Hearing Aids

AZ Jim

AZ Jim

R.I.P. With Us In Spirit Only
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Many years had attacked my hearing but I hadn't noticed. I thought a lot of people were mumbling. I noticed I needed to turn up the TV volume but I attributed that to programming. I couldn't hear some high frequency sounds. My wife bugged me to see about my hearing. Long story made short, I did and now with a hearing aid, it's a whole new world. My TV volume is one third what it was. How many of you use a hearing aid?
 

I have a severe hearing loss and wear hearing aids in both ears. Even with the aids my hearing is poor. I have a Blue tooth device that I wear around my neck that will stream phone calls to my I Phone directly to my hearing aids hands free. I cannot hear phone calls without it. It's been a life saver for me because I cannot hear on the Land Line.
Even though I now have spent in excess of $8,000 on state of the art hearing aids and equipment I still struggle. I have another device that will stream TV sound directly to my hearing aids and that is a blessing.
 
I do have hearing aids but never use them, as although it amplifies the sound and increases the high frequencies, I still have a problem converting the sound into words. I don't need high volumes, its more about the brain separating the sounds of speech from background noise. I find modern films difficult, because of the more realistic conversations in them, which often involve mumbling and poor diction.
I generally manage OK and use subtitles where I can, when watching films on the laptop/tablet
 
QuickSilver said:
What?
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Sorry maybe my explanation is a bit muddled. too much beer perhaps :drinking:

Its basically APD or something like it I suffer from, I can hear a pin drop but my brain can't process speech very well, so hearing aids don't help.

Auditory processing disorder (APD), also known as central auditory processing disorder (CAPD), is an umbrella term for a variety of disorders that affect the way the brain processes information.Individuals with APD usually have normal structure and function of the outer, middle and inner ear (peripheral hearing). However, they cannot process the information they hear in the same way as others do, which leads to difficulties in recognizing and interpreting sounds, especially the sounds composing speech. It is thought that these difficulties arise from dysfunction in the central nervous system (i.e., brain).

APD does not feature in mainstream diagnostic classifications such as the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition (DSM-IV). The American Academy of Audiology notes that APD is diagnosed by difficulties in one or more auditory processes known to reflect the function of the central auditory nervous system.
APD can affect both children and adults, although the actual prevalence is currently unknown. It has been suggested that males are twice as likely to be affected by the disorder as females, but there are no good epidemiological studies.
 
My hearing is definitely not what is used to be. If it's quiet I can hear a pin drop a long way off. But with background noise I've got problems. Not ready for a hearing aid yet.
 
Luckily, my hearing is still good, but I have a couple of friends who use hearing aids, and both spent quite a bit of money on them, but have few good words to say about these devices. I get the impression that the frequency of the sound waves these devices are able to pick up is quite limited, and hence, either conversations, or TV broadcasts suffer as a result of which the hearing aid is best tuned to handle.
 
Don M. said:
Luckily, my hearing is still good, but I have a couple of friends who use hearing aids, and both spent quite a bit of money on them, but have few good words to say about these devices. I get the impression that the frequency of the sound waves these devices are able to pick up is quite limited, and hence, either conversations, or TV broadcasts suffer as a result of which the hearing aid is best tuned to handle.
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I think they work for some people who have simply lost volume, but pretty useless in many cases as you mentioned. Its separating conversation from backgound noise or several conversations going on at once that cause problems.
You lose the cocktail party effect that you have with normal hearing


The cocktail party effect is the phenomenon of being able to focus one's auditory attention on a particular stimulus while filtering out a range of other stimuli, much the same way that a partygoer can focus on a single conversation in a noisy room.This effect is what allows most people to "tune into" a single voice and "tune out" all others. It may also describe a similar phenomenon that occurs when one may immediately detect words of importance originating from unattended stimuli, for instance hearing one's name in another conversation.
 
I have worn hearing aids since I was 8 years old in both ears. With out them I can't here much . With them it helps but I still have problems hearing in crowded places. When I got my last set of hearing aids my hearing specialist said that with my aids my right ear could hear at 40% and my left ear is at 80%.
 
I've had a pair of behind the ears for about five years now. I use them mainly for conversations. I enjoy my hearing loss to some extent. I always liked quiet. I almost always watch TV with closed caption. That's a whole world of entertainment in itself. Wish I could think of one right now, but some of the mistakes they make are hilarious. I can still enjoy some music. The aids are a problem in large groups. Automated phones are tough, and wedding receptions are hopeless.
 
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