This is where NHS aids come into their own as they are primarily set up to make speech clearer. Almost all cases of age related deafness come into this category. However, l have had various forms of deafness for most of my life and I now have a moderate loss in my right ear and a moderate to severe loss in my left ear. I also have a mixed hearing loss, which means that there is both a conductive and sensorineural element to it. I have problems with both high and low frequencies, although the middle range, while nowhere near normal, is much less badly affected. I also need a proper programme on my aids to help with music. I have now accepted that this degree of hearing loss means that I am deaf and that it is a disability. My hearing will almost certainly deteriorate over time, too, which at the age of sixty is quite daunting. My NHS aids were nowhere near strong enough and I could hear very little. Also, we are only entitled to one hearing test every three years on the NHS. We have bitten the bullet and I now have two brand new aids, bought from a small chain. They are tailored to my exact requirements, including an impressive music programme. The conductive element of the loss has also been taken into account. I can now hear in stereo for the first time in my life. The difference is unbelievable. I ŵill also have my hearing tested every six months and the aids can be adjusted as necessary. I will also be given microsuctioning if needed. The aids are eye-wateringly expensive but for me they are worth every penny for the quality of my life as they address my complex needs. I was awarded my music degree in 1986 and have worked as an instrumental teacher and accompanist all my career but am now semi-retired. I have an ambition to gain diplomas on the piano and viola and, possibly, take grade 8 on the violin. I now realise that the time I have left to take them is limited as I want to do it while I still have enough residual hearing.
