I've got hearing aids!

[All uphill]

I have been for a hearing test recently and hearing aids have been mentioned

so thanks everyone for the info!!

but some of the "better" ones apparently make things clearer rather than just louder like they used to a while ago

and if you are not hearing too well then your brain amplifies it all internally so a sudden noise sounds a lot louder to you than other people

but the new types make everything clearer so your brain can settle down and not amplify things
and you can still hear what people are saying and not wonder why they are speaking in a foreign language like I do!!

might also help me hear what some people say to me when I am riding - I often hear someone very clearly
but they say
"arreegh beag fummy wop" or something

Very true. I used to think hearing aids just made everything louder, while I needed things quieter and clearer. I'm on my second pair of Danalogic aids from the NHS and they are excellent, but can't give me back the frequencies that have gone.

 

[Gwylan]

I've had hearing aids for 20 years. Just realised that.
On principle I use the NHS. I paid for it so I'm going to use it.
They do make a difference, but in groups and parties they are pretty useless.
I just smile at everyone and reply "gin and tonic" or "coffee, milk, one sugar" if I think it's appropriate.

Worst is "the wife" who has head in cupboard whilst asking me if there are any more "custard scissors"
I replied "They're being delivered after Easter"
Her lack of amusement was palpable for miles.
My further mistake was to suggest that she could speak more clearly and face me when she wants a response.
It emerged in the ensuing tirade that she was looking for coffee filters.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

I've had hearing aids for 20 years. Just realised that.
On principle I use the NHS. I paid for it so I'm going to use it.
They do make a difference, but in groups and parties they are pretty useless.
I just smile at everyone and reply "gin and tonic" or "coffee, milk, one sugar" if I think it's appropriate.

Worst is "the wife" who has head in cupboard whilst asking me if there are any more "custard scissors"
I replied "They're being delivered after Easter"
Her lack of amusement was palpable for miles.
My further mistake was to suggest that she could speak more clearly and face me when she wants a response.
It emerged in the ensuing tirade that she was looking for coffee filters.

I know the feeling

My wife says something when I am in the kitchen and the kettle is just coming to the boil
so I have to turn round and go back into the lounge
where it transpires that she was asking me to bring the xxx in as I was in the kitchen anyway


but she appears (by my recollection) to have said it in a combination of Egyptian and Swahili

 

[All uphill]

I have similar experiences.

Ms AU and friends are very supportive and try to only speak with me face to face, as it turns out that much of my comprehension comes from lip-reading.

We have talked about the situation and agreed that if I can't understand I say "I can't hear you". The thing I won't accept is anyone making a 'joke' about my deafness. It's not funny.

I'm making some half-hearted efforts to learn sign language as my hearing is deteriorating noticeably. Our son in his early 30s has just got hearing aids, so I suspect there is an hereditary element to this.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Is it only me who mis - read that thread title as

'I've got aids'?

Oh ok, just me then...

 

[glasgowcyclist]

I have similar experiences.

Ms AU and friends are very supportive and try to only speak with me face to face, as it turns out that much of my comprehension comes from lip-reading.

We have talked about the situation and agreed that if I can't understand I say "I can't hear you". The thing I won't accept is anyone making a 'joke' about my deafness. It's not funny.

I'm making some half-hearted efforts to learn sign language as my hearing is deteriorating noticeably. Our son in his early 30s has just got hearing aids, so I suspect there is an hereditary element to this.

My wife doesn’t yet grasp how my hearing impairment affects me, or how to respond.

If she says something, I can often get everything but for one word somewhere in the sentence. When I say, “I didn’t get the word that came after ’probably’ “, (just as an example), instead of simply repeating that word so I can have the complete sentence, she’ll say, “Well, it’s just that Janice wants to change our arrangement from Thursday to Tuesday…”, and goes off explaining another aspect of the discussion when I still haven’t understood the first sentence.

She also has the notion that having hearing aids puts me back to where I was before I needed them.

She’s a wonderful woman in every other way but this is frustrating to deal with.

 

[ColinJ]

"I was wondering if... mumumum mumum mum mumumum?"

"You need to say the second half again, without mumbling."

"Mumum mumumumum mumum mum."

"Still mumbling."

"Mumumum..."

"Still mumbling!"

"I SAID WHY DON'T YOU WEAR YOUR HEARING AIDS?"

"Shouting!"

"WHAT!?"

"You are shouting!"

"WHY..."

"Shouting!"

"Mumumum mum mumum..."

"Mumbling."

"Mumum mum..."

"Mumbling."

"What is the matter with you? Why don't you wear your hearing aids!"

"I heard that."

"Well, why don't you!"

"I heard that too."

"Why do you keep saying that you heard what I said?!"

"I am making a point. I can hear you perfectly well when you speak clearly. I can't hear you properly when you mumumum mum mumum.... I DON'T NEED YOU TO SHOUT AT ME AND I DON'T LIKE IT!!"

[Sharp intake of breath] "I was wondering if you would like to walk to the cafe for coffee and cake?"

"That wasn't so difficult, was it! Yes please - that sounds nice."

 

[Accy cyclist]

I had my Specsavers NHS hearing aids fitted yesterday. The noise after was louder and much clearer. For example I could hardly hear my car indicators ticking before. Now they are quite loud. When I talk I can hear my voice/words more loud and clear. I even had to turn my phone's volume down when listening to the radio on it, whereas before I sometimes struggled to hear what was being said, with words sounding quite muffled. I'll see how I go on with them, before deciding whether or not to buy some private ones. I'd like to try out some mid priced private ones to see or hear how they are, but I don't think anyone offers a try them before buying service. I don't want to be buying hearing aids for many hundreds, even thousands of pounds only to find that they aren't much different to the NHS ones.🤔

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Inspired by this thread, I've just booked myself into a hearing test at Boots.

It's a start at least.

Who knows? @mickle, I might end up with 'Aids' too! 😆

 

[All uphill]

I had my Specsavers NHS hearing aids fitted yesterday. The noise after was louder and much clearer. For example I could hardly hear my car indicators ticking before. Now they are quite loud. When I talk I can hear my voice/words more loud and clear. I even had to turn my phone's volume down when listening to the radio on it, whereas before I sometimes struggled to hear what was being said, with words sounding quite muffled. I'll see how I go on with them, before deciding whether or not to buy some private ones. I'd like to try out some mid priced private ones to see or hear how they are, but I don't think anyone offers a try them before buying service. I don't want to be buying hearing aids for many hundreds, even thousands of pounds only to find that they aren't much different to the NHS ones.🤔

Good work!

The audiologist I have seen told me private aids can be less visible and offer extra features, but the basic function is little different.

 

[Mad Doug Biker]

Although, I've just realised, BOOTS, for some reason, I thought they worked with the NHS, but it seems they don't. I don't wanna be stung here, so... Ummm...

 

[Accy cyclist]

Good work!

The audiologist I have seen told me private aids can be less visible and offer extra features, but the basic function is little different.

Ah good information, thank you for that! So in short, the private ones aren't much better sound wise, but they can be connected to blue tooth etc which doesn't interest me as being a technophobe I don't know what the hell blue tooth is😉 and the private ones are less visible to other folk. I'm not bothered about folk seeing my hearing aids as they are nothing to be ashamed of and sometimes visible to others aids are beneficial when hoping for a bit of 'disability' understanding. Meaning in this case, 'stop thinking I'm throwing a deaf un, can't you see I have hearing problems'! Whereas if your hearing aids aren't visible, they'll think you might be throwing a deaf un!😉

 

[Accy cyclist]

With the NHS hearing aids I got a packet of batteries, a user guide info leaflet and was told that when my usually 10 day lasting batteries are close to running out, as in not many left, not running out of charge/power, I can go into Specsavers for more free batteries. All this seems fine to me, so as far as I can see, NHS hearing aids are adequate for my needs.

 

[All uphill]

Ah good information, thank you for that! So in short, the private ones aren't much better sound wise, but they can be connected to blue tooth etc which doesn't interest me as being a technophobe I don't know what the hell blue tooth is😉 and the private ones are less visible to other folk. I'm not bothered about folk seeing my hearing aids as they are nothing to be ashamed of and sometimes visible to others aids are beneficial when hoping for a bit of 'disability' understanding. Meaning in this case, 'stop thinking I'm throwing a deaf un, can't you see I have hearing problems'! Whereas if your hearing aids aren't visible, they'll think you might be throwing a deaf un!😉

I have found it helpful to accept I am deaf and need hearing aids.

Now I don't hesitate to say "I can't understand you; I'm deaf, could you look at me when you speak, please?"

 

[postman]

With the NHS hearing aids I got a packet of batteries, a user guide info leaflet and was told that when my usually 10 day lasting batteries are close to running out, as in not many left, not running out of charge/power, I can go into Specsavers for more free batteries. All this seems fine to me, so as far as I can see, NHS hearing aids are adequate for my needs.

Oh Accy batteries how quaint,for a man with such passion for outstanding sartorial elegance,with the hearing aids you are sooooo yesterday dahrling.We all have rechargable now,with a dinky little charger next to our glasses case and our pot for the teeth all on our bedside cabinet.You need to go back and ask for rechargable.