I go to Otleyhospital tomorrow.Hearing test and see about the dizziness.My aids are bluetooth these came about two years ago.After vertigo my health centre gave me some new ones.Quality wise the hospital ones are Prem League against Sunday league health centre types.Totally crap even with the rubbish phone app.So we will see what they do tomorrow.
In praise of hearing aids
- Thread starter All uphill
- Start date
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Salad Dodger
Legendary Member
- Location
- Kent Coast
As a kid, Mrs Salad fractured her skull and wrote off one eardrum in an accident. It left her deaf in one ear and she was advised that nothing could be done to improve matters.
Fast forward about 50 years, and our doctor referred her to the local hospital where a lovely audiologist equipped her with a standard NHS hearing aid. After some tweaks to the earpiece, it did work, but was never 100% successful.
I suggested that she go to Specsavers and see if they could assist. She has now got an expensive hearing aid, with Bluetooth volume control from her phone, and it has made a very significant improvement to her hearing, and also to her social confidence in being able to follow conversations, particularly in noisy or crowded environments.
Come to think of it, I really struggle to hear in noisy or crowded environments. Maybe I need to get fitted up for some hearing aids!
Fast forward about 50 years, and our doctor referred her to the local hospital where a lovely audiologist equipped her with a standard NHS hearing aid. After some tweaks to the earpiece, it did work, but was never 100% successful.
I suggested that she go to Specsavers and see if they could assist. She has now got an expensive hearing aid, with Bluetooth volume control from her phone, and it has made a very significant improvement to her hearing, and also to her social confidence in being able to follow conversations, particularly in noisy or crowded environments.
Come to think of it, I really struggle to hear in noisy or crowded environments. Maybe I need to get fitted up for some hearing aids!
dicko
Guru
- Location
- Derbyshire
I had NHS hearing aids (supplied by Specsavers) fitted two years ago. They have made my life much better and very glad I had them fitted.
OP
OP
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
For information the current NHS aids have Bluetooth controls for volume, balance and range. They are made by Danalogic.
OP
OP
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
Ms AU and I went out for a coffee today. Unsurprisingly the outside seating area was busy on this sunny day in the school hols. I was so glad to remove my aids and enjoy my coffee in peace 
dicko
Guru
- Location
- Derbyshire
Bernafon Viron A5 are mine also control by Bluetooth.
ebikeerwidnes
Guru
- Location
- Z’ha’dum
My Uncle had some sort of ear infection when he was a kid and was totally deaf in one ear
His wife said she suspected that he always slept on his side with the good ear on the pillow so he didn;t hear her if she called him!
when he was retired a doctor suggested he try a hearing aid and he could hear just fine after that
so that was about 50 years of deaf in one year unnecessarily!
DaddyPaddey
Über Member
- Location
- Fareham
Thought you might be interested in my attempts to hear my chum whilst riding, but first a brief explanation.
I have only had 5% hearing in my right ear for the last 60 years. This has had the effect that often someone on that side would ask a question which I would not hear. It would however lodge in my subconscious so I would then ask the same thing a few minutes later. As you can imagine an awful lot of mickey taking has been endured over the years!
I ride a recumbent so we have found that if my chum rides behind me we can carry on a conversation, with difficulty.
We were waiting for the ferry at the Hook of Holand when I noticed a couple on a tandem had intercoms attached to their helmets. Cue frantic research on our return, as a result of which we are the proud owners of a pair of Sena Pi Bluetooth sets.
Do they work, and were they worth the money …yes. There are a couple of issues. Because of the situation with my right ear that hearing aid merely transmits what it hears to the left [master] aid. There is just a minute time lapse but this results in the Pi causing bad echo. Sorted by turning that aid off.
The really surprising thing is that we can talk to each other up to about 200 metres apart, provided there is a line of sight. It’s really quite spooky, but rather good. Downside? Don’t forget to turn them off when you stop for a pee!
I give them a rating of 8/10
I have only had 5% hearing in my right ear for the last 60 years. This has had the effect that often someone on that side would ask a question which I would not hear. It would however lodge in my subconscious so I would then ask the same thing a few minutes later. As you can imagine an awful lot of mickey taking has been endured over the years!
I ride a recumbent so we have found that if my chum rides behind me we can carry on a conversation, with difficulty.
We were waiting for the ferry at the Hook of Holand when I noticed a couple on a tandem had intercoms attached to their helmets. Cue frantic research on our return, as a result of which we are the proud owners of a pair of Sena Pi Bluetooth sets.
Do they work, and were they worth the money …yes. There are a couple of issues. Because of the situation with my right ear that hearing aid merely transmits what it hears to the left [master] aid. There is just a minute time lapse but this results in the Pi causing bad echo. Sorted by turning that aid off.
The really surprising thing is that we can talk to each other up to about 200 metres apart, provided there is a line of sight. It’s really quite spooky, but rather good. Downside? Don’t forget to turn them off when you stop for a pee!
I give them a rating of 8/10
JtB
Prepare a way for the Lord
- Location
- North Hampshire
I’ve never really adapted to cycling with hearing aids due to the wind noise, so I tend to put them in my pocket while cycling. I can probably understand just as well what someone is saying without the hearing aids and the amplified wind noise. The downside though is that I can’t hear so well traffic approaching from behind.
OP
OP
All uphill
Still rolling along
- Location
- Somerset
When I got my aids the audiologist told me it can take several months to get the full benefit as the brain relearn how to use the information it is receiving.
Yesterday I sat outside a cafe with Ms AU for an hour, as I do most days. Suddenly I could clearly hear the conversation of the people behind me! Ms AU and I cycled on to another cafe to test this new superpower, and it worked again!
I didn't expect that!
Yesterday I sat outside a cafe with Ms AU for an hour, as I do most days. Suddenly I could clearly hear the conversation of the people behind me! Ms AU and I cycled on to another cafe to test this new superpower, and it worked again!
I didn't expect that!
I think it was a " Sliced Bread " podcast on the topic of hearing aids that I listened to recently where the Professor was discussing how they worked and the technological limitations imposed by the microphone technology and frequency respose. She mentioned that there is a rear facing microphone .
Conrad_K
unindicted co-conspirator
- Location
- Little Rock, Arkansas
Upthread I mentioned getting some aids in 2016, but they weren't very useful due to trying to understand people who couldn't speak proper English, plus the tinnitus problem.
My hearing has declined further over that eight years, though. I've been surprised by cars sneaking up behind me on the bicycle, for example. But last week I wound up in the Emergency Room for some emergency surgery. I couldn't hear *anyone*, and every single interaction required "I can't hear you", "please speak up", and "I'm not sure we know each other well enough for that."
I dug the hearing aids out and found some batteries that hadn't expired yet, and they're in now. Man, my circa-1984 IBM keyboard is really loud...
Supposedly the tinnitus isn't as much of a bother after you get used to the aids. We shall see.
My hearing has declined further over that eight years, though. I've been surprised by cars sneaking up behind me on the bicycle, for example. But last week I wound up in the Emergency Room for some emergency surgery. I couldn't hear *anyone*, and every single interaction required "I can't hear you", "please speak up", and "I'm not sure we know each other well enough for that."
I dug the hearing aids out and found some batteries that hadn't expired yet, and they're in now. Man, my circa-1984 IBM keyboard is really loud...
Supposedly the tinnitus isn't as much of a bother after you get used to the aids. We shall see.
Illaveago
Guru
- Location
- Chippenham,Wiltshire.
I have some hearing aids from Spec Savers £2000 they have blue tooth and I can control them from my phone. In the beginning I could hear my wife speaking but now it is difficult to hear her. 8 can hear the TV but it is her pitch which I assume must have altered. Walking on our laminate floor sounds like someone making horse clip clop noises with 2 halves of a coconut.
