CIC hearing aid for profound loss?

Hearing Aids
#1

hi there
i am using lscic hearing aids from resound
my hearing loss is somewhat profound around 110 (i know cic usually don’t cover up the losses but i had to use them because of discretion as i am a neuropsychiatrist so its kind of difficult to use bte/ric when in out patient department)
i am planning to buy a new pair of hearing aid with wireless and bluetooth functionality (especially calls free and direct streaming)
i did a little research and found some models like phonak virto m312 vs resound linx 3d vs resound linx quattro vs imusei1600 vs imuse i2000
my preference would be discretion so preference would be cic>ite (if cic is not possible then custom made between size cic and ite)
i hope fellows people can advice and help me out

Regards
Dr Varun

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#2

Your audiogram would be helpful. If you are truly a flat 110 dB loss, I think you should be thinking about cochlear implants, but if you’re loss is only 110dB at 8khz, it likely doesn’t much matter what hearing aids you use. Lastly, people really don’t care and likely won’t notice your hearing aids. I’ve asked people what they thought of my hearing aids (RICs) and the response is usually “what hearing aids?”

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#3

its not flat 110 i have uploaded the audiogram as well

photo_2020-12-03_01-05-08
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like you said people don’t care about the hearing aids but when it comes to patients they care i have seen and experienced the hesitation in them
but when i talk to those who are not my patients / those who don’t know me , seems like they don’t care much .
as per you which model should i opt for?

#4

Disclaimer: I’m an experienced hearing aid user and a RN, but have no formal training. Thanks for audiogram. Thoughts: Your right ear seems like it would be challenging to get much out of. What are your word recognition scores like in it? If low (less than 50%) I’d seriously consider cochlear implant. I do not know what to make of bone/air gap in right ear (whether it’s significant or whether it might be correctable) My bias with that kind of high frequency loss would be a Phonak model because they have an excellent frequency lowering system (Sound Recover 2) which should help make higher frequencies audible.

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#5

As member MDB stated the right ear would be challenging and your word recognition score would help determine if HA would work for you. I have a severe-profound loss and I have Resound Linx 3D ITE hearing aids and I am doing well with them. I do not use the frequency shifting program and I have a pressure vent as well which is uncommon with a high power custom HA. As far as manufacturer for a high power(ultimate power), Resound, Phonak, Starkey are the only ones I am aware of that have a ultimate power receiver in custom HA. Another issue to be concerned with in a high/ultimate power custom HA is feedback. For the mid higher frequencies I am about 2-3 dbl below target due to the feedback threshold. I assume if I did not have the pressure vent I may be able to get more gain in the higher frequencies. Another consideration is what fitting rationale are you using(NAL, DSL, etc.) which prescribes different gain across the frequencies. At the end of the day it is best to get what would provide the best speech understanding, rather it be a custom HA, BTE/RIC HA, or cochlear implants.

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#6

Thanks for attaching your audiogram.
I would be curious to know if you really do hear sound in your upper frequencies. Chances are putting gain in those upper frequencies is a waste of time. Thinking this way you could use less powerful hearing aids.

I would lean towards a Phonak product with their Sound Recover 2 technology. Using frequency lowering these upper frequencies could be brought down into your better hearing frequencies.

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#7

I also have to agree that hearing aids are rarely noticeable. I have the BTE with the speakers in the ear. I use a Phonak Audeo M90RT which has bluetooth and wifi which I use on my Google Pixel5 which is Android and now 5G. My sisters are always asking me if I am wearing my hearing aids; They can’t tell. The Phonak APP which I use allows me to better control the HA in various situations as well as customized situations which can be saved. I also have a special device whichh inputs the tv to my hearing aids, and all my telephone calls go through the hearing aids as well. Very happy with it.
George.

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#8

yes its less than 50% but i always try to get much out of it i am not bothered by the high frequencies much (environmental sounds) but i am bothered with normal speech and discussions
i have considered cochlear as well but thats my last resort when things go sideways (just in case u know)
even though the current model lscic of resound doesn’t cover up the higher frequencies but it do gives me discretion and somewhat around a normal conversation (of course not 100% understandable but at least understandable enough to know my patient problems) and obviously lip reading had helped me a lot going through my medical academics
since you know during this amid covid times because of mask i have to face a lot off problems
thanks for the suggestions though i will go with phonak (will try to get cic custom made HA if possible otherwise ITE with wireless and bluetooth)

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#9

have you used Resound Linx quattro as well, i havent used them since now Resound Linx 9d is also available
would it be wise to consider higher channels in my case (dont want a HA for whistles, birds chirping, horns, etc) my preference is more only for conversation between peoples as i believe HA is for rehabilitation purposes only and i used to have a normal hearing till 10 years of age the loss occurred as a complications to measles

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#10

Can you share your experience regarding that?
i dont think i do hear upper frequencies in this cic but when i was using bte 6 years back i used to listen those that too when i really increase my bte power to max

#11

when i was a kid i too never bothered about being discrete infact i was using the wired models too then shifted to bte to ric
but when i became professional i had to take care of discretion because of the discrimination of the hearing issues i use to face in day to day basis
till date when i am at home with my family i do use bte because it doesnt matter much with family as long as you are hearing better :smile:

#12

When you get your hearing tested, do you actually hear tones in the upper frequencies?
Or, do you hear cracks or pops? If you hear cracks or pops or anything but real tones there really isn’t any reason to buy aids that put gain in those high frequencies. If that is the case, less powerful hearing aids could be used. Like in the ear aids for example.

Either way frequency lowering technology can help you hear better. Your hearing loss would particularly be improved with this technology.

I am deaf in the upper frequencies. By using frequency lowering technology the upper frequency sounds I can not hear are lowered into frequencies I can hear. It sounds odd at first but you learn to understand these new sounds.

Phonaks Sound Recover 2 is questionable the best frequency lowering technology on the market at this time. Phonaks Belong, Marvel and Paradise aids all have Sound Recover 2 technology. The Venture Nadia aids also have Sound Recover 2.

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#13

To be honest with you, having gone through my own perceived embarrassment at wearing visible hearing aids to almost celebrating that they can work well for me, I got to the point a long time ago (30 years ago) when I think it’s better for people to clearly see them.

Then when you don’t answer how they expect, they think it’s because you didn’t hear them (so they say it again louder) rather than that you must be stupid or something (so don’t bother to repeat what they just said).

Now if I’m chairing a high-powered meeting (it still happens sometimes) and one of my HAs unexpectedly announces to me that it needs a new battery, I choose a quite soon moment to say to someone else “I need to change my hearing aid battery so please take the chair for a moment” and smile. No-one is ever bothered in the slightest.

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#14

A pair of black RICs would be pretty invisible on you.

But if you are set on a CIC, Starkey tends to be more likely to fit a powerful receiver into a smaller package, although it often needs to be a special request.

It’s unclear whether the right bone conduction has been masked (e.g. unclear whether that’s a real air bone gap). If it is a real gap, stapedectomy may be beneficial if you can find a good surgeon.

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#15

Went to some audiologist and have been recommended some models like

  1. signia insio nx (itc)
  2. oticon opn (itc)
    anyone using these…kindly share the experience

my audiologist recommending me to go for rechargeable one rather than battery ones
and he recommend 312 size battery (said ite would cover high frequency loss which cant be recovered by cic much) and both models have direct streaming
i am still wondering which model to go for as once purchases cant buy another for quite some time.

#16

The opn work slightly differently to most HAs and allows you to hear more background noise. That might not be good for you, I don’t know.

I believe @Volusiano is the person who understands more about opn. (Sorry if I’ve tagged the wrong person).

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#17

thanks for the input…tomorrow i have an appointment for oticon will surely check it out…and if its more background noise i will definitely avoid it because of too much noise in hospitals where i work.

#18

Update: Got a trial from signia insio 5nx : its kind of good with good streaming music
kind of enjoying it with mifi iphone
the issue i found is there is no microphone in HA but in phone so when picking calls i have to speak directly to phone to avoid noisy environment to recieptent

Will check how the resound linx quattro work looking forward for that trial

#19

I think muse i1200 to 2400 is good for you … no problem with high frequency just put on lowering frequency and control the depth the band … as shown … I can help you I have this devices …