First pair of hearing aids but see no improvement

Hi, what do you mean by what type of speech ?
I did have the word recognition test done two times . First time was 76 and 76. Second test was done at the ENT office and both the audiogram and word recognition are worse than the first one , They were 62-65 ish. these tests were 1 month apart . I’m wondering how reliable are these tests. Because I went from having moderate loss to moderate severe 🥹🥹

They mean do you struggle to understand people when they whisper? Far away? Male or female voices? When people aren’t facing you? In noisy environments? These are all challenging situations for different people with hearing aids. I don’t know if the audiogram with your profile is updated because you are within moderate not moderately severe.

Hello everyone,
A little update from me, i just had my aids adjusted today, REM was performed. Audi said with the REM I’m at target and with the Oticon set up I’m above target. I tried the closed domes today too and I didn’t like it. I didn’t think it sounded right . I’m not sure how to describe but it sounds like I was in a glass room listening to people from the outside of the room. Sounds weren’t as bright as open domes for me. So I walked out with the original open domes I got from the last time. I can’t tell if I understand people better after the adjustment yet because I didn’t talk to people much today . However, I think I do notice sounds are a bit brighter this time and louder. But that’s all I have noticed so far Nothing overwhelming, too much or anything like that.

Did your voice sound louder and sounds like chewing louder. You have really excellent low frequency hearing so you were most likely experiencing occlusion with no vent from the closed domes.

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Thank you. Yeah I have problem with all of the mentioned situations. Men are easier for me to understand I think. Children voices are the worst. Masks are nightmare. Can’t never eavesdrop anything. I experimented and tried to eavesdrop my moms when she was in the room and I was outside closed door but can’t hear everything. Maybe 30% only . My current audiogram is the second one I had done at the Audi office. The third audiogram puts me at moderate severe . 🥹

Yeaaah I hear myself chew louder and my sister’s chewing was very bright too

All these things are normal to struggle with and hearing aids can’t fix it. Makes sense you can understand mens voices better due to your good lower frequency hearing, I can understand men better too. Masks will always be a problem they kinda distort speech and make it muffled and then your hearing aids amplify this distorted speech making it even harder :joy:.

My audiologist said audiograms can vary by 5db, so not all hope is lost, moderately severe is still very treatable . I find that I’m continually dropping by 5db every 6 months so it all adds up.

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Omg does it mean I’ll be at 120 db loss in 7 years ? :sob::sob::sob:

Some frequencies in my right ear have dropped 15db in the last year. It’s possible and could be profound by 25 years old but I don’t worry bout it because there’s always something that can be done… I think. Like CIs n stuff. I just live and don’t let it hold me back. You should do the same don’t let it overtake your life. Be proud your part of an understanding community and learn coping strategies because it’s never going to get better.:joy:

But everyone’s loss is different there’s no knowing how yours will play out. It might stay stable for decades and never change. I only know my future because I’m within a hard of hearing family with progressive loss.

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Yes, I’m getting there. Still grieve now and then but much better now. Btw what’s the difference between hard of hearing and deaf? One would be hard of hearing then deaf? Or is it like with hard of hearing you’ll be able to hear something even when your loss is really bad but deaf is something that one was born with? I’m considered hard of hearing person right? :crazy_face:

Deaf with capital D means someone who was born completely deaf or profoundly deaf. Hard of hearing is considered mild to severe or you can use deaf with lower case d. if I’m talking to someone with normal hearing I say deaf because it’s easier for them to understand, oh she’s got hearing issues I might need to do things differently😂. If I’m with other deaf people I say hard of hearing because I’m reality my hearing loss could be a lot worse.

You can refer to yourself as whatever you like: deaf, hard of hearing or hearing impaired (which most people don’t like). But i personally wouldn’t say Deaf with capital D because it brushes aside the people who really are Deaf.

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To drive home the point with people when I start talking with them and I am struggling to hear them, I tell them that I am basically deaf.

That sometimes works if the individual gets it. Other times they don’t change their speech and I try to get that conversation over with.

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Difference between your hearing now and profound, you won’t hear a thing without hearing aids, unless you right next to firing a gun but it’s not certain you’ll even hear a gun firing.

You’ll also learn to lipread or use other forms of communication as CIs don’t give you normal hearing either.

Don’t take this the wrong way but if you feel you’re struggling now, you’ll struggle way more if you enter the profound range BUT if your low frequency still stays around normal then you can manage easier. Unless your lows hit the profound, you’re not really profoundly deaf, you’ll be mild to profound.

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Out of curiosity, what’s your experience if you just crank the volume?

If I do that i think it will change how bright the sound is.

Can someone explain what these mean to me please . I don’t know how to interpret these. The audiogram looks different than the one I have on the test day. Looks like they’re up side down?


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I recall an AuD appt about 3 years ago. Both ears tracked the same for 10 years before with hearing aids. For a while my left ear wasn’t right and I thought it was the hearing aid going. My left ear had tanked to what you see in my AuD. I was devastated looking at the test. Later I realized nothing had changed. I had been living with the loss for a while and the test just didn’t make it worse - it just was. So, regardless of what your test reads, or if they are different one to another, your hearing is your hearing and that is what you are already living with. I started researching CIs and was borderline. I decided to do it sooner than later and no regrets. It really has helped in all situations.

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I mean, they’re halfway there.

Yes, the hearing thresholds are flipped on that screen and converted from dB HL to dB SPL.

I’m new to hearing aids also, even with my Audiogram programed and REMs I still find myself turning up the overall volume by about 2 clicks which is I believe 6-10db? I’m still adjusting to them so it might take awhile for you to also notice a change. I’ve definitely been noticing that tinnitus is so much louder when my hearing aids are out and it drives me bonkers after getting used to not hearing it often.

Well there ya go. When an audi says “where WE want your hearing to be” that indicates they need to take a pause and listen to YOU. Ultimately, it’s going to be YOU wearing these, and you should articulate what’s missing or wrong with how you’re hearing the world through these aids.

In NO way will a pair of aids be “good to go” right outta the box - no matter if there is a factory setting or the audiogram used or REM. It simply WON’T work for most folks. For starters, it’s a process of how to re-learn hearing the world, You’ll have preferences: turn high freqs up a notch, or increase bass a bit. If you can articulate the nuances, your audi will hopefully be trained enough on the software to make the adjustments.

Believe me, even the wire length, domes used ALL those factors will impact the sound quality. So be persistent or find a new audi. Your audiogram seems to indicate this should be an EASY fix. You just need some boosting in a few frequency ranges.

GOOD LUCK in getting these aids tuned to YOUR specifications.

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