Hearing Loss

Just to say I have severe hearing lost and was in a very bad place as it was very sudden. The NHS were unable to supply hearing aids that gave me any semblance of adequate hearing. The ear mould made my ear bleed and each time I had to return to the clinic with problems such as feed back, or more fine tuning I had to wait weeks for an appt. meanwhile I was becoming very isolated and depressed! I couldn't use a telephone,hear the TV. My saviour, someone who I claim saved my life was a private audiologist. He was able to prescribe two hearing aids, I have since lost more hearing and have had to move onto a cross aid but I can just about hear on the telephone and hear better in a one to one setting. So don't knock private just be very very careful where you go. You should always start with the NHS.

Suey, I would be surprised if her hearing aid is not digital - they are the standard NHS issue these days. If your sister is still having problems I would suggest she returns to audiology as it may be possible to adjust the settings.
But it is important to understand that no hearing can restore normal hearing in the same way as a pair of spectacles can improve your sight, they are an aid, and they do take some getting used to. They will not make your hearing perfect again and background noise is the main difficulty to overcome.
Best to avoid noisy pubs and restaurants, and to reduce background noise as far as possible. I have to mute the TV is anyone speaks to me, and I avoid shops that play non stop music as I cannot stand piped music anywhere.

My sister is fairly deaf and has a NHS hearing aid with which she isn't very happy. mainly, I think because of the background noise.
is it worth my suggesting to her that she get it fine=tuned again?
Are digital aids any betier than the one she has and if so does the NHS supply them?

I have had a hearing aid for 9 years, deafness runs in my family, Great -aunt Dolly had everything written on a slate! My aid was changed earlier this year, it was one of the older ones with an ear-mould, this one is digital, and just has a tiny piece of soft plastic in the ear with the rest behind the ear. My friend paid a fortune for hers and they look just the same as mine!

Me too, loopylou I was told I lip-read very well, and had no idea I did this. Beards and people who talk with their lips almost closed are a nightmare, and although it is sometimes hurtful to be laughed at when I mishear and get it all wrong, it is also quite funny on occasions. Like most deaf people I just get on with it.

I lip read despite wearing hearing aids, so still struggle if people aren't facing me or if it's a noisy room and so on.
The first audiologist I saw asked me how long had I been lip reading for? I said I didn't realise that I did, and that was a real surprise to me!

Since DH has become harder of hearing I have become very conscious of the necessity of lip reading and aware of how many people keep their hands over their mouths which means that what they say can't be read. If you are deaf this must make life very difficult. Our friend who is profoundly deaf often uses Malapropisms which would seem to be the natural result of mouth covering. I have to admit that some of the things he says are hysterical and I struggle to keep a straight face but, although he has a great sense of humour, I hesitate to say anything as I don't want to offend or be hurtful to him. Anyone have any thoughts on this?

Or Jeremy Corbyn??

OH keeps his beard trimmed now, since several people remarked that he bore a striking resemblance to Dr. Harold Shipman.

Sorry, cannot lipread a person with a beard.
It has to be a no no for me. No chance!

Is it a ' beard you could lose a badger in' ? Or a neat Elizabethan type goatee?

rosesarered - sharp stick at the ready!

triciaf - OH also has a bushy beard!

Yes Anya often communicate with friends via e-mail, sometimes Skype(because I can see them), and those friends know why. People tell me I am a good "listener", perhaps because I do have to LISTEN rather than HEAR.

Oldgoat thanks for sharing your experience. I wrote on here a few months ago about maybe needing hearing aids, family members said I did, and I can never hear husband very well. He has a loud booming voice but it becomes muffled by his very bushy beard.
I got a referral from my doctor, and the audiologist said I had a slight loss in both ears, but not enough for aids. So a similar story to yours.

I had my hearing checked about three years ago, it was on the cusp as it were, but think it has got worse, so will have another NHS check this year.As others have said, the NHS hearing aids are fine, very discreet.We know several friends who have them and you wouldn't know.

Something just struck me PRINTMISS coming from your post and DH's ever increasing deafness, I know how isolating it is. Much of what I say to him is lost, or by the time I've made him hear and understand the moment has passed.

But being able to 'talk' freely on a forum like GN must be a bit of a relief,and to 'listen' to others expressing views you might otherwise have struggled to 'hear'.

Is that right?

Perhaps a little story to make you smile. I wear a hearing aid, and went for a check up. The young lady in charge duly sat me down in a small room, and I faced the wall, so that I could not see her. The ear phones were placed over my ears, and the button handed to me to push when I heard a sound. We sat there for about some minutes, and the young lady came over to me took the head phones off, and said "Will you please push the button, when you hear a noise" to which I replied "Yes, when I hear a noise I will push the button - I am deaf".

You are welcome, Synonymous, do let me know how it goes.
Best wishes!

mrsmopp - thank you that is a really helpful post and just what we need to know. I am hoping that DH will make an appointment to see his Dr himself and get the ball rolling after Christmas.

Yes, oldgoat keep a sharp stick with you, that will do the job nicely, any mumbling and a quick jab in the side will soon stop it.

I was struggling to hear what OH was saying so decided to get my hearing tested at the same place I buy my specs. The audiologist detected hearing loss, worse in one ear than the other but said two hearing aids would be necessary for them to work properly. She also assured me that the ones her firm supplied were superior in every way to the ones I would get through the NHS.
Because I had slight tinnitus in one ear I visited my GP to get a referral to the hospital for further tests. I told him that I had been convinced, before the hearing tests, that I couldn't hear OH because he mumbles. He replied "No man ever mumbles"
To cut a long story short, the NHS audiologist found that my hearing loss did not justify the need for my massively expensive purchase. So I went back to the firm that dispensed the private hearing aids and they gave me my money back immediately.
The audiology registrar said my hearing problem was probably due to my husband's mumbling and there were other ways of dealing with that.

I need to say you won't be issued with the hearing aid immediately. There will be an impresson taken of your ear so the earmould will be a snug and comfortable fit. The hospital will contact you when the ear moulds are ready and the aids can then be fitted. Usually a wait of a few weeks depending on your area.

You will have an audiology appointment, and the hearing will be checked to establish the degree of hearing loss. Through headphones there will be a series of bleeps, varying in volume and pitch. You press a button when you hear the bleep. From this the audiologist makes a graph called an audiogram and he then decides on your hearing aid. It will be digitally tuned in to match the level of hearing loss. Maybe 2 aids are needed.
Things do sound different at first, but with perseverence you soon get used to them. Don't give up! There will be a follow up appointment after a few weeks to see how you are getting on and to iron out any problems.
Hope this helps! I have worn aids for 60 years, so I have a bit of experience.
Good luck and let us know how you get on. You are in good company as nearly half of people over 65 have a hearing loss - it is very common.

I hadn't even thought we might have to go private really and at £6000 we just wouldn't anyway.

I thought I would ask 'those who know' what the drill is when you get to the clinic and what sort of things they do to test because I know that DH would feel more comfortable knowing before he goes.

Another NHS aids wearer here, and very satisfied with them I am too...

Mind you I don't like to wear them when driving - every creak and crunch becomes audible - most disconcerting!