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Hearing aids

inthefrey

By inthefrey
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inthefrey Senior Member

inthefrey

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As I approach my early 60's, I am having a whole lot of trouble hearing folks in noisy environments.

This combined with a healthy case of Tinnitus, an early love of rock music and things that go BANG,  I am coming to grips with needing of some sort of hearing aid.

Yes, I know that an audiologist is going to tell me I need to mortgage my house ($4000) to afford them and they can get their kick-back.

Anyone tried Eargo? ($2500)

Thanks in advance,

inthefrey 

 

P.S.

I guess this is a pride thing for me but, it's time.

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pipedreams Structural Member

pipedreams

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38 minutes ago, inthefrey said:

As I approach my early 60's, I am having a whole lot of trouble hearing folks in noisy environments.

This combined with a healthy case of Tinnitus, an early love of rock music and things that go BANG,  I am coming to grips with needing of some sort of hearing aid.

Yes, I know that an audiologist is going to tell me I need to mortgage my house ($4000) to afford them and they can get their kick-back.

Anyone tried Eargo? ($2500)

Thanks in advance,

inthefrey 

 

P.S.

I guess this is a pride thing for me but, it's time.

Don't know anything about Eargo's,  but for that price or less you can go to Costco and get fitted with hearing aids designed for your particular need.  I got the custom molded ones that fit inside the ears for that price and quite pleased.  You mentioned noisy environment, the hearing aids don't solve your problem in that environment since they will amplify the noise as well as what your trying to hear.   You have to remember they are called aids for a reason.  After two year using mine I am very pleased.

 

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Borg warner Crew Member

Borg warner

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, inthefrey said:

As I approach my early 60's, I am having a whole lot of trouble hearing folks in noisy environments.

This combined with a healthy case of Tinnitus, an early love of rock music and things that go BANG,  I am coming to grips with needing of some sort of hearing aid.

Yes, I know that an audiologist is going to tell me I need to mortgage my house ($4000) to afford them and they can get their kick-back.

Anyone tried Eargo? ($2500)

Thanks in advance,

inthefrey 

 

P.S.

I guess this is a pride thing for me but, it's time.

I've been wearing them for about 6-7 years now and I'm 73 so I guess I first started needing them in my mid sixties. I get mine through the VA and the brand they provide is Phonak and they retail for about $4000 but I get them for free because part of my hearing loss is service connected. $2500 is probably what you have to pay for some good ones. When I first started wearing mine I lost one when I took off my glasses an didn't know it until later and couldn't find it and figured that I was SOL  but found out that they were insured against loss one time only and that saved my bacon so if you can get insurance it's a good idea.

The other thing was that at first since I could still hear pretty good I didn't wear them all the time, especially when I was home alone. Then I'd forget to put them on when I'd go out somewhere where I needed them. But it's important to wear them all day especially at first while your brain adjusts to them and then they work better. The first ones I had used batteries but the ones I have now are rechargeable. One thing I really like is that the cell phone can be paired with the hearing aids so you don't have to hold the phone to your ear to hear it or to talk. and you can hear it ring through the hearing aids even if the phone is in the other room. I just have a basic flip phone but it's done through Bluetooth and all phones have that now.

A far as the pride thing, you need to take pride in being old. Being old is not for sissies and it means you've seen and done more things than other people and experienced parts of  history that younger people can only read about and most of what's been written is BS.

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gwalchmai Stressed Member

gwalchmai

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I'm not a smart man, but I don't understand why hearing aids are so expensive. We can buy pretty good wireless earbuds for $30. I know hearing aids have more tech built in, but really, 100x more expensive? That's hard to understand. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that so much of their business goes through insurance and the gummint. 

Of course, I'm just starting on this journey so I have a lot to learn... 

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Swampfox762 Structural Member

Swampfox762

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I posted this someplace awhile back.  I think it was in that thread Pipe Dreams posted above. 

Anyway...I've worn them for over 15 years.  My current set is 3+ Years old.  Absolutely LOVE them!!  Got em at Cosco.  They have 5 programs for different situations and were only $1600 / $800 each.  WELL worth a costco membership.  3 year full warranty including Loss.  Behind the Ear, with a tube going into the ear.  Don't even feel them.  Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT get the "In the ear canal" hearing aids!!!  Your ear can't breath, and you constantly take them out to wipe out moisture.  

Get some...You will NOT be disappointed.  Good luck.

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Swampfox762 Structural Member

Swampfox762

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31 minutes ago, Walt Longmire said:

Wear hearing protection when shooting, running the chainsaw, mower, etc. Trust me on this.

Do NOT wear hearing aids while running a chainsaw, mower or shooting...even with hearing protection.  Trust ME on this...:anim_lol:

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pipedreams Structural Member

pipedreams

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

I'm not a smart man, but I don't understand why hearing aids are so expensive. We can buy pretty good wireless earbuds for $30. I know hearing aids have more tech built in, but really, 100x more expensive? That's hard to understand. I wonder if it has anything to do with the fact that so much of their business goes through insurance and the gummint. 

Of course, I'm just starting on this journey so I have a lot to learn... 

It's the same thing with eyeglasses, just depends where you buy them.

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pipedreams Structural Member

pipedreams

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3 hours ago, Swampfox762 said:

I posted this someplace awhile back.  I think it was in that thread Pipe Dreams posted above. 

Anyway...I've worn them for over 15 years.  My current set is 3+ Years old.  Absolutely LOVE them!!  Got em at Cosco.  They have 5 programs for different situations and were only $1600 / $800 each.  WELL worth a costco membership.  3 year full warranty including Loss.  Behind the Ear, with a tube going into the ear.  Don't even feel them.  Do NOT, I repeat DO NOT get the "In the ear canal" hearing aids!!!  Your ear can't breath, and you constantly take them out to wipe out moisture.  

Get some...You will NOT be disappointed.  Good luck.

I think that depends a lot on where you live, areas with higher humidly I could see that possibly being a problem.

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pipedreams Structural Member

pipedreams

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2 hours ago, Walt Longmire said:

I wore ear plugs all day when logging in the soggy PNW and SE Alaska. Never had a problem with humidity in my ears.

I was responding to Swampfox regarding hearing aids inside the ears.  I wear mine inside the ears all day and don't have a problem.

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Swampfox762 Structural Member

Swampfox762

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19 minutes ago, Mrs.Cicero said:

If I can get a decent pair of electronic ear muffs for $100, I don't understand why hearing aids are so darn expensive.  Also, I'm only 50-ish, and today's tinnitus is really irritating me.  When are they going to come up with a way to fix that?

Believe it or not...My hearing aids cancel out my tinnitus which I had for over 25 years.

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Peng Senior Member

Peng

Posted
Posted
7 hours ago, gwalchmai said:

I'm not a smart man, but I don't understand why hearing aids are so expensive. We can buy pretty good wireless earbuds for $30. I know hearing aids have more tech built in, but really, 100x more expensive? That's hard to understand

 

It's easy to understand.  Despicable, but easy.  They are expensive because they can be.

The target market has lots of money, and they really need the product.

A more frustrating subject you will not find.  We got Dad many hearing aids over the years for the price of a new car and he would not wear them.  You can't really sell them later but we did manage to donate them somewhere.

I would always ask him if he could hear me.  He always said  - yes, of course.

It took years to understand that this was the wrong question.

When I asked him if he understood me, he said, no -  never.  You mumble when you talk.

I'm done having parents - no more.  :D

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Hook Bored Member

Hook

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My mom needs new hearing aides and i brought her a broucher from costco hearing aides they are like 1700 the ones at the hearing center its a damn doctors office they want like six freaking grand. Glad to hear you guys say good stuff about the costco ones. Hearing doc asked me if i wore ear plugs with gas weed whacker i said no he said start now you'll thank me later. Not bragging but i swear i can hear a mosquito fart 50 feet away. 

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DAKA Crew Member

DAKA

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Costco is definitely the place to go, Starts with a hearing test...They will determine the amount of hearing loss and your ability to comprehend words.

They will also make adjustments for you and service the units. They sell the batteries , good pricing also

The "audiologists?" do not work on a commission basis, so there is no high pressure selling...also there is a trial period where you can return them...

It takes a bit of "getting used to", so be patient....

Worth a TRY.

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pipedreams Structural Member

pipedreams

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22 minutes ago, DAKA said:

Costco is definitely the place to go, Starts with a hearing test...They will determine the amount of hearing loss and your ability to comprehend words.

They will also make adjustments for you and service the units. They sell the batteries , good pricing also

The "audiologists?" do not work on a commission basis, so there is no high pressure selling...also there is a trial period where you can return them...

It takes a bit of "getting used to", so be patient....

Worth a TRY.

You hit on some excellent points.  Your right about getting used to them.  First time I flushed the toilet I though Niagara Falls just happened.  Yes their batteries are about half the cost of other places.  I went back 2 or 3 times right after I got them but now I realize there wasn't anything wrong I just need to get used to them.

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inthefrey Senior Member

inthefrey

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As many of you know, I work in the broadcasting industry. This year, I'll be 62. Do I want to retire? Hell no! I'm having too much fun! However, it's kind of tough to do your job when the very acronym used to describe your work, A/V,  is something you're having difficulty with.

I am currently completing work on a new network customer., Endeavor Streaming. 10, 80" equipment racks. 

Think about the noise a single small, 2" cooling fan makes. Now, add, 400. Then, add a video router that has 16, 4", high-speed fans at a 85-87dB. 

I've been wearing OTE hearing protection in this room since I fired up the big video router. The boss kind of made jokes about that till I brought in my calibrated dBA meter, along with the OSHA spec on noise dosage. He has since changed his tune as a few of the other employees complained about how noisy it was in that room. 

Anything above 84 dB, you should be wearing hearing protection. Normal conversation in a room is 69 to 70 dB. Maximum dosage for 85dB is 8 hours. I could not find a spec on required recovery time. Every 3db increase from 85, cuts your maximum exposure dosage by half.  So, around 100dB  is about 15 minutes before it begins to hurt your hearing. A lawn mower or chainsaw is 115 dB! Think about this. Yes, I've done a little bit of research being a broadcast engineer... 😁😎

When it's all done, I'll have made almost a thousand BNC/RF and Ethernet connectors in this really noisy environment. 

I have no idea how that Candace Owens tweet got in those pictures. Edited....

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inthefrey Senior Member

inthefrey

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I know that many of us have reason to question government agencies lately regarding recommendations on what is healthy and what isn't. However, the information in the link below has had more than 18 months of research to back it up. BTW, I've been OSHA certified for about 10 years but just recently reviewed the ". NOISE." Spec. There's a whole bunch of people out there killing their their ability to hear on a daily basis. Don't take your hearing for granted.

http://www.osha.gov/noise

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