2nd Audiogram in Two Years

Hearing Aids
#1

I’ve just had my second audiogram in two years - Costco today, ENT/Aud in 2022. I’m a 64 y.o., male, btw. Both providers tell me that despite moderate high frequency HL in both ears that I am not currently a candidate for HAs. I guess it’s a relief but also a disappointment. I was hoping for better word recognition and reduced pain in loud public places, primarily restaurants. I also have constant moderate tinnitus (5/10) in both ears.

What can I do to mitigate my symptoms in the absence of HAs? I’d like to hear better and eeeee less. Costco recommended a retest in two more years.

#2

Do a google search for “speech banana” And put your levels on it. You’ll quickly see why you’re having issues.

I’ve worn HA’s for 20 years. I was borderline way back and bought one because I couldn’t afford more. I had balance problems…

Oversimplifying, your hearing loss isn’t as bad as mine for mid and high frequencies. However, I really need mine.
And I have had tinnitus for a long time. I dont have masking sound turned on to cover that. I have enough hearing loss now.

Hope this helps. Longer you wait the harder it will be to adapt. I started 20 years ago; 77 now.

edit: I wish I could find a good audiologist like the ones that post here. My dispensing audi was a nice guy. He sure didn’t set up my hearing aids well. Good setup is key.

#3

As @DaveL said, check out the speech banana. I would think you could use some help particularly in the left ear. You are loosing the F and T sounds at 3K and unvoiced consonants above 4K in the left ear. Hopefully one of the professionals will chime in with a learned opinion. I would be inclined to get a second opinion from another Costco if one is nearby or get a hearing test from an independent audiologist since you feel that you are having difficulties.

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#4

I think hearing aids might help but improvements are going to be subtle.

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#5

Thanks for the feedback and the speech banana reference - I will definitely check that out. It was mentioned that based on my audiogram that f, s and th are the consonants thatgive me the most challenge.

While I don’t doubt the professional assessments I’ve had, I am also worried about the link between HL and dementia as I have a family history of both.

#6

What link is that, it’s a urban myth spread by the interwebs, don’t worry, enjoy your life for the positive things.

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#7

More the “withdrawing from society” than hearing loss itself??

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#8

Your hearing loss audiogram is similar to mine but the audiologist I saw recommended hearing aids to me for improving speech clarity (She did tell me I would only see marginal improvements).
I bought hearing aids and the improvements I found were indeed subtle. I could now hear clearly multiple conversations in groups/meetings and my wife reports I say “What?” a lot less to her (making for a peaceful domestic life)
If you have the discretionary income then buy a set of entry-level hearing aids to see what improvements you get. An essential feature to get is a “directional focus” program.

#9

Thanks, Paul - your use case sounds very similar to my own. It was my wife imploring me to get the hearing test and I think we were both disappointed with the results. I DO feel I need to do something, even if to just help preserve my remaining hearing. My AuD said I would not benefit from anything OTC but I’d like to try and find a workable compromise between nothing and high end HAs.

#10

How technical and computer knowledgeable are you ?

a pair of used aids and the software to program them… that is the way I have gone.
There are may people here that can help you.

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#11

What @GrayGhost said!

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#12

I went thru an almost identical process. I have a similar audiogram and in my case, I have raging tinnitus. I was using my smart phone as a de facto hearing device (would call family even if they were in the next room because otherwise I couldn’t hear them). I avoided certain friends because I had to ask them over and over again to repeat themselves. Tonight, after quite a bit of research, ample use of this forum and the content provided by the hosts, I donned my first set of HA. I am gobsmacked by what I can hear again. I was so sick of struggling to hear. My ENT told me I wouldn’t get much benefit. He was wrong.

Tonight I could hear my family speaking without them having to stand directly in front of me, I heard a ceiling fan that I always forget to turn off (because I couldn’t hear when it was running), and I suddenly realized I was watching a Netflix program without having to read the subtitles for the first time in forever.

Get hearing aids and don’t feel you need to ask permission. You might even be able to benefit from OTC at this point–that was my ENT’s initial recommendation.Some of them are highly rated, and you can learn about them here. I think addressing hearing loss is as important as any other aspect of your health, and why people discourage this in some cases I don’t know. The biggest thing is cost and in my case I had no insurance covering HAs. I don’t know if they would have approved aids or not, and if not, I had the funds to plow ahead so in that respect, I am lucky. OTC have lowered the cost of entry, so hopefully more people will be served.

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#13

@SigoEsperanza
To add to this, I would imagine your new hearing aids have “distracted” you from your Tinnitus?

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#14

Peter, OMG yes, they have. I didn’t even want to take them out tonight.

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#15

Thanks all for the great suggestions - I am encouraged by all the support here to do what I can to hear better. @SigoEsperanza, if HAs “only” helped my considerable tinnitus but didn’t help me hear any better, I would still call that a huge win - I suspect they might do both and that would be fantastic.

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#16

As you age you Hearing loss may progress… the sooner you start to use aids the less your brain will loose the ability to HEAR and the less it will have to relearn .

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#17

Yes, I consider myself lucky to have the ability to hear that I do and would love to preserve that to the fullest extent. Improvement would be a bonus.

#18

Well, I am only one day into this, so a honeymoon period for sure :).

My only other piece of advice is not to rush into anything. I think taking the time to better understand the process and various options plays a huge role in ultimate success. Spend some time just reading and browsing through this forum. You will find folks on here who have similar issues, you will get a lot of information on various options. You can ask questions, and the content and educational material is excellent. Then, once you think you might have a handle on what exactly you want to do, what brand and/or type of device, you can gather information on functionality and even purchase options, support, etc.

By many standards my hearing is OK. So yeah, I can hear the neighbor mowing their lawn a block away, the UPS truck a few doors down, my dogs barking and other misc. sounds. But I was really struggling with speech and higher registers. For me it was extremely problematic. Maybe for other people, no big deal. But you and you alone can make that decision. If your family is telling you that you need help with your hearing, frankly, you do. JHMO

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#19

Well, you’re at least one day ahead of me! I don’t really rush into things but find that my paralysis by analysis leads to procrastination. I also can hear the things you mention but I fear that my tinnitus is getting worse and would like to keep that at bay as long as possible. I dothink that Costco is a good “value” proposition for me at this point, and even if not perfect on the first try (what ever is?), it’ll be a step in the right direction. I just have to convince them to sell me HAs - imagine that!!!

Thanks for your support in the forum and best of luck to you on your journey to better hearing!

#20

Okaaaay. That says something. Do you know if your relatives also had some hearing issues? And YES, you are spot-on with the connection between dementia (to say nothing of anti-social behavior, too) and hearing loss.

Granted, I WIN the prize here with my audiogram, but I was born with much better (never normal) hearing. I got my first pair at 35 and took to them like a duck to water.

The earlier you get used to hearing aids, the better you’ll adapt AND be proactive about your own condition. Hearing rarely if ever improves with age, so you already know, you’re slipping down the slope on the critical high frequencies that help with your speech comprehension. EMBRACE the solution! You don’t have to go to Costco, but if that’s a cost-effective option, DO IT. You tell them what you want. They can not deny you hearing aids … unless they feel untrained to fit yours properly?

Aids - and even OTC devices! - have come SO FAR from even 10-15 yrs ago. The #1 rated hearing device for speech (as per the post here) is a pair of OTC Sony CRE-E10s! You can buy them and see what you think.

Speech banana link is here. I’ve taken that to my audi … but she already knew about it. :slight_smile:

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