New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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jww
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New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by jww »

I just picked up my new hearing aids today - and holy moly, has technology come a very far way. I stayed with Unitron, and went with the Moxi-Pro Kiss model. The bluetooth is much improved, although not still as good as a headset, almost too sensitive as people receiving my calls say that they are having to turn down the volumes on their end ... no biggie to me.

I like the fact that they are fully automatic, and are set up specifically to my audiology test results. They "think and learn" as I go in and out of various situations/conditions. I had been having some issues with my left ear and not hearing quite as well as used to -- but that appears to be related to my Eustachian tube into that ear blocking -- possibly from my flying so much with work now. I have an appointment with my ENT to look into that to see what can be done -- probably a nasal spray to help drain the tube, but I'll see what he says.

The new technology also has updated and improved masking for my tinnitus -- which now is entirely gone when I have the aids in.

As much as I thought my hearing improved when I got my original units -- these are even better --- way, way better. Nice to hear all those pesky vowels even more clearly than before.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by Squire »

I suppose I should look into something like that but I've learned to turn hearing loss to my advantage. I call it selective listening.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by JRTASTER »

Wendell,
Glad to hear modern technology can do so much to bring you, what's the correct word, "relief?"
Just got a mailing from my retiree health plan offering certain hearing aid makes/model FREE.
Others are offered at what are said to be major discounts... the offers appear to be totally
legitimate, not the clap trap consumer promotions some hearing aid companies sometimes use.
Will have to dig it out the mailing to see which specific products are involved.
SWMBO thinks I am a candidate; methinks she is more needy, which means neither of us are likely
to get a hearing aid. I understand denial is a quite common phenomenon in cases of hearing loss.
I realize your particular situation differs from the ordinary age-related hearing loss condition but
am curious as to whether your new devices would likely be prescribed for more common cases of
hearing loss?
In any case, thanks for sharing your experience and hope your satisfaction continues!
John
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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Squire wrote:I suppose I should look into something like that but I've learned to turn hearing loss to my advantage. I call it selective listening.
:lol:

For me it is about quality of life -- and I am still gainfully (or so they say) employed, and hearing disabilities have had a real impact on my able to function fully in my sales job -- if you can't hear folks talk, it's pretty hard to listen .... and body language on it's own just don't cut it, ya know what I mean?

John - I have never fallen for those hearing aid "deals" -- they tend to be seriously substandard product which make little if any difference to quality of life at all.

The ones which I have are just unbelievable. Fully automatic -- they adjust to any condition I find myself in automatically .... music listening or performing, TV, large or small gatherings, home office, you name it -- I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I got my old pair 4 years ago -- but these ---- a totally different world from them!
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by Squire »

If I were you Wendell I would do the same thing. Being retired though, half deaf is useful because it saves me from having to reply to some of life's inanities by pretending not to hear them.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by Kyle76 »

Wendell, are these the hearing aids with the piece that sits behind your ear or the ones that fit in your ears? How do they use Bluetooth?
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by rsp1202 »

I hardly use my behind-the-ear Starkey iQ's, but they were free. Automatic in-canal types are not covered by my current health plan, but maybe someday they will be. I'm glad they're working for you, Wendell.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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Kyle76 wrote:Wendell, are these the hearing aids with the piece that sits behind your ear or the ones that fit in your ears? How do they use Bluetooth?
Yup -- they are BTE (i.e. behind-the-ear). It's only the highs that I am missing so I don't need a full-on in-ear model nor a clamshell. The new Moxi Kiss (keep-it-simple-.....) is a much smaller housing than the Moxi Lattitute 16 which I have just replaced.

The are indeed bluetooth enabled. They require a device to be hung around your neck to use it. The device is a block which holds the BT radio and the remote control buttons.

I have had the bluetooth set up and working today -- it's good, but not phenomenal. My Plantronics 975 headset is better sound quality but the hearing aid setup is super easy and more comfortable --- i.e. I don't have to keep a bud in my ear. I don't believe that the noise suppression when I am speaking is as good as the Plantronics is, but it's much better than my previous gear's BT setup which had really poor outgoing sound quality. I have paired them with my HTC One, as well as my office deskphone (AT&T TL 86109 2-line phone).
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by wvbias »

Tinnitus is a pain, I know first hand. For some reason I have
trouble hearing/understanding what people say. But I have no problem
hearing my dog scratch on the door or my alarm clocking ticking...
perhaps it's like Squire said, selective hearing.


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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by GA Russell »

That's great news, Wendell!
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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In reading my manual last night in my Moxi Kiss hearing aids, I learned that they come with a new built in tinnitus masking capability. No wonder the results have been so good.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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My grandfather suffered from tinnitus and while in his 80s remarked he could hear fine but the sounds were muddled by " that damned racket in my head".
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

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Squire wrote:My grandfather suffered from tinnitus and while in his 80s remarked he could hear fine but the sounds were muddled by " that damned racket in my head".
Most people suffer from tinnitus and hearing loss but either ignore it or don't want to treat it because they don't want to have to wear ear trumpets. I certainly went through that, but once I realized how my quality of life could be improved, the decision was easier to make.

Now -- it's like -- who cares ----- I get to hear better than I have in many years -- and that's a huge improvement for me ---- and my wife, who probably benefits far more than I have.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by rsp1202 »

Speaking about hearing, this is just too marvelous for words:
http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/trending-no ... .html?vp=1
(I don't understand why Yahoo has two similar videos, but watch both.)
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by BullGoose »

Squire wrote:I suppose I should look into something like that but I've learned to turn hearing loss to my advantage. I call it selective listening.
Yes Squire -earlids are an adaptive feature for sure.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by jww »

Cochlear implants are becoming quite a common thing now. Interestingly, my daughter who took ASL while in university got quite into the culture of the hearing impaired world. There has been increasing concern that some parents with children born with hearing deficiencies are opting for implants much more frequently than in the past. The result is a perceived threat to the continued development of grass-roots level ASL culture.

To be fair, implants can make an enormous difference to someone's life -- literally changing it in a heartbeat. I am glad I am not disabled in a way as to have to think about getting implants or not.

I can't imagine what it would be like to have no hearing and then hear again. The woman in the UK has an incredible story -- deaf at birth, then Usher Syndrome takes her sight at 20. Simply an amazing story.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by Gene »

I am resurrecting this old thread because today I had another hearing test and got my first pair of hearing aids. These are a middle of the road pair - and I got them precisely because they have some tinnitus abatement designed into them. I have to say - on one hand my voice sounds like it does when I am using a telephone handset, and other folks sound a bit ... "electronic?"...

But - I am hearing a TON of other noises, too. I hear my wife on the phone 3 rooms away, better than before ... and I hear my mother in law in the kitchen better, too. I have them turned down right now - otherwise I can hear my chin scratching on the collar of my shirt!

So, all told - I think I will like them. The tinnitus is at sort of at bay now (the audiologist theorized that my tinnitus was the result of nerves generating their own noise to compensate for the hearing loss - implying that the more I wear these, and the more I can "retrain" my brain - the less tinnitus I might have. Certainly with all the noises I hear now my old tinnitus companion has faded WAY into the background.

Only down side - no insurance for them ...sigh... I just got signed up for Medicare (all the fund stuff), but still couldn't get them covered. Oh well.
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by JRTASTER »

Gene, thanks for sharing and good luck
Four years ago I was on the verge of getting relief
Four years later i haven't done much, other than procrastinate
My supplemental insurance has a modest provision for a bottom rung appliance
Im just unwilling to trade up when ive heard so much negativity about the experiences people have faced
Maybe your post will get me off my butt. Finally !
jr/John
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Re: New Hearing Aids - 4 Years On

Post by slackskin »

For you US military veterans out there, the VA now gives ANY vet hearing aids and supplies FREE for life.

See https://www.prosthetics.va.gov/psas/Hearing_Aids.asp

Note - the veteran need not have a "service-connected disability" as was once required.
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