After have my hearing aids for around 8-9 months now, I wasn’t able to decide of my aids were the right kind for me until after my 60 day trial period was up. I don’t believe as a first time hearing aid user it was enough time for me to have “relearned” how to hear. Along with figuring out what kind of dome style and other fitting or programming worked best for me. Since I went through my insurance program I didn’t have a choice between audiology clinics but for my next pair of aids since the benefits will have expired I’ll definitely have to do more research and looking around for best pair of aids for my needs since I’ll be paying completely out of pocket.
I have worn aids for 19 years and have gotten them from the VA system and have always had 180 days to decide if the answer do we’re right for me, but I have never returned a set of aids because they weren’t right for me.
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Which hearing aids have you tried?
Is there something you are not satisfied with?
To go a bit more detailed, is bluetooth important to you?
If yes, are you an iPhone user?
Are there any details that a hearing aid must have in order to have one?
In relation to listening, it is mostly about the fact that you have to get used to a new sound and it usually takes more effort to teach the brain to function with them.
Almost all well-known brands are good, it mostly depends on what sound you are used to. Usually people don’t like to change brands because they have to get used to the new sound.
You must also know that you cannot adjust one hearing aid in one visit, sometimes better results are achieved after 3 visits because then you notice more details, the brain is used to the sound.
You must tell the audiologist:
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if you are bothered by the noise of cars, various machines, etc.
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if the treble is loud, it can reduce the treble and slightly boost the deep.
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the same if it is the other way around.
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I like to increase the sharpness of my voice in general, I notice this sharpness the most when I listen to audio podcasts or audio recordings in which foreign languages are learned. I increased 3khz (soft by 5-10db) then the speech is better sharper and I understand the speech better. At first it was the impression that I heard a rustling voice, but I don’t notice it anymore.
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other details, if any. It is advisable to think about the sound you hear, if you can write it down on paper so that it will be easier to remember when you see the audiologist.
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I’ve found that my audiologist is key.
My first real audiologist was remarkable. She put an Oticon behind my ear. I couldn’t feel the control on the top of the hearing aid. So my first trial was Phonak. The trial was magnificent. She set the trial hearing aid up so beautifully.
My next audiologist took those hearing aids and they progressively became worse and worse. Sold me new ones. They were terrible…
Enough about my story…except to say I hope there’s something in there that helps you.
My current hearing aids are now starting to perform well for me. That’s because I have an audiologist that cares. He listens. And he asks the right questions. But buying these hearing aids has been harder than buying the first Phonaks from the first audiologist who set them up so well.
May I recommend a book that someone here recommended?
HEAR & BEYOND
Live Skillfully with Hearing Loss
SHARI EBERTS GAEL HANNAN
I’ve learned so much from their book.
I had a similar experience with my first pair. I changed audiologists and found out that it wasn’t the hearing aids that was the problem but the person setting them up. I had to pay out of pocket for the new Audi but it was worth it. Surprisingly my insurance covered some of the cost of the audiologist. In my case it was a university hearing clinic which did the trick for me.
Did your audiologist do real ear measurement (REM) when s/he fitted your new hearing aids? If not, take them to someone who does. Despite the fact that REM is considered best practice, most audiologists don’t use it.