Gransnet forums

Hello.
I'm still a learner with aids, so I've looked up a lot of info to try and get used to them.
I've seen that blocked ears, and even weight gain can cause distortion of the sound.
Mine seem to hiss all the time, but I assumed it was teething problems.

They shouldn't hiss all the time. You should have reasonable clarity. I'm thinking of splashing out on private 'in the ear' aids as I'm so fed up with struggling with mine. I'm beginning to avoid social interactions as I find it so hard to follow conversations.. Not good 😕

Well, mine seem to.
I made a thread when I first got mine and had some really helpful replies, but it seems you're a seasoned wearer.
Its very disconcerting, having things going on in your ears, isn't it?

Does it depend where you are and what you are listening to? It sounds as though you are getting too much of the high frequency sound. I have a little button that I can press on mine to reduce that - I use it when I am at choir as the paper rustling gets troublesome. You should go back and talk to them about it. Mine are NHS, but they are Siemens.

How long have you had the aids? The high frequency sound does reduce as you get used to them.

I think I will need to make another appointment and, hopefully get them sorted out. Its difficult when your asked "how's that?" after a bit of fiddling on the computer, and your in a quiet room with no background noises.... only to find after you've said "better", and gone back out into the outside world, that they are ten times worse! Grrrrr🙄

DH struggled for a while but went back a few times and is fine with them now.

I think it's important to put them in first thing and keep them in as your brain has to adapt.

I have not heard any good reports of the in the ear ones.

I've been wearing hearing aids for over ten years, so I am used to them. It would be good if technology allowed us to adapt and alter the sounds ourselves. The technician only has so much time with each patient, so it's difficult to get it spot on.

I can alter things on my NHS aid. Press the little button and the hissy high pitches reduce for use in certain settings - e.g. where there is paper rustling or lots of people speaking around you.

|It sounds as though you have a rather old-fashioned version of what the NHS can now offer. Go and ask for the Siemens one.

I have another appointment on Wednesday, so will see what they say. The Phonak aids I have are quite recent, have a volume control and loop system, so maybe they also have the function you use Luckygirl, and just need modifying. Fingers crossed 🤞