Help for Hearing Impairment

Tiglath

Can anyone tell me what's involved in a hearing test? I mentioned to my GP today that I'm struggling to hear things at work and she's referring me for an appointment as apparently I shouldn't be having problems at my age. Just curious as to what it will involve.

Savvy_Sue

Tiglath wrote: »

Can anyone tell me what's involved in a hearing test? I mentioned to my GP today that I'm struggling to hear things at work and she's referring me for an appointment as apparently I shouldn't be having problems at my age. Just curious as to what it will involve.

Probably a quick inspection of your ears (hopefully your GP peered inside already?), then donning the fetching earphones and pressing a button every time you hear a noise. Doesn't take long, isn't painful, and they should discuss the results with you immediately. Hear-Hear can explain it better, or give us a link, but the loss of different frequencies affects how well you can hear the different bits of speech.

Tiglath

Thanks (yes she ruled out earwax already).

Hear-Hear

Think of it like a sight test. There are always 4 main parts, sometimes 5:-

1. Case history. A series of questions about your health in general and some specific questions about your hearing.

2. Otoscopy. Examination of your ears, ear canals, and eardrums, with a special torch.

3. Pure tone audiometry. Measurement of your hearing in a sound-proofed room or a sound-proofed booth by placing the 'fetching' earphones (to which Sue refers above) over your ears and listening and responding to a series of different tones. It's the 'hearing' equivalent of reading down an optician's chart, finding the smallest letters you can see.

4. Bone Conduction testing. A similar type of hearing measurement, but with a tight headband placed behind your ears. This tests the hearing nerve response. Don't be concerned - it's not painful.

5. Other tests may or may not be carried out, depending on results from the first 4 items listed above. Your audiologist should explain every step of the way what they are doing, and why. If additional tests are carried out, you should be told why.

The next bit is really important. >>>>>>. He or she should then explain the findings to you in relatively straightforward terms, and you should ask again and again if you don't understand. You will be welcome to bring a close friend or relative with you to the test. All testing should be done to the standards laid down by the British Society of Audiology.

It's actually quite a routine for most people, just like one's sight test in fact. Unless your audiologist recommends more frequent tests, you should have it done every couple of years below the age of 60, and annually at 60+.

Feel free to post back on here after your test if you want any further information.

Tiglath

Thank you so much, Hear-Hear - I'll see how it goes

swampduck

As a lifelong wearer of hearing aids can anyone tell me how they are doing with the latest digital hearing aids?
I was fitted seven weeks ago with the Maia 130 Starkey in both ears and was told it would take some 4 to 6 weeks to get used to how they work.
That was fine talking to the technician in a one on one consultation but I wasn't told how different it would be once I was in the outside world. While I appreciate the fact that mini computers/digital devices are used to do a lot of the thinking nowadays - I still find it hard work hearing people - now that the aid decides that there is too much background noise so minimises it to the detriment of actually hearing people talking. For example in a car which is naturally noisy environment everything becomes muted and trying to follow a conversation is nigh on impossible. The same applies in a crowded shopping centre the aid decides that it's too noisy and reduces the volume. I'm deaf!! :mad: I don't the need the volume reducing!!:mad:
I can do that myself if it's necessary!! While colleagues and family are aware that I'm having to cope with these "improvements" and are very good at making me aware of things I maybe missing. I did wonder how others may be coping. I suspect I'm going to have book a digital repair appointment to discuss if the aid can be clever enough to hear people over background noise instead of muting everything because it thinks it knows best for me!! :eek: I'm 52 and not into my dotage yet - let me keep my independence and ability to think for myself a little while longer. :rotfl:

Swampy

Errata

Ask for a follow up appointment, they made need some slight adjustments.

74jax

I have just posted this on the families board and have kindly been shown this thread, can anyone advise:

My dad is very poorly in hospital, perhaps a few months left

For the last few years has got progressively deaf and used nhs hearing aids. He still couldn't hear great but muddled on.

Then a month ago bought a quite expensive one with an 'aeral' on......

He is in hospital and lost it, think he went to sleep, woke up and it fell out. The bed was changed and its gone.

He was so upset, its the first time he's been able to hear in years. I don't know where it is from, grange over sands 'he thinks' and cost £900.

He may not have loong left, can't get out of hospital so those who have hearings aids, what do you recomend? Can I just order something off the internet?

Savvy_Sue

74jax wrote: »

what do you recomend? Can I just order something off the internet?

I STRONGLY recommend working out where he got that one from, and getting another. Possibly claim on house insurance? Sometimes you even get sold insurance with the aid.

Is he talking Grange over Sands the place, or is there a company of that name? If the former, there can't be that many private dispensing audiologists in the area, do a google? Then ring round and ask if they have dispensed to your Dad: you'll have to explain the situation, but hopefully the dreaded DPA won't rear its head, if it does then a letter from Dad may be needed, but if you say "he wants to buy another" it may do the trick!

If it was an off the shelf model (but I hope not at that price!) then again, I'd recommend getting a replacement.

If necessary, can you trawl bank statements and credit card bills and cheque book stubs to track it down? Here's hoping it wasn't bought with cash stuffed under the mattress ...

mojy

Hi all

I was diagnosed with cookie bite hearing loss last year and have had tinnitus continuously in my left ear for more than a year too. was given two behind the ear hearing aids to wear but to be honest I find them really difficult to wear as they obviously amplify all sounds including sounds that I can hear normally without aids.

I sometimes feel like the Mel Gibson character in the film What Women Want with all the racket going on in my head:D

Does anyone else have this hearing loss and if so were you able to have adjustments made to your aids that helped?