HEARING AIDS - NEED ADVICE

Just a thought about the end pieces. You have a choice of different sizes. It might be worth going back to Specsavers or wherever you bought them and try a smaller size.

I had some basic NHS ones for 5 years and thought I would splash out and get some fancy private ones. First I spoke to audiology and they were happy to upgrade my NHS ones. I'm thrilled with them. Bluetooth, app, different environment settings.
I would ask for your money back and go back to the NHS

I've had NHS hearing aids for years, at first with only one, for the left ear as that is the deafer one. Until recently I had the domed ones but they wouldn't stay in place and several times actually came out. Also I couldn't hear what people were saying unless they had a very clear and lould voice. People and family were a bit fed up with repeating everything. DH was fitted with moulded ones shortly before he died and he could hear everything and complained about how loud I needed the TV. So, having returned to Audiology a couple of time because I could not hear everything and being told the hearing aids were fine, I requested moulded ones. I still can't hear what some people say. They are no better than the previous ones. There are 3 settings, the loop is fine. Sometimes when I put them in my voice echoes round my head and I don't know how loudly I am speaking and I find it disturbing. A friend has NHS moulded ones and can hear everything. I'm now avoiding some situations because I simply cannot hear. At my wits end. There are some friends I have that I simply cannot hear however hard I concentrate. Does anyone else have this problem?

I have two friends who use hearing aids. One has bog standard NHS ones and she is pretty pleased with them.
My other friend paid £2500 for private ones and is disappointed with them as they are not good if she is in a group of people or a large meeting.

I suppose different trusts make different decisions. It may be to do with the demographics of the area.

Mollygo

Grantanow
DH paid 4 figures for his rechargeable ones, because he felt like you do. His arthritic fingers make the battery changing tricky.

I asked the audiologist about rechargeables on the NHS, but he said not in our area.

I don’t feel I’m missing out by having NHS ones.

Sounds like the postcode lottery again. I really don't understand why different NHS Trusts are allowed to get away with it,

Grantanow
DH paid 4 figures for his rechargeable ones, because he felt like you do. His arthritic fingers make the battery changing tricky.

I asked the audiologist about rechargeables on the NHS, but he said not in our area.

I don’t feel I’m missing out by having NHS ones.

I belong to a group for the deaf and we often discuss this type of problem. Somebody came to talk to us and explained that Specsavers offer around 10 different types of hearing aid. The NHS aid was the equivalent of the No 3 aid on the Specsaver list, they just couldn’t recommend going private at a cost of thousands. It does take a while to settle with any hearing aid.

Two things I learnt. First, it's better to have aids that can be charged overnight rather than ones with fiddly little batteries, and second, earwax on the in-ear speaker degrades performance enormously. Good aids have a tool for replacing waxed-up speaker filters.

My NHS aids are from Specsavers who are agents for the NHS.

If yours are not suiting you or working well then you need to go back to them, whether you paid privately or they are NHS, and discuss whether there is any way of improving things given your eardrum problem. .

Thank you all so much for your input. A mixed bag I would say. I know it's very early days and like Madmeg I'm really not 100% sure on how to adjust them through Bluetooth and find it more difficult to do with these ones than my NHS ones. I will persevere .I do have an appointment in 2 weeks time as she ordered the wrong size of tubing to go behind my ear (it's too big) so got to go back and get the shorter length. I shall have a good going over with her and chat and take it from there. It's all sooooo frustrating. I've also got to thinking although an audiologist she is also a Sales person! Thanks again

My NHS hearing aids are via Specsavers. They work well, though I did have to go back a couple of times to have them adjusted because at first, the range of sound was so wide it picked up traffic noise from the other side of the field.
I love the fact that I can listen to my phone and also to audio books through them.
The audiologist at the hospital asked if I wanted an implant so I’m relieved that the aids work.
I hope you get them sorted.

I had aids in January, from Boots. I thought that NHS aids would be old-fashioned clumpy ones and Boots did not even mention NHS. I paid nearly £3k for mine. They took me about a month to get used to, with a couple of tiny adjustments. Your brain has to get used to them, and at first there were strange noises in my ears, but they did settle down and are fine now.

My biggest gripe is that I still don't know how to use them properly. The technician linked them to my mobile but my issue was if my mobile wasn't where I thought it was I had no means of finding it by hearing it ring normally. I had it switched off cos it was annoying me. I know nothing about linking it to other things, like the TV. So I'm not totally impressed by it all.

My husband has had hearing loss since his stroke. Much worse on the affected side.

We had an appt with NHS Audiology Service. Tested and told he needed hearing aids. She said she would refer him to hospital, although didn’t explain why really. Heard nothing for months, rang hospital and there is a 55 week wait in ENT.

We went to a local company as we can’t wait that long. Booked in for hearing test next week. She said NHS aids are free and private can be 2-4k.

DH is (now) so deaf he relies completely on hearing aids. He was a professional sound engineer, so always delves deep into technotalk with his NHS audiologist. A year or more back he asked her if he should re-consider state of the art private aids. (Money is no object.)

She said "IMHO they won't help. But if you want to try, pick a service and supplier that guarantees a full refund if you don't get on with their aids."

He went to Boots. Service was fine. Their recommended top of range aids cost thousands and were not fine. He had a three month trial period, they tried every possible adjustment, and were still worse . He got a full refund; back to NHS. He's currently wearing latest NHS (bluetooth)

I always find it takes a couple of weeks or more to adjust to new NHS hearing aids. I absolutely hated the ones l now have to start with but have got used to them , although they are oversensitive at times. I would persevere for the two weeks then you'll have a clearer idea at the update if you want to persevere Good luck!

Some private clinics have a wide range of makes.
I read a few years ago that each make is better for some people with some (specific) types of hearing issues.

If you try a new independent hearing centre with several "brands" you may get better results...

All so expensive though.
☹️

Suggest you ring the shop tomorrow and talk to them.
I have aids too and find them hard to cope with while my dh wears his happily every day. We both have NHS blue tooth aids.

Hi eddiecat79 - the ones I was precribed or advised are 'in the ear' - where my NHS were 'behind the ear'. I already have tinitus but yes you are right ,yesterday I was eating crisps and it sounded as if I was eating glass - just awful. It's early days yet I know that since I've only had them a couple of days but I think I am going to need a miracle to be fully satisfie with them

Are they "in the ear" or "behind the ear"? I decided against in the ear after being told that with them you are more likely to hear eating noises and tinnitus.
Mine were from a private audiologist and the after care has been fantastic. She made adjustments every few weeks so I adjusted to changes easily. It took 6months before I was up to full prescription

found doled

was fiddled 😁 I expect you got it!

Honestly they were worse than when I used to have the box hanging round my neck years ago😂

Lathyrus3 - thank you for your input. As I said I know it's early days and I didn't expect miracles but I am at the moment so very disappointed with them. They are the top of the range Specsavers ones but there is still one more step to go (another £1000) in the top of the range Phonak ones ( I had Phonak ones from NHS but no idea what range they were). I'm not due to return for an update on how I'm getting on so I will persevere for the next 2 weeks with them. Thanks for your advice.

How does your left ear feel now?
Be very wary of wearing aids if your ear is uncomfortable.
My DH persisted in wearing his despite discomfort and has now damaged his ear.
Also I don't think hygiene is sufficiently encouraged.
He now has wipes designed for aids and keeps them clean.
I think you should go back to audiology and yes get a refund on the ones you bought.

I got some hearing aids from Specsavers a couple of years ago because they had a feature that linked to my I-phone/I-watch that my previous ones didn’t have.

They were useless, awful. I’m someone who has worn hearing aids since a teenager so I am really familiar with them. They found doled about with them, did all the getting used to them bumph.

Nope they were just the worst quality I experienced for years.
I rejected them and got my money back and would advise you to do the same.

I'll be interested to follow this thread, because - yippee - I'm getting my NHS hearing aids tomorrow. The audiologist,at the hospital says my phone will link to them.