Tips on making the most of new hearing aids during the trial

[Zeeza]

Hello,

I have just received my new hearing aids; Moment 330 & 110. I have two weeks as a trial. Do you have any recommendations to experiment them to the fullest in this short time? Accordingly, I can decide that they are worth the high cost I paid or not!

Update on experimenting the aids: I heard the sentence; “He was sleeping while I cook” twice and what I got was; “He was sweeping while I cut”. I was also listening to a video while the prayer call from a close mosque was going on and I struggled to understand anything!
Also, I feel as if the sounds in the left aid are lagging behind.

[emile.heilbron]

I would leave aside the cheapest ones as specifically your ears seem to demand more than these could do for you.

Watch your wallet if needed as the sky is the limit.

Try them out in the most difficult situations HA’s have problems with and then see which works best.
Speech in noise, wind, word recognition, loud traffic with and without someone talking to you, loud pop and classic music etc. Go searching for these environments and take your time to evaluate (holidays).

What are your demands on IFTT and BT/ streaming for TV, radio, PC etc. Use of short time rechargeable batteries or longer time exposible ones.

Take your time to evaluate and speak about the problems you experienced with your trusted HA provider.

Wish you luck
Emile

[Neville]

@Zeeza

heard the sentence; “He was sleeping while I cook” twice and what I got was; “He was sweeping while I cut”.

You’re missing gain at 3000/4000 Hz to help resolve the L/W and OO/U confusion. It’s hard to know whether this can be fixed for you without knowing the anatomy of your ear. I recently gave a patient with similar loss back those frequencies by moving from their preferred RIC to a BTE with a full silicone earmold. The patient wasn’t happy about the BTE, but they were happy about the return of audibility. I’m waiting to see what emotion wins.

@Zeeza

I was also listening to a video while the prayer call from a close mosque was going on and I struggled to understand anything

Hearing aids probably cannot make this situation easy for you on their own. With your hearing loss, you’d probably benefit from a tv steamer.

@Zeeza

I feel as if the sounds in the left aid are lagging behind.

You’re wearing two different hearing aids. But I’m not sure that’s it, can you describe this in a different way?

[Baltazard]

@Zeeza Are you using Widex Moment 330 for both ears?

[Zeeza]

@Neville

You’re missing gain at 3000/4000 Hz to help resolve the L/W and OO/U confusion. It’s hard to know whether this can be fixed for you without knowing the anatomy of your ear. I recently gave a patient with similar loss back those frequencies by moving from their preferred RIC to a BTE with a full silicone earmold. The patient wasn’t happy about the BTE, but they were happy about the return of audibility. I’m waiting to see what emotion wins.

What do I need to know about the anatomy of my ears to know what could help me hear better?

I used BTE for my left ear before but the mold didn’t stay in place most of the time. I changed it many times but the same problem persisted.

[Zeeza]

@Neville

Hearing aids probably cannot make this situation easy for you on their own. With your hearing loss, you’d probably benefit from a tv steamer.

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but couldn’t the streamer help with the laptop as well?

[Zeeza]

@Neville

You’re wearing two different hearing aids. But I’m not sure that’s it, can you describe this in a different way?

I am hearing a lot of birdsongs right now. It’s as if the sounds reach my right ear first, then the left one! Also, the sounds “sound” different in my left ear as if it’s an echo!!

[Zeeza]

No, 330 in the right ear while I have 110 in the left one.

[Neville]

@Zeeza

Sorry if this sounds like a stupid question but couldn’t the streamer help with the laptop as well?

That’s not a stupid question, and yes it would.

@Zeeza

I used BTE for my left ear before but the mold didn’t stay in place most of the time. I changed it many times but the same problem persisted.

Full shell silicone earmold like this?

[1Bluejay]

@Zeeza

I have just received my new hearing aids; Moment 330 & 110.

Are you saying that you wear two different models of Moment aid - one for each ear? That is a curious fix for hearing issue. Do the aids work together so that a button press on one aid automatically makes the same change on the other?

As far as making the most of the too-short trial period of 2 weeks, I agree with all suggestions posted by emile.heilbron. Try to wear the aids every hour you are awake, and note what you like and dislike about the sound quality.

A short list:

• Can they stream with TV and cell phone?
• How do they work on someone else’s phone if you can’t pair + connect with them?
• How do they sound in traffic, shopping malls, restaurants, at home, in places with poor acoustics, in the car?
• Are there accessories (like TV connectors or remote mics) to help stream audio in challenging places?
• Do you have adequate audiological support to get the aids programmed, settings to your liking, as well as short- and long-term service support?
• Do these aids fit your lifestyle? For instance, rechargeables are good for those with dexterity issues, but battery powered aids last LONGER for multiple day use, and travel easier without needing a charging base.

Good luck to you on your decision!

[Zeeza]

@Neville

Full shell silicone earmold like this?

Yes! I had surgery in this ear more than 10 years ago (to seal a hole in the eardrum). I was told this could be the reason!!
What kind of BTE should I consider for my left ear?

[Zeeza]

Yes, I’m wearing two different models of Moment aids right now!
I shared my concern with the company that the aids might not sync with each other but they said this shouldn’t be an issue. I’m not sure if this was an honest answer!
They had to program each one on its own.

Thanks for all the tips! Now, I have to pay attention to all of these points!

[Neville]

Yes, interesting. Your right earmold shows an ear shape that looks like it should provide sufficient retention. I wonder why the earmold you tried on your left was always falling out. I assume you are using a custom tip now with a RIC on that side? Is IT not falling out?

[Zeeza]

So far, no problem with the left aid fitting in.

[Neville]

But what is it? Dome? Custom tip?

[Zeeza]

I don’t know what it is called but here’s a photo

This is the left one

[Zebras]

@Zeeza

@Neville

That hearing aid picture showing the ear mould, is a Rexton hearing aid.

I thought you were wearing two different Widex hearing aids?

[Zeeza]

This is the old hearing aid which I stopped wearing because the mould didn’t sit in the ear most of the time.

For the second photo, I messed up and sent one of the right hearing aid.

[Neville]

Ah. I’d be surprised if that left one was doing that much for you and the right is probably limited in what gain it can provide at 3/4000 Hz. So going back to that question about the sentence confusion, that’s probably just a limitation of the hearing loss and the fit.

[Don]

One thing you could do near the end of the trial is ask the professional to do an aided word recognition test and compare that to your un-aided word recognition results. It would give you an objective idea of how much improvement they give you.