Recommendations for unilateral severe high frequency hearing loss?

Hi, I was wondering if anyone recommended any particular HAs for high frequency hearing loss? I don’t have ski slope loss so much as normal hearing up until an immediate drop to 70db at 3000Hz in my left ear. I ask because I’m considering putting my savings towards moving to private practice from NHS audiology, largely due to poor service from an audiologist I’m unable to change from. (Annoyingly, excellent service in terms of the ENT services I saw him for, but terrible support with my hearing aid, essentially refusing to reprogram it further after only one follow up visit (which I had nearly two years in, because he didn’t tell me that tweaking settings was commonly needed, or even possible)).

I have a Phonak Nathos Auto M (which I’ve seen described as a phonak versata plus echoblock, in a naida housing?), and before taking the plunge on private hearing aids I’m borrowing a friend’s HA programming setup to see if I’m lucky and my HA isn’t locked to the NHS, to see if I can get any better results by programming by myself.

My main problems are I hear a background hiss/drone noise constantly at the default volume (which I’m aware may well be just picking up background noise that my brain has tuned out from my right ear), my own voice is amplified a lot (I quite often can’t tell if someone else starts speaking if I am already), and any slight breeze outside pretty much renders the HA useless with noise. I don’t know how much differences in technology between top of the line hearing aids and the nathos auto m (which I think are still pretty recent/high level, and have made a massive difference to conversations in low-mid noise/hearing between rooms) will make to those issues.

If HA model is likely to make a difference, then I would like to invest in a HA I could use with an android app to have different programs (I don’t have any additional programs on my current HA, and audi refuses to add any as it ‘wouldn’t make any difference’). I’ve been looking at the Phonak Audeo Paradise, the Resound One, Widex Moment 440, and Oticon Mores. I also don’t know if anyone has any comparison between BTE and RIC HAs for the type of hearing loss I have?

Otherwise, I’m wondering if not having my hearing checked out until I was 26 might have caused some issues in how my brain perceives sound. I know I’ve had less hearing in my left ear since at least my early teens (if I slept with my left ear to the pillow, I had to put my watch outside my bedroom because it ticked too loudly, but I could only hear it with my left ear if it was right next to my ear), and now I don’t know if even after two years, my brain still picks up the hearing aid amplification as a ‘weird’ sound, as I seem to notice sound in my left ear a lot more than in my right - often I’ll miss things on my right if I’m listening to someone on my left. Again, don’t know if this is just something normal that comes with wearing one hearing aid.

That’s a lot of rambling, sorry, but would really appreciate any input on any point >< Thanks!

I’d go with a RIC. You won’t be able to use the power of a BTE. You’re likely going to want to use frequency lowering technology. All the aids you mentioned have it, but it works differently in the different aids. The hissing sound you mentioned sounds like floor noise (the noise the hearing aid makes) My bias would be Phonak Paradise as it will give you more options with Android phones and it’s frequency lowering method is well thought of.

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Thanks, MDB.

I will look further into frequency lowering technology, and floor noise!

Interestingly, when I first got my HA fitted, the audiologist said that it was a shame I wouldn’t be able to get away with the smaller Nathos Micro, as it wouldn’t be ‘powerful’ enough for me to benefit (I don’t know why he wanted to project the idea that visible hearing aid = bad, I just wanted to hear better!). I don’t know if it’s the same kind of ‘power’ he was talking about, but given that he didn’t even tell me the HA domes should be changed at all, never mind regularly, I really don’t trust was I was told any more! That said, I don’t think the NHS offer a RIC model as far as I’m aware, so that might have affected what he told me.