[AlanHo]

I would guess I am not alone on this forum having hearing loss and having to use hearing aids.

Like most people – I held off admitting even to myself – that I suffered from hearing loss. In one sense I didn’t – it wasn’t me that was suffering, it was friends and family being tolerant but intensely irritated by hearing the word “pardon” numerous times a day – or me giving a completely stupid answer to a question I had misunderstood.

About 12 years or more ago I was eventually forced to do something about it and was sent by the doctor to Specsavers for a hearing test and be provided with some NHS hearing aids. They were big, pink, fat, ugly, analogue ones which sat behind the ear with a hollow plastic tube leading into each ear ending in a silicone dome to transmit the sound to the ear drum. They did improve my hearing – but I swear it was more to do with them giving me sticky-out ears than any electronic wizardry.

After persisting with them for a couple of years I joined a hearing forum – I’m still a member – and acquired considerable knowledge about the anatomy of hearing, the availability of various hearing aids and the experience of members World-wide. Meanwhile, my hearing had deteriorated further and I was back to square one with friends and family. In a quiet environment I could manage fine but when in a group or noisy environment like a busy restaurant I was alone, in the sense I could not hear people speaking clearly unless they were right next to me. I was also more aware that I had sub-consciously taught myself how to lip read.

The other problems outstanding were not being able to hear speech on either the home telephone or my mobile phone with clarity. Also, unless the TV was on painfully loud for Libby I found that difficult. So I had to use some expensive cordless Sennheiser Bluetooth closed headphones which connected to the TV audio output socket.

Eventually, I went back to Specsavers and related my tale of woe, had another hearing test, tried two or three aids, had moulds taken of my ear canals and ordered some new digital hearing aids (Tiny ones that fit inside your ears) and left with just a receipt and depleted bank account.

I collected them a month later and walked out of the store into a very noisy World – but I was able to hear people talking to me with greater clarity. However – noisy environments remained a problem, as did my problems with phones and TV.

Worst of all I experienced regular ear infections caused by the restricted ventilation of my ears. After several months Specsavers swapped them for some other own-brand aids (They sit behind your ears with a fine wire leading into the ear which has a receiver (miniature loudspeaker) on the end). These had ventilated domes which cured the ear infection problem but I was constantly going back to Specsavers with problems with them. They were away for repair for almost as much time as they spent in my ears.

The attraction of Specsavers at that time was that their prices were two-for-one – you could buy a pair of their own brand aids for the same cost as just one branded aid from a private audiologist. However – competition had forced prices down and the prices of leading brand aids from Audiologists was not much more than going to Specsavers or Boots.

I eventually realised that the staff at our Specsavers were not qualified audiologists, they were dispensers – they could conduct hearing tests and provide hearing aids but were reliant on the computer to set them up. Fine tuning of aids was just not their forte.

Hence, 4 years ago I went to a private audiologist – had a much more thorough and detailed hearing test and bought a pair of Unitron Moxi 2 Pro RIC aids that cost only £400 more than the anonymous ones sold by Specsavers. However, this included a Bluetooth TV sender and neck loop receiver that enabled me – for the first time in years – to hear the TV clearly through my hearing aids. It also included a clip-on Bluetooth microphone which Libby wore in the car so she was able to talk to me, rather than shout. Compared with the previous aids it was wonderful, except that hearing speech in high background noise remained a problem. Less so – but still difficult.
In addition my problem using phones was only slightly improved.

For the last few months members of the Hearing Forum have been lauding their praises about some high-tech hearing aids launched by a leading manufacturer called Phonak.

The new model is called Phonak Marvel and they are aptly named – I bought some a month ago and they are marvellous. They have what they call auto-sense technology which simply means they constantly detect and analyse the listening environment and adjust their settings to suit the wearers hearing loss at all times.

I have been amazed at the difference and although I still have the occasional problem hearing people speak in a very-very noisy environments – the improvement is significant.

The other notable features are :-

They have a later version of Bluetooth which enables them to directly connect to Apple and  Android 4.2 mobile phones. Using my mobile is now a pleasure – the phone speaker and microphone are muted, I hear speech directly in my ears and the microphones in my hearing aids transmit my voice to the phone. The phone can even be 30 feet away from me and I can answer a call. I am now looking for some compatible Bluetooth Android home phones to kill the last outstanding problem.

They automatically connect directly to the TV via a small sender plugged into the TV audio sockets as soon as the TV is switched on. No longer do I need to wear a neck loop dongle to connect to the TV

They are rechargeable and I no longer need to change expensive batteries every 4 days.

My model is the top-of-the range Phonak Marvel Audeo M90-R model costing just under £3,000 for the pair, but there are other Marvel models to suit those with various levels of hearing loss and depth of pocket.

To conclude – my message is that if you suffer from significant hearing loss and need hearing aids – try out the Phonak Marvel aids. You are unlikely to be disappointed. Boots Hearing Care are one of the National suppliers plus a number of independent audiologists.


 

[Shambles]

Thanks, Alan, I shall pass this revelation on...

[eye30]

Pardon..... Can you say that again....

[Shambles]

Thanks, Alan, I shall pass this revelation on...

Well I tried, but it just fell on deaf ears

[Dazzler]

Thanks again Alan.. Hopefully various parts of my anatomy will be able to compromise on their priority over time as far as the spending of my hard earned dollars go... 

[The Gonz]

Thanks, Alan, you continue to post highly enjoyable narratives regardless of topic. It seems to me that your hearing loss has brought you closer to a connectedness that most techno-geeks would envy!

[cruiserfied]

33 years old and have had ringing ears for at least 5-6 years now.
I'm not overly confident on the future of my hearing 

[AlanHo]

33 years old and have had ringing ears for at least 5-6 years now.
I'm not overly confident on the future of my hearing 

Thanks for the positive messages guys - us old 'uns need to blow off occasionally.

@cruiserfied - I would encourage you to have a hearing test with an Audio who allow you a week's - or better still a month's, free trial of some aids to determine whether it will mute your ringing ears. If the problem has been noise induced - such as working in a very noisy environment without ear defenders or listening to loud music, especially with ear buds or headphones, they may well help. If genetic - probably not.

I spent years working in aluminium rolling mills and suffered from severe tinitus until I had my first hearing aids. It virtually vanished after the first month of using hearing aids and still does 12 years later. The only time I hear it now is when I am not using aids - but even then it is nowhere near as bad as before.

[cruiserfied]

33 years old and have had ringing ears for at least 5-6 years now.
I'm not overly confident on the future of my hearing 

Thanks for the positive messages guys - us old 'uns need to blow off occasionally.

@cruiserfied - I would encourage you to have a hearing test with an Audio who allow you a week's - or better still a month's, free trial of some aids to determine whether it will mute your ringing ears. If the problem has been noise induced - such as working in a very noisy environment without ear defenders or listening to loud music, especially with ear buds or headphones, they may well help. If genetic - probably not.

I spent years working in aluminium rolling mills and suffered from severe tinitus until I had my first hearing aids. It virtually vanished after the first month of using hearing aids and still does 12 years later. The only time I hear it now is when I am not using aids - but even then it is nowhere near as bad as before.

Yes to all causes mentioned.
One day i will get myself checked up, but while my kids need socks and undies, school fees, out of school activity costs and my wife needs new glasses etc etc, i will take a back seat. One day though.

[mickd]

Thanks Al,
Another lesson there - specsavers -  they don't always use optometrist's either and the number of times my folks (just dad now) have had to have them redone is ridiculous.  They didn't see dad's maculaur de-gen even he was having injections every fortnight.  I see those ads saying "should have went to specsavers" and I  think "they went to specsavers " 

[Dazzler]

Thanks Al,
Another lesson there - specsavers -  they don't always use optometrist's either and the number of times my folks (just dad now) have had to have them redone is ridiculous.  They didn't see dad's maculaur de-gen even he was having injections every fortnight.  I see those ads saying "should have went to specsavers" and I  think "they went to specsavers " 

I've had a good run with them. Don't know if the people who keep running into my car went there as well though..