Ears with asymmetrical loss

Hearing Aids
#1

My ears are quite different—just look at my audiogram, and you’ll see what I mean. The asymmetry is due to otosclerosis and a stapedectomy done only on my right ear over 25 years ago. I hear no cell damage on my left ear, whereas on my right ear sounds often get distorted and uncomfortable, although with my current Oticon Intent 1 that discomfort has been reduced to some good degree.

I’ve always had my hearing aids synced for the best overall performance. However, my audiologist once mentioned that using different fitting formulas for each ear could yield better results.

Given the differences in my left and right audiograms, would it be worth experimenting with programming each hearing aid separately, using different fitting formulas for each ear?

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#2

I have often wondered the same.
My loss is very lopsided so im interested in any feedback. Tnx

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#3

My audiologist suggested streaming the processed sound from the hearing on the bad ear over to the hearing on the good ear so that the good ear gets the combined input. He recommended Phonak or Starkey for hearing aids because both allow him to do this.

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#4

Thanks for the suggestion. My hearing aids are Oticon, but even if that option were available, I’d prefer to try programming each hearing aid separately first. I mean, if that’s worth a shot…

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#5

Do you self program? I do but have only adjusted aids, not
programmed starting from audiogram.

#6

I self-program my Phonaks with Target and the software gives each ear what it needs. My ears are not much different from each other but they each have their own gain curves for all programs.

#7

With Phonak and Target, it’s very easy. I have Target, a Noahlink Wireless, and a Windows Laptop.

If I’m starting from scratch, I:

  1. Create new Customer (usually a model description of the HAs)
  2. Connect the HAs to the software, entering dome type etc
  3. Enter my last official hearing test result. This includes frequencies from 125-8KHz
  4. Run the software’s “Feedback & Real Ear test”
    (I don’t always do this, especially if switching from molds to domes, as it can be over aggressive)
  5. Run “Audiogram Direct”. This is the software’s own hearing test, and really makes you self sufficient
  6. Select your preferred program options to suit your preferences and lifestyle.

From receiving some HAs in the post, I can have them easily fully programmed in 30 minutes. I do, however, know exactly what I want from them.

I look for any tech level of Phonak from Marvel onwards, but always get disposable battery versions, as you just don’t know the state of 2nd hand rechargeables. I’ve found very very little difference between Marvel & Paradise, so I’m not sure Lumity would be worth getting either.

Being patient on Ebay, can keep costs down

@e1405
Would programming them separately stop them acting as a pair? This may cause complications with phones and streaming devices??

Peter

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#8

And rightly so, you need two in sync to get all the features working.

Doesn’t make much sense? your audogram isn’t that much difference, I’ve seen much worse, why one formula over the other for each ear? Did he mention which formula is better for your left side and for your right…

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#9

Yes, that’s what I was thinking—if it’s even worth a try. However, you raise a very good point about streaming devices. I listen to podcasts daily, and I also use my hearing aids for answering phone calls and attending online meetings.

I had a stapedectomy on my right ear (with a piece of gold replacing the stapes), while my left ear remains as nature intended :slight_smile: . My hearing loss in the left ear is conductive, but in the right ear, I have dead cells in the high frequencies. With proper amplification, my left ear delivers crystal-clear sound, while my right ear often sounds odd, unnatural, and distorted. After 25 years since the stapedectomy, my brain has adapted to this difference, and the Intents are the first hearing aids that allow me to understand speech in my right ear as clearly as in my left. Still, I can’t help but wonder if further improvements are possible - such as using DSL vs5 for my left ear and NAL-NL2 or VAC+ for my right one. That said, as @PeterH and you pointed out, using unsynced hearing aids could be a hassle, and I’d lose access to features that require them to be synced.

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