Struggling to makes sense of my hearing loss with Kaiser

Hearing Loss
#1

When I was a teenager, I lost some hearing in one ear 24 years ago from irresponsible hunter firing a gun near my ear during duck season. Subsequently worked around heavy equipment. I’ve had ringing in my ears for 20+ years and additional loss in the affected ear. My ability to understand anyone in a crowd or around background noise is approaching zero. Not terrible in other circumstances. It affects my quality of life. I’m reduced to hearing sounds like a Charlie Brown cartoon in those circumstances.

I’ve had three hearing tests over the past decade. The typical response is that I’m close to needing a hearing aid, but not yet despite the ringing and lack of hearing around background noise.

Is there something about the hearing test that does not take into account loss of hearing with background noises? Or is this a different type of test? My Kaiser audiologist is not compelled to investigate any further.

Not sure how to pursue this, but I’d like to be able to hear conversations when I’m not in a quiet space.

#2

Hi @kckornegay , welcome.

Any chance you could post the results from your audiogram?

When you had hearing tests, did that include word recognition? And if so, did they also do it with simulated background noise?

Does Kaiser cover hearing aids? If not, why not find an audiologist yourself? Many/most will evaluate at no cost. Even when there is a cost is pretty small. It’s not until you need to buy aids that big money comes in to the picture.

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#3

You could ask for a speech in noise test. QuickSIN is one of them. Every Kaiser region is different in how they handle hearing aid coverage. If they don’t provide full coverage for hearing aids, you might give Costco a try. Assuming you’re in the US, you could get a pair of decent aids for less than $1500 and have up to 180 days to decide if you wanted to keep them.

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#4

Thanks for the response. They did ask me to repeat words, but not with simulated background noises. Is that standard or is that typically performed after the initial testing?

I will find my hearing test and post.

#5

I’m not familiar with this test. Is this the test referenced in the reply above?I think Kaiser gives members a credit in our region.

I’m also at the point where I may need to request a workplace accommodation, but would need to request a letter from my doctor.

#6

Yes both @MDB and I are asking about the same test, which it sounds like you didn’t receive. I really think that’s what you need to document the problem you’re having.

#7

Here’s an explanation of the QuickSIN What is Quick speech in noise (QuickSIN)?.

Depending on the amount of the credit and where you can use it, Costco may still be worth considering. Your Kaiser doctor could still write a work place accomodation letter.

#8

I work at Kaiser and have been to many other audiologist’s and while Kaiser audiograms are close to others I have had, I think their testing is probably the least inclusive. Their audiologist’s also are not forthcoming with info about the test results. They usually have a hearing aid specialist that might be able to offer more details of tour test results. But I never have trusted Kaiser’s results and always go to an audiologist for another test. If you are a Costco member, let them do a test. But even Costco is lacking compared to a really good audiologist. Just MHO

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#9

Keep in mind that speech in noise is an area where hearing aid still struggle. Don’t know how severe your loss is. Hearing aids may help in that area but nothing will return you to normal. As has been requested posting your test results would help

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#10

Even people with CI’s struggle with background noise…

#11

Thanks for this. I didn’t feel like they wanted to do an exhaustive evaluation. I will likely make a visit outside of the kaiser system.

#12

I am new to these terms. What does CI mean?

#13

Cochlear implant. It involves surgery to use a CI when hearing aids are no use because your hearing loss is too profound.

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#14

It sounds like classic synaptopathy or ‘hidden hearing loss’. Search on either of those. The theory is that sometimes after noise trauma the cochlear hair cells recover but the synapses that connect them to the auditory pathways don’t. Audiograms don’t reflect the damage.

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#15

Or the tests just don’t reflect real life hearing. Like my word recognition scores are pretty good, but in real life conversations I understand little unless looking directly at the speaker and the situation must be quiet. Just ask my family how many times I ask, WHAT? if not wearing my aids…
Yet I am told I have great WR scores for my loss. “OK, so what”, is my reaction. I still have awful speech comprehension unaided in my real life situations

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#16

I am new here, and am just in the process of getting my first HA, but I have worked with Kaiser audiology, and a couple outside audiologist. To be more specific, one visit to HearUSA and one visit to Costco. From a quick reading of best practices, I would rank them Costco > Kaiser > HearUSA. And since I have not been fitted yet, that is just wrt testing, initial interview, and answering questions.

Now, back to the original question, I had surgery to remove a brain stem tumor about 11 years ago, and they were working quite close to the nerve and blood vessel that supplies the inner ear, so hearing loss was a major risk. They did audiograms before and after. and there was no difference, but I had a definite deficit post surgery in my ability to focus on a single conversation in a crowded social situation, and to some extent with word recognition in a noisy environment.

In the past 11 years, my high frequency hearing has gotten worse in both ears (I’m 71), and the hearing in my left ear is now worse than my right by 15-25 dB. So I am about to get one HA.

Alan