Recently SSHL left ear. Have had one NHS hearing aid fitted earmould + Danalogic Ambio6 77. Previously had excellent hearing but my audiogram now shows (left ear) severe hearing loss for HF moderate for MF. Right ear is mild loss to HF.
I’m unsure of what improvement I can expect from this or any other HA.
Conversations have become easier with the HA, so there is some level of sound.
Recently I have been needing to utilise subtitles for TV watching but since the HA this has improved, although I’m not sure how! The sound I hear in my left ear appears very “tinny” and voices are indistinct. Noises appear over amplified, a tap of fingernail on desk is louder from the HA than the right ear, but again still very tinny/sharp. I have the BeMore app from which I can adjust various profiles but to be honest everything (Left ear) sounds distorted and “overloaded”. There is a sound enhancer on the app from which I can adjust bass, middle and treble and also volume, but the only one that removes the overloaded sound is the volume, but at that point there is negligible sound output.
My concern, however is less with speech and more with music. Without the HA it is utter chaos, there is no coherence to the sound, with the HA chaos is reduced but no “stereo image” and the distortion / overload remains, however I adjust the profile in the app.
Is this level be what is to be expected? Are there better performing HA’s esp for music?
Go back with a carefully written description of your problems and have the HCP adjust the programming in your aid. I say to write it down so you don’t forget any aspects when you visit.
WH
Thanks, do you mean the calibration of the HA? AFAIK it was calibrated for speech, I was given the additional programs on the app for "music: and “hear in noise”, but these appear different to the original programming.
I will be returning in the near future. There is a walk in clinic for problems repairs etc, hopefully they will be able to address the issues, but i was also wondering if the HA i have could be improved upon? I have a feeling that as it is NHS it will not be state of the art.
Essentially. There are many changes they can make to correct things that sound off to you.
WH
Welcome Robert!
+1 for everything @WhiteHat said - you describe a very poorly ‘fitted’ hearing aid. It may have your corrective prescription but the boosting your getting is, in your words, “overloaded”, especially low level sounds being made as or more loud than mid and high level sounds.
I’d can it can take weeks, even months to acclimatize to having the higher frequencies back - it takes time for the brain to ease the compensation it’s been doing. My hearing loss is similar to your left ear. I’ve have my HA for a year and I’m still noticing improvements in my listening. It takes time, but that doesn’t mean stop being a demanding patient.
There are HA that are better for music, though I don’t know what the NHS offers or you insurance will cover. ReSound (they make Danalogic line for the NHS) is a well respected brand. Going outside the NHS, you can find some eye watering prices!
The apps, seemingly for all brands, much the same. They allow limited changes, but make sure the core setup and prescription isn’t alterable. That’s for when you go back for a follow up up with your list of what needs adjusting.
Good luck!
Read this please
occlusion effect.pdf (143.6 KB)
2nd are they Bluetooth hearing Aids?If so use the TV Bluetooth to program it to your hearing aids.i bought a Amazon Echo and hear the TV through the Echo,works great!
I find the Ambios fine for speech, but not good for music. The Resound Smart 3D app will work with the Ambios. Although not sure if it will give more options than the Bemore app.
Just a minor point here: not particularly that the hearing aids aren’t the best, but the single sided loss might not be settled, free from distortion or remapped to the brain yet. There’s also a chance of a prescription failure if there’s a chance of improper masking or the test was done with headphones (as opposed to earphones and inserts).
Let’s say it’s all been done perfectly - the Ambio isn’t fantastic for music and it’s likely the latency/phase delay will be obvious which results in the loss of stereo summation even if the aid IS fitted to the correct prescription. This will also potentially cause issues for hearing in noise.
Its Trial and Error.I lost my R Hearing and have Tinnitus from a Covid J&J Vaccine.I learned by myself buying Used Hearing Aids cheap (like new RIC) and now have about 5 Pairs,all rehargeable Signias,Rexton,Miracle Ear and TrueHearing,all made by Signia.I had them programmed to my Audio for $60-$75 a Pair and learned to live with it,some have “T” features,worst App is Starkey just to give info to you
Thank you all for your replies. I have a few further questions, firstly regarding the core setup and prescription of the HA being uneditable in the app’s. Can the HA be recalibrated to “music” rather than speech? How much difference would there be? I’m assuming that theprescription and calibration “boost” the frequencies outputted from the HA to mitigate the deficits but why would there be a difference between speech and music? I was in an event last night which was a mix of music and comedy, most of the time I could hear the speaker fairly well until applause kicked in at which time the HA was overloaded. Music was difficult, I was sat there fiddling with app settings which did not appear to make any discernable difference, every “load” sound overloaded the HA, turning the gain down helped this but it needed to be so low that I couldn’t hear anything through the HA.
Um_Bongo u said but the single sided loss might not be settled, free from distortion or remapped to the brain yet, I was wondering when these issues may settle, how / why would I know if it’s my issue or the HA?