I'm getting hearing aids!

[KPeveler]

So I just had my fitting appointment for my new hearing aids today! It was amazing to be able to hear, however briefly. These are my first hearing aids. they are going to be Phonak Audeos. I am still considered mild to barely moderate hearing loss. I have been fighting with doctors for years trying to convince them to give me a hearing test. One finally did and lo and behold, I need hearing aids.

I work in a very busy environment with a lot of background noise, so between that and the mask wearing people, I have spent the last two years barely understanding what is going on.

So tell me what I need to know! I know at Disney World I will take them off for really intense rides or wet rides. What other tips, stories, and suggestions do you have?

 

[mamabunny]

No advice - just happy to know that your doc *finally* heard you (no pun intended) and you are on the way to hearing better!

 

[DisneyOma]

My mom struggles to keep them clean, and she's always losing one. Setting up a cleaning routine and making sure the aids don't snag on mask straps are two things I can think of.

 

[cedricandsophie]

My daughter has had hearing aids since she was 5. She’s 36 with Down syndrome . She has about a 30% to 35% loss which is considered moderate. Her hearing really hasn’t changed since childhood.

she has phonaks too, the kind with the ear molds and the ear piece thst wrap around her ear. We usually get new ones every 4 or 5 years because technology changes. Her last ones cost about $6000 and only a small portion of the cost was covered as well the audio exam by Medicare and her Humana secondary coverage,

hers have Bluetooth so she has a device thst allows her to listen to music through her phone thst goes right into her ears. She could also use it to answer her phone if she wanted.

hers regulate themselves to Handle background noise, the size of the room, etc.

Because she has ear molds they do get dirty and get ear wax inside I try to remember to clean them out every couple of weeks. There is a whole collection of tiny tools and brushes to clean them out. I order them on Amazon.

loud noises don’t bother her because her aids are automatically adjusting

at Disney or for other places with water rides, roller coasters, etc she takes them out. She always carries a little pouch to put them in. And of course she takes them out for swimming.

I buy batteries a lot and keep them in every purse, in drawers upstairs and down and I try to make sure she has extras in her purse.

we go at least once a year to her audiologist for a check, both for her hearing and to check the aids to make sure they are working properly and to order new ear mold because i like to have extras on hand

I also try to see an ENT regularly who helps with the ear wax removal because the audiologist won’t order molds with ear wax

her hearing aids have made her life immeasurably better. I hope yours do the same for you.

whenever we travel I take a whole ‘kit’ with me that includes her old hearing aids and ear molds, cleaning supplies, etc. just in case.

 

[WDWEPCOT]

So awesome you are getting them ! When you lose hearing you lose speech and getting hearing aides will not bring speech back - DH found this out the hard way as he kept putting off addressing his hearing loss until it was extreme. His hearing aides eat batteries like crazy and yes they have have to be cleaned frequently
Please take care when you go to do yard work or wash car take them out - and if your out in rain you may want to take them out as you may get caught in major downpour - all above has happened to DH - spraying off eaves etc water splashed all over him and into his ears
Pets will eat them so if you have any be mindful of that too - that’s an expensive lesson there !!
So excited for you !!!

 

[LynJ]

Super happy for you! Have a kiddo with moderately- severe loss (up to 20-80 decibel range depending on the frequency.) Hearing aids are life changing! It won't be 100% what you may remember perfect hearing to be, but it should be a tremendous help. Kiddo, for example, still doesn't have "normal" word recognition, due to the type of hearing loss, but 1000 times better than without.

Also, give yourself time to adjust. It takes time for your brain to adapt to hearing things again, so feel free to take mental breaks. Read up on "listening fatigue." It's a real thing, and lots of hearing people don't understand that hearing aids aren't like glasses that instantly make you 20/20 again. They're an amazing tool, but they aren't always able to compensate 100%. So don't be hard on yourself if you need to tune out and take a break sometimes.

Hope you love them!! And yes, keep them dry!

 

[AnthonyMil]

Hearing problems are common among people, and nowadays, a hearing aid is not a big deal. It's good to hear that you are getting closer to a better hearing.
I researched a lot on hearing aids for a couple of months, searching for one for my mother. I'm not a perfect hearing aid knowledge bank, but I can suggest something for you.
If you work in a noisy area for a long time, you can choose a hearing aid with a mobile application to connect that helps in noise cancellation and background noise reduction.
At first, I was not sure about them, but I learned more about them after going through a couple of blogs about hearing aids. Nowadays, hearing aids comes in different types and features, so choose one that better suits your lifestyle and don't go for looks only.

 

[jerrywilliams]

Phonak Audeos are good quality aids. My mom has those for many years and she is very happy with the quality.
Don't forget to buy yourself extra batteries and domes. They can be easily ordered from hearing aid supplies online for a good price. You gonna definitely need them