Do I try Baha or just deal with it…

Bone Conduction Hearing Aids
#1

Hi all,

I feel like I’m having more and more trouble hearing in all public/ busy places. I can hear the sounds but clarity of words is getting more and more difficult. I even tried taking out my hearing aids to see if clarity would be any different (obviously the volume was way off without them but clarity is similar)

Is this something that I just have to deal with - with my loss? I really enjoy and trust my hearing Dr and don’t fell I should change. She tells me that’s it’s part of the process.

Not sure if going back and looking into Baha is something that would give me better listening quality. The wild part is I can hear well but it’s just clarity and being able to identity words in the high frequencies.

Love to hear any advise and if ever went through something similar?

Thanks.

#2

I’m not a professional so take this for what it’s worth. My understanding is that it would depend a lot on what kind of loss you have (conductive vs sensorineural) If it’s conductive and your cochlea is in good shape, BAHA might be feasible. However if it’s sensorineural and your cochlea is significantly damaged, I don’t think BAHA is going to help, but cochlear implant might.
What does your audiologist have to say? I’d consider an evaluation (no commitment) for a cochlear implant. You’d learn a lot about your loss.

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#3

Hi there,

I have an airborne gap of approx 20-25 decibels across the board. From what I believe my cochlea is in good condition. My word recognition is still quiet high (around 82%) so I’m pretty sure that would rule out Cochlear implant?

Thanks.

#4

I would agree that good word recognition scores make a cochlear implant unlikely. My take is that you have a mixed loss (meaning part conductive, part sensorineural) You need somebody way smarter than me to know what treatment options might be optimal.

#5

Your audiologist could set you up with a headband-mounted bone conduction aid, so you can see how it works.

#6

Looking at your audiogram and reading your posts gives me the opinion that you may need a second opinion about hearing aids and your hearing loss.

Hearing in noise is tuff for all of us hard of hearing people.

Good luck with this.

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#7

I believe BAHA’s have gone out of style for several reasons. Most are using BAHS now. The diffence is that a baha requires a stud sticking through your skin. The bahs is completely under the skin with a magnetically connected processor.

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#8

I have a Cochlear Osia BAHA. It doesn’t use a stud but is implanted under the skin. It uses a magnet to hold the processor on the outside. It’s very good! My loss is entirely conductive, and my cochlea is in fine shape. Conversation is a good bit louder with this, in a good way, than with my BTE aids. I’m a big fan of the Osia. It’s worth trying, although the head band style is not nearly as effective as the implant itself. But again, well worth trying! My audiogram showed my steep ski slope loss coming up to very close to normal across all decibels–!!!–with the Osia. this is remarkable. And my speech in noise comprehension score improved as well. So yeah, if your cochlea is functioning, give it a go!

#9

The magnet doesn’t have the same sound as the stud according to my ENT. Many say the sound is weak.

Suitable for people who don’t need as much power for some SN loss according to my ENT.

#10

Hmmm… that’s not what my ENT says. And in fact there’s a forum for BAHA users where a good number of folks have gone from the stud style to the Osia and almost universally prefer it. No mention of the Osia being weaker in terms of sound. If you look at the design, the Osia implant is connected directly to the mastoid bone, exactly like the stud, but has perhaps more contact than the stud. The sound is transmitted by the external processor byPiezo (?) signals that aren’t weakened at all by the skin barrier.

#11

@jeffrey

Sorry I’m basing it on the BAHA 5 and 6.

I don’t know if it’s different because you said your loss is conducive?

ENT said the issue comes when you need amplification for SN loss as well.

#12

I can’t speak from experience, however, I go to a rather large ENT in a major city, and they state they no longer implant BAHA’s. I was considering getting one last year. My understanding is that the Osia is much better than a BAHA. But again, I have not used it so I could be wrong.

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#13

I think ANY baha is designed primarily for conductive loss. Both styles bring sound directly to the cochlear nerve via the mastoid bone, thus avoiding the middle ear, where conductive loss occurs. The principle is identical for both. I just don’t see how a stud style baha would work better for sensorineural loss than an Osia.
A compromised cochlea would work as well or badly for either style. The stud style has absolutely no influence on that nerve, in terms of making it function better than does an Osia.

#14

Reason why there are different power BAHAs as it can cope with some SN loss.

This is what I was being accessed for

Baha 5 SuperPower Sound Processor

For hearing loss up to 65 dB SNHL

The Baha 5 SuperPower is the first head-worn super power sound processor.1 Its split system design works to minimise feedback to allow the higher amplification that people with more severe hearing loss may require. ##

Sound doesn’t go directly to the hearing nerve, it travels through the cochlear as well. It only misses the middle ear but has to travel through the cochlear as well.

IMG_1737

#15

This is where I get very confused……with my AC loss now gone to 65 decibel range. My BC scores are in the low 40 decibel range. Would I need something like the Baha 5 superpower or a smaller (less power type?)

Thanks in advance.

#16

@Johnmurphy

For BAHA (I’m unsure about Osia) you only need to take in your BC results from what I was told.

BC is taking in cochlear results only.

AC is taking in both middle ear and cochlear results.

Once the most powerful BAHA or similar system to help conducive losses is no good, I guess a cochlear Implant is the only option?