Help for Hearing Impairment

Savvy_Sue

I can't give any technical help, but I know one of my siblings had a special setting on their hearing aid for music: normally I think the aid will switch off if there is a sudden loud noise, to protect your ears, but of course this is useless if the music and caller's instructions suddenly stop.

They are keen Scottish dancers, around Oxford, are you anywhere near there?

Goldiegirl

Just thought I'd give an update on my situation and ask for any comments from those in the know.


Since my hearing loss issues started in April, my tinnitus has dropped to a low white noise sound which I don't notice much, and often forget about altogether.


I've had a few bouts of vertigo - one in April, one at the start of June (the worst one) and three episodes in late July in an 11 day period. When the vertigo hits, I take a Buccastem tablet and lie down until the feelings pass.


I had an MRI scan in June, (done privately) which was clear, and have been referred to Audiology - I'm now waiting for a hearing aid. My hearing loss is worst in the lower frequencies


I was also referred to a balance clinic, which I attended today.


After explaining what has happened, and the consultant moving my head around and a few other exercises, he's said I've got Meniere's


I wasn't really prepared for this. I would have imagined that the private consultant I saw in June might have mentioned this as a possibility.


Anyway, the consultant I saw today wants to fit a grommet in my ear.


I've been reading posts on a Menieres forum and people seem very debilitated by their Menieres..... and I'm not feeling like that at all, at present. The vertigo is inconvenient, but it goes away within a couple of hours, and it's not causing great disruption in my life.


I've also been advised to follow a low salt diet, which I'm happy to do, but I'm still feeling a bit shocked about him wanting to put a grommet in.... it seems a bit much for something which isn't causing me great problems in my life.


Just wondered if there's any other Menieres sufferers out there who could tell me about how it affects their life? Perhaps I'm in denial at the moment, but I don't feel like a person with a health condition


Thank you in advance

Errata

Goldiegirl hope I can help. I was diagnosed with MD nearly 30 years ago. I wear two hearing aids, often have tinnitus (spent all yesterday 'hearing' the bath tap running, it wasn't), plus various other noises every day - you get used to them so you can ignore them.
Last week I did a header into the bottom of the wardrobe when I bent down to find something there (I should have known better!), yesterday I totally lost my balance in the garden and was 'saved' by a handy garden chair.
Before I was diagnosed I used to ski, sail and rock climb so was well used to not being totally balanced in the normal way one would be when feet are on terra firma. This means that when I lose my balance I'm both physically and emotionally fairly relaxed about it. I rely on what my eyes see for balance rather than what my brain is telling me about my movements - eg when stationery at traffic lights my brain sometimes tells me the car is moving, but my eyes tell me that's not the case.
A few things I avoid: sauntering about as I can get a bit rock'n'roll but walking at a normal pace is fine. Never, ever use a microfiche reader - had me off my chair and flat on my back at mach 2.
All in all - the deafness just has to be accepted and coped with, you'll discover you'll become quite a skilled lipreader without realising. The noises are a nuisance but nothing more than that and you may find you haven't noticed the noise(s) until it stops.
What does all this add up to? Some insight into what it's like and how it can be accepted and coped with, I hope. Wishing you well.

Savvy_Sue

There is of course a Meniere's Society and they may be helpful!

Goldiegirl

Thanks for the link, Sue. There's a lot of information there, which I'll be going through over the next few days.

Also, thank you to Errata, it's really helpful to hear from someone living with Menieres.

At this point, the tinnitus very low level, not like it was a few months ago, and the deafness doesn't bother me too much especially at home, although it's more awkward if I'm out in noisy situations.

When I'm not having a vertigo episode (last one was 1st August), generally feel fine and don't have any real,dizzy spells.

Bearing in mind the symptoms aren't causing me major disruption to my life at present, I'm still trying to understand why the consultant wants to go straight to inserting a grommet, rather than seeing if diet/lifestyle changes / and / or drugs would help first.

I will see him again before any operation, so I will ask this question. I know a grommet is a relatively minor procedure, but I'd rather not have it unless absolutely necessary.

SHERWOOD

Hello,


I wonder if anyone can give me some advice. I have purchased a BTE hearing aid from Hearing Direct. The micro tube doesn't fit flush with the side of my head - it sticks out. I have been sent a shorter tube but its still the same. Any advice - I'm beginning to wonder if I'm fitting the dome correctly in my ear - however it won't go in anymore. Any advice would be very welcome. I will contact Hearing Direct tomorrow for advice too. Thank you!

Hear-Hear

Purchasing from internet-only retailers can work for some, but for most people it's not satisfactory. Your own situation is evidence of the latter. In fact, you'll find that the major hearing aid manufacturers won't even supply to such firms. So concerned are they, that they put a warning (of sorts) on the front page of their websites. Eg. Starkey - 'Internet Sales Policy', and Phonak - 'Internet Retailers'.

Hearing Direct have a 30-day returns policy, which is much shorter than the main bricks-and-mortar suppliers like Boots and Specsavers, but seems pretty fair otherwise.

Savvy_Sue

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

And I will let you all know how I get on with the Canal Lock in my ear, when it arrives.

Still waiting.

I emailed them about 3 weeks after my last visit just to check that they hadn't posted the new mould to me, because it hadn't arrived. Apparently they were about to get in touch with me, because the new mould had arrived, and it was sparkly pink, but it lacked a canal lock. They had phoned up about this, and been told there was no trace of my impression, so please could they have a new one from me. :mad:

I was by that stage about to go on holiday, so made an appointment for today.

When I arrived at the shiny new [STRIKE]airport[/STRIKE] hospital, I waited about half an hour, and was then told that on phoning again, with the paperwork in front of them, the audiologists had been told that actually, the last mould had been digitised, so yes, they could make a new one without a new impression from me.

But as I was there I might as well let them take another one just to be on the safe side.

It's been sent off marked as urgent, with a very very clear request for Sparkly Pink AND a canal lock. And it will allegedly be posted to me. Again.

However, if they were able to give an award for Patient of the Year, they would give it to me because I have been so nice about this. :A I did say that I couldn't see much point in NOT being nice - I've seen them write Sparkly Pink and Canal Lock on the boxes with the previous impressions in, so I know it's not my audiologists who are incompetent!

I think this is third time lucky? For this type of ear mould, that is, not in the quest for an ear mould which is comfortable all day long ... lost count of that one!

Dare I ask, can they change the tubing on these mietal tips, or am I going to have to go through this every six months?

Savvy_Sue

I think it was the Friday before last that Audiology rang: a sparkly pink earmould with a canal lock had arrived, and would I like to make an appointment to collect it, or should they risk posting it to me. I said to post it.

It reached me on Friday. It is sparkly pink, and it has a canal lock.

I think it might even have fitted one of my previous hearing aids. Unfortunately it doesn't fit my current hearing aid. I unscrew the existing wire but the hole on that is significantly larger than the hole on the new on.

I have to make another appointment to show them. No idea when I'll be able to fit that in. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see me.

I think it will be comfy enough! And I don't think it will fall out.

Savvy_Sue

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I think it was the Friday before last that Audiology rang: a sparkly pink earmould with a canal lock had arrived, and would I like to make an appointment to collect it, or should they risk posting it to me. I said to post it.

It reached me on Friday. It is sparkly pink, and it has a canal lock.

I think it might even have fitted one of my previous hearing aids. Unfortunately it doesn't fit my current hearing aid. I unscrew the existing wire but the hole on that is significantly larger than the hole on the new on.

I have to make another appointment to show them. No idea when I'll be able to fit that in. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see me.

I have set a reminder on my phone for tomorrow to phone and make an appointment to show them how the new canal lock doesn't fit my hearing aid. Watch this space ...