Hearing aids

For eight years I had the basic type of aid with a mould made to fit my ears. I’ve always worn them but it took about six weeks for my brain to adjust. I persevered because I was aware of the improvement in my hearing, especially in social situations.

Earlier this year, I had an overdue check up (pandemic prevented it happening before then) and I now have much neater ones which are linked to an App on my iPhone. I enjoy the flexibility that gives me to control the volume, etc and settings, including one for a noisy environment.

I do hope you’ll get used to your latest aids as you’ll find it very worthwhile in the end. We are so lucky to have all this provided without charge by the NHS.

Do persevere watermeadow it will be so worthwhile. Just like ashcombe I have my aids linked to my mobile phone. The audiologist did that for me. You may also find a techy friend who could do it for you.

All my calls through my mobile come straight into my hearing aids, if I want DH to hear the call I swipe the screen and turn the Bluetooth off. I then put it back on when I want the calls just to me.

I downloaded the BBC Sounds app and often listen via my aids to Woman’s Hour whilst I am at home doing jobs or out shopping.

DH found it hard at first to get used to his aids, but he knows how important it is to use them.

I too have aids linked to my phone. They definitely improve my hearing with friends and in groups so do persevere. There are pros and cons. They automatically link to my Ring doorbell. This us useful when I am at home but can be very irritating when I am miles away and concentrating on something else. As I prefer my landline, I don't use my mobile so much for calls so have not become as adept as NanKate with turning the features on and off. I will now try the radio!

Do get your aids linked to your phone - it makes a tremendous difference. It is very simple to do so if your audiologist is not available to do it, then find someone else to show you. Once done then that's it done.

The random noise of taps, loos, kettles and freezers will soon fade once your brain gets used to them. Enjoy the birdsong and children's voices !

Hearing aids are expensive so it is wasteful not to use them to their full potential !

I have aids in my bedside cupboard and have tried but found my ear itched badly so couldn’t ever use it fir long.
Luckily am able to manage without it. For now anyway.

Mine itched , so the audiologist changed the cover things

I don’t know if this would apply but my husband had hearing aids for years. They spent most of the time in the bedside drawer even though they cost thousands. One day,recently, he went for another ear test and the audiologist told him his ears were very blocked. He had to put special drops in his ears for a week and then he went to have them vacuum cleaned. They sent him home again to put more drops in and after another couple of days he went back. This time they managed to clear his ears, a lot of wax,flesh bits and goodness knows what yucky stuff came out. Result was he can now hear reasonably well( just slightly down from normal )and he no longer needs to wear the hearing aides. Yay. It’s been several years.

DH has 2 hearing aids one has to be specially made as his auditory canal is blocked by scar tissue from years of ear infections ass a child. He has 2 NHS aids which were well supported by the NHS services when we lived in Leicestershire but not so well here in Cheshire (we are moving back imminently). I have begged him for years to get some digital ones selfishly as saying everything 3 times is driving me slowly mad. From what I gather here the NHS now has better ones so he has just said he will make an appointment when we move. He does have his ears syringed regularly - we have to pay for that in both counties its about £60 a time.

My husband has basic NHS hearing aids. He had a hearing test recently and they told him about an app which enables people to adjust their aids depending on the noise levels around them. It's s been a real boon to him.

Apologies. The app has already been mentioned.

I have had NHS hearing aids for years - they are great. It does take a few weeks for the background noise to fade (e.g. cutlery, rustling paper etc.) but the only way to achieve this is to persevere - i.e. bung them in and leave them in every day.

There are minor problems in crowded or echoey places - I just turn mine down a bit, It is not ideal, but neither is not being able to hear!

Well im really envious of all you folk who have bluetooth aids! I havent had a hearing test for nearly 3yrs even though ive requested one. I wear my aids every day and everything still sounds tinny. I cant use tge phone as i simply cant hear. My health authority obviously don't offer a great service. We should ALL get the same provision.

I don’t want my hearing aids linked to my mobile phone as I rarely use it. I just keep it in my handbag in case I get run over by a bus.
However, I have just discovered that with my new aids I can hear a call better on my mobile than my landline.