Via recent hearing tests, I was able to confirm that I definitely need hearing aids. While I have no problem “hearing” people talk, I often times have difficulty discerning what is sometimes being said in conversations, especially in crowded rooms or competing noise.
Recently, I tried some $300 hearing aids from Nano and while they definitely allowed me to “hear” things, they weren’t adjustable and they were very annoying, so I returned them. When I had my most recent hearing exam, my audiologist showed my some really neat hearing aids, but they started at $3000 and went up to $6000. She assured me that it was worth the money, but while I can afford it, I’m not necessarily ready to spend $5-6k for hearing aids although obviously the $300 ones didn’t seem to work.
I’m sure there are others out there like me. I’d like to hear what your experience has been and perhaps what you ended up purchasing.
I’ve also worn high end aids as well, $7500 worth. My audiologist at the time promised me they would be better than my old ones. They were never any good for my severe profound loss. I ended up having to move onto getting a CI.
Make yourself an appointment at your nearest Costco store hearing centre. Note the huge difference in the $$$ you need to spend. You can’t lose anything as you have a 6 month trial of the aids. If your not satisfied you return them before your trial ends for a full refund.
Good luck with your hearing journey.
Absent of a friend recommending a skilled hearing professional, I also recommend trying Costco. If the location you choose does not appear to fit your needs, you can get serviced at a different location with no additional costs.
The Costco price includes their services plus consumable domes. Ii have used Costco for 8 years from multiple locations.
From my brief experience the old adage “you get what you pay for” pretty much applies to hearing aids. If by chance you have served at anytime in our military you should be using the VA for your audiology needs.
I wish that were true. My last supposed test and trial was arguably my worst ever and would likely have been the most expensive to date. I tried Resound One 9 but they refused to give me a price estimate.
Of all my recent test & fittings to date, Costco was better than many costing 2 to 3 times as much.
Wow… this is nasty, you should’ve been told how much it is, all my audiologist visit included price for all of my hearing aid before i purchased them. you should avoid that.fitter at all cost… Last I brought hearing aid was from a CI clinic…
Depends on your hearing loss, over the counter may work for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss and without complications. Myself I need all the help I can get,
Not everyone needs the high end products. It depends on your environment and lifestyle. Trying the product in different setting is the best way to tell if you notice the difference. When I was still in practice, if a patient wanted a CIC I would never recommend a premium product since the biggest improvement in noise reduction came from directional microphones. A CIC does not have enough room for two mics so the extra noise reduction could not happen. An entry or mid level CIC performed just as well as a premium level product for less money. If you are not in noisy or crowded settings, you probably don’t need premium level aids. If you spend a lot of time in noisy places and crowded places, the premium may be worth it to you.
First let me state I am in the United States. The medical professional names may vary from country to country.
For my latest selection, I started convinced that hearing aids were not my solution.
I understand that a difference in Word Recognition Score greater than 15% between ears should be referred for medical assessment to rule out tumors, etc. The latest records I had from 4 years ago showed a difference of 29% (56 / 34) but I had not been referred. My local ENT practice owns an audiology practice. That is where I started 29 years ago.
After further research, I discovered ENT sub-specialties that require years of additional training. The otologist specializes in the ear and requires an additional 2years of training. Many times they work together with a neurotologist who, among other things, performs CI surgery. Some people have both specialties. I searched regionally for a medical practice that had both specialties. The closest I found was Duke University Health. When I made an otologist appointment to have my hearing checked medically they required a hearing test. Duke Health performed the most thorough hearing test I have ever had. They tested frequencies between the normal ones. My Word Recognition Scores were about 30% higher than previous tests (88 / 54). The otologist said that hearing aids should correct my mild to profound losses but we could schedule an MRI to research further if I desired.
My research indicates that if an expensive MRI found something, surgery would likely be necessary. My understanding is that surgery may only help improve hearing 50% of the time.
I decided to pursue hearing aids. I have an appointment with that same audiologist Kate next month to see if she can adjust my Rexton KS8 aids. If she cannot, I will likely look at purchasing new aids. Their services are unbundled. They handle Phonak, Sonova, and Oticon. I a leaning toward the Oticon More 1 with the 312 battery.
In my case I first looked to get evaluated medically. He required their audiology department to perform a hearing test. Based on those test results I mad an appointment with that same audiologist.
In my opinion whether someone is a degreed audiologist or a certified hearing aid specialist is not as important as their skill. A proper hearing test should include a word recognition test. Preferably the words are from a standardized recording rather than read by the tester. Many people believe Real Ear Measurement is needed for a good fitting. One reason I chose Costco 8 years ago was because they are all equipped with REM equipment. I now believe the fitter’s skill is more important.
On my worst fitting no Word Recognition test. He depended off the default program settings for his entered audiogram.
The HIS needs to listen to and respect the user. One of my worst appointments was with an audiologist at a Costco to get my aids adjusted that were purchased from a different location. While we were first discussing, he reset the aids to defaults without telling me until later. His eventual fitting was so bad I went back to the other location to have the older settings restored.
Thanks for all your honest replies. Based on what I’m reading, it looks like I may be visiting my local Costco sometime soon. My hearing loss is not severe, but again, word recognition–particularly in a loud/crowded room can be challenging. It just surprised me that the range was so wide in price and the media doesn’t help these days trying to promote these low cost alternatives. Thanks Jim for pointing out that the Nano isn’t a real hearing aid in the true sense.
A couple more questions:
While I prefer the somewhat “hidden” nature of the CIC version, I was told by my audiologist that over the ear is better. Is there a reason for that?
I talk on the phone a lot for work, so I currently use ear buds. Also, I travel for work as well and I’m always on the planes, so I use over ear headphones when watching movies, etc. My audiologist said that most higher end HAs can connect to laptops, phones, etc. Is the audio as good as my Bose headphones or ear buds or should I just take out my HAs when doing these other things? I have an Android, no Apple products.
@prodigyplace: You still haven’t answered my question, which is - what criteria does a seller of HAs have to satisfy to earn your business?
Examples would be:
Less than 1 hour drive from me
Uses REM
Adheres to industry best practices
Has a good personal chemistry with me
Explains diagnosis and treatment options clearly and patiently
Has transparent pricing
… etc
You need to find a provider that will satisfy your performance criteria, which it is your responsibility to set, because everyone’s hearing deficiencies and expectations are different.
