Help with suitable Aids for my hearing Loss

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi i’m Tony from Melbourne Australia retired 69 yr old.
Due to my hearing difficulties, I have seen a ENT specialist and Audiologist. ENT diagnosed Hearing difficulties with additional both ear drum scarring with concave indentations, Sinusitis and right ear type C Eustachian tube disfunction and left ear type B Middle ear Pathology. Treated with steroid nasal spray and tablets, slight improvement after 1month but now referred for surgical intervention. However, he said I had hearing loss regardless and suggested hearing aids to compensate for this.
Here is my Audiology test result from last visit after treatment.

8 Mar 2023 ENT
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I don’t understand what severity of hearing loss this represents ( I see people talking about % loss ,DB Loss, frequency loss etc mild, severe, profound) if anyone can help me with that, please.
Anyway, the Audiologist has suggested Unitron Moxi Blu 5 aids with in- ear receiver to help me . I’m awaiting an appointment for selection and fitting. I’ve done a little research and have also found the Specsavers Advance Elite for a much cheaper price with apparently better tech level. Does anyone know if these aids are suitable for my type of loss and if one aid is better than the other. The aids are very expensive, and I suppose I am trying to get the best tech level and bang for buck out of a very mystifying and confusing market filled with product centric clinicians pushing their biggest profit margin devices as opposed to what is the most cost effective best for patient device. Thanks in advance for any help/advice that can be given. It’s a very confusing market with lots of conflicting info.

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Has anyone any experience with specsavers advance elite hearing aids?
#2

Hi Tony,

Welcome to the forum :slight_smile:

Given you are retired, and your age (with severity of hearing loss), you may like to check your Australian government support eligability

This helped me get my Unitron Moxi’s, my health fund also gives me a five yearly allowance for hearing aids but I did not need to call on that due to Hearing Services Australia covering the costs. As to the different hearing aids from your audiologist, or Specsavers, I’m not familiar with the Specsavers offering so cant comment.

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#3

Welcome Tony,

Im new here myself. They seem to be a helpful bunch. :slightly_smiling_face:This link may help you to understand your audiogram:

In particular, the levels of hearing loss are classified on this chart:

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This suggests that your left ear suffers from a loss that is well into the profound level, with your right ear not far behind.

As to the Unitron vs Advance question, bear in mind that Specsavers Advance comes in 6 different levels of tech with consequent different pricing levels. The Advance Elite seems to be their highest level of tech, and is likely to be a re-brand of either a Phonak Paradise P9 or a Unitron Moxi Blu 9. Its likely therefore that the Advance Elite is a better value than the Moxi Blu 5 if its coming to you at a lower cost.

Dont be afraid to take out a trial of both to see how well they work for you. Also, ask about whether its a receiver in canal style or complete in canal that is being proposed. With your loss being so severe, you may benefit from behind the ear/ultra power aids rather than the receiver in canal type.

Note: I am NOT an audiologist- I’ve just been dealing with my own hearing loss issues for 25 years.

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#4

Welcome to the forum. You have come to a great place to learn about your hearing loss and hearing aids. Try not to get into a rush buying aids. Take your time to get what’s best for you.

Pretty bad hearing loss you have there. I bet it’s tuff to talk to anyone. Phone calls are probably impossible.

As mentioned those Unitron aids are very similar to the newest Phonak RIC aids. They have a choice of 312 batteries or rechargeable batteries. With your hearing loss I would not use 312 batteries. Aids that use the 13 batteries are nice. Ask your audiologist about this. The hands free phone calls is a really nice technology. I for one really like it.

As mentioned you need powerful hearing aids for that hearing loss. RIC or BTE aids would be best in my opinion.

To give yourself an idea of what you are and are not hearing the speech banana helps explain your hearing loss. Place your audiogram on the speech banana.

image

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#5

Welcome to the forum Tony from another Melbournian.
If you have a Centrelink pension card you are eligible for a $2K voucher subsidy scheme on aids. This is available through any audiology clinic.

Have you been to Hearing Australia to see what you are eligible for from the Fed Gov hearing scheme? (As mentioned above by Ian) Hearing Australia have Signia and some others aids.
You might be eligible for pensioner issued aids from Hearing Australia (only available through Hearing Australia) These are very basic models with no Bluetooth or any bells and whistles. Bottom tier aids that won’t stream through a smart phone. You will possibly need Bluetooth aids though to help with phone calls etc due to severity of your hearing loss.

My husband got tier 7 Signia aids from Hearing Australia last year for $3200… I don’t think a private audiology clinic can match Hearing Australia prices. You pay an annual fee of approx $40 and that supplies you with all your batteries, domes or moulds for the year.

Your hearing loss is in the severe profound loss, so you will possibly need fairly powerful aids. Even then they may not help very much, but would be better than nothing. IMO your left ear would possibly be better with a Cochlear implant if it’s surgically possible. But that’s for you to decide and discuss with your audiologist and ENT.

All the best with your hearing issues.

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#6

Steady there Homer,

One ear makes it into the profound classification above 3Khz. That’s not really a profound loss at all. The combination of both ears would give a moderate/hf severe/severe type of loss.

Yes, there’s need for intervention; possibly ENT evaluation for asymmetry too.

Sonova product might work from a splash and dash supplier, but you have to consider that there is potentially a bigger rehabilitation issue that needs multiple visits to resolve.

#7

Hi Ian, thanks for the Tip with Australian Government Support . I have already secured this, and it has been sent to the audiology centre that I had tests done with just prior to seeing the ENT specialist, I think it’s either 1500 Au$ or 1600 Au$ they must have claimed it for me. However, I have since discovered that the centre is owned by a Lawyer who specialises in claims for industrial hearing loss hence the spiel that I was given by the Audiologist about how I could claim compensation from the Government for aids. The ENT and the Audiologist at the ENT clinic both told me that my hearing loss is not of that type of deafness so a claim would be futile. So, I am in the process of getting the ENT’s Audiologist (Independent, fully qualified and with no brand affiliations or sales targets) to transfer my files over to them. But thank you as that would have saved me a lot of money if I had not been aware of it.

#8

Thanks for all the brilliant feedback from the community it is much appreciated, this has given me much to contemplate and consider. It’s quite a minefield out there. I wasn’t aware you could ask for trials of aids I might try that before selecting. Love the simple banana chart and the Audiogram explanations (explains a lot), thanks for the suggestions of other aid providers that might be cheaper. Looking at my needs I think I will need Blu tooth connection to at least 2 devices . What is everyone’s thoughts of battery V rechargeable devices?

#9

It depends totally on your hearing aid needs. How long do you need to wear them each day? The hearing loss can also affect battery life. If you go rechargeable the trial period is great for finding out if they work for you. Also understand that rechargeable batteries lose battery life over time.
Lots of information about this on this forum.

Something not mentioned yet is ear molds or domes. Did your audiologist mention which was best for your hearing loss? You are in the ear molds range in my opinion.

You are doing great.

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#10

Hi Raudrive, no not as yet I’m being transferred to a sister clinic 10 mins away from my home. Awaiting an appointment to discuss Aids in detail and to dertermine what is best.

#11

Update on my HA Journey. Contacted by ENT Audiologist today to arrange appointment to discuss HA’s, couldn’t fit me in until next month. Wife went online and booked an appointment with Local Specsavers and I had a 1.5 hr interview with their Audiologist this afternoon. My Audiograms were explained to me in fantastic detail and my every question was answered to my full satisfaction, The ENT’s Diagnosis and its effect on my hearing was explained to me along with what Aid solutions there were to combat it . All my hearing requirements / concerns were coaxed out of me I.E soft speech, directionality, connectivity , crowded noisy places etc etc and all were met with solutions. Ended up ordering Aids to suit as follows:- Specsavers Advance Elite RIC. these are a rebadged Unitron Moxi Blu 9 with 312 batteries. Final out of pocket cost after Government Pensioner Support of $1600AuD = $1895 the branded ones after Government Pensioner support would have cost $4300 for the same item. The supply is 1 week, and Fitting involves 45 mins of instruction fitting and REM setup of Aid parameters. No battery or Maintenance costs limitless visits for fine tuning in the 1st year. 4-year warranty no worries no fuss return period of 90 days free Annual REM checks free domes or moulds if required. I was shown every brand they supply that suited my needs. I was not pushed pressured or coerced into any selection with them saying I could go away and make my decision whenever I wished. Excellent service and attention -Very Happy my problem may soon be addressed

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#12

Your post is exactly why I and many others appreciate this forum. It educates us to make better decisions.

Good luck

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#13

Great result. I hope your newly re-acquired hearing brings you lots of joy.

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#14

Just wanted to mention clearly that with surgical intervention the expectation is likely still that that left ear hearing will return back to what the right ear is, or possibly better.

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#15

Unfortunately that might no happen for a couple of years as the public waiting list is long due to covid hold ups. So hopefully the aids will help in the meantime

#16

The Specsaver Aud said she will try with a power dome in the left ear at first, but it may need a mold if that’s not suitable and a dome in the right.

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#17

Years! I thought we were bad in Canada but we’re not even close to that. My condolences.

Likely mold. I can’t imagine hitting that with a power dome.

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#18

I think I would go with molds in both ears … more comfortable and stable.

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#19

Thanks for the advice . I will discuss molds going forward :+1:

#20

Your loss is worse than mine and my audiologist advised against having domes due to my loss. I insisted though (stubborn), so I had power domes and not only were they uncomfortable but very occluded and not enough clarity… went back to the audiologist like a tail betweencmy legs and asked for molds. Molds are much more comfortable and clearer. Just talking from personal experience.

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