Selecting New Hearing Aids

Hearing Aids
1

Hello,

I was happy to find this forum and am appreciative of being able to tap into this resource.

I experienced, and was diagnosed with, sudden SNHL hearing loss with the extra gift of tinnitus in my now deaf R ear a little over 3 years ago. My ENT performed a hearing test, and it was noted that I had severe high frequency hearing loss in my L ear also and recommended I see an audiologist to discuss Bicros hearing aids.

This happened suddenly. I guess I was still in a daze and maybe panicking a bit at the time. I went to an audiologist and was fitted with Oticon minirite Bicros hearing aids. I had never had any experience with hearing aids or hearing issues, had no idea what to expect, and never really felt the oticons did much of anything. Eating out at restaurants was a challenge as were most noisy places. Understanding speech was difficult and loud noises really bother me.

Fast forward to now: I went searching for something better. Something that would help me enjoy going out with friends and family and feel like I was part of what was going on. I stumbled across Hear.Com. At the beginning I was wary of their approach being a totally remote fitting through a tablet they sent along with the hearing aids (Signa Pure bicros). I am better armed now to ask questions and feel like I CAN hear better, but I still have the feeling I would do better with fittings in front of a live person. Maybe not.

To my question (Finally): Once my 45-day test trial period is over, I am expected to own these hearing aids. I find it difficult to absorb a considerable expense with no comparison like I did the first time. My only comparison is with the (Ill fitted?) oticons from 3+ years ago. How do I know what I am getting is best for me? Is there a better approach that will end with me feeling like I made the best decision I could make? I feel like I will always think I left a better option on the table. I am also learning that audiologists do not see many cases in need of BiCros hearing aids, so finding one with a lot of experience that makes me confident is also a worry. My insurance does not cover any hearing aid costs, so this is a considerable investment that I want to get right. Any advice would be very welcome.

2

Have you had a cochlear implant candidacy evaluation?

(Is this the better option you are leaving on the table?)

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Formally? No. My last audiologist mentioned I would not be a candidate so I never looked further into it. Good advice though. Maybe I should hear it from a doctor, one way or the other. Thank you.

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It is worth pushing in that CI direction, because what that audiologist said may be based on obsolete guidelines and beliefs.

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As far as finding an audiologist with CROS/BiCROS experience, as unilateral/asymmetrical losses are red flags i.e. grounds for a medical referral, you could start with ENT and neurotology offices. As they are most likely to see those kinds of cases, they may be more likely to have audiologists with that kind of experience. It would be a good entry point for exploring CI options and/or candidacy as well.

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Yeah, hard to know. Candidacy in different areas is different, but it is also often the case that audiologists and even ENTs who don’t work with cochlear implants have out of date knowledge about candidacy. Unless your clinician is really connected, the best people to tell you whether you are a candidate is the implant team themselves. If you can get referred and they reject your referral, then you’ll know. But in Southern Ontario you’d be a possible candidate, which makes me think that almost anywhere in the States you’d also be a possible candidate. Outside of those places, maybe less likely?

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Thank you all, very much. The audiologist that told me I was not a candidate was part of the ENT practice, so I assumed she spoke for the practice. It appears that is not always the case. I am going to research cochlear specialists in my area and schedule a consultation.

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