Some questions on hearing aids...

Hear-Hear

Hi Penny,

You're right. ATW will no longer fund private hearing aids since digitalisation, and certainly not for cosmetic reasons, which is what so many people ask ATW for. The NHS are now supplying some really good aids. Your Oticon Spirit is rather out-dated now (8 years old technology) and it would be well worth your while getting the (free) upgraded Oticon Zest. It will be a massive leap forward for you in terms of quality of sound.

For other forum users who are in PCT areas that supply Siemens instead of Oticon, the free upgrade at 5 years is from Siemens Prisma to Siemens Reflex - again, a massive improvement in technology.

Miss_Penny_Pincher_2

Hear-Hear wrote: »

Hi Penny,

You're right. ATW will no longer fund private hearing aids since digitalisation, and certainly not for cosmetic reasons, which is what so many people ask ATW for. The NHS are now supplying some really good aids. Your Oticon Spirit is rather out-dated now (8 years old technology) and it would be well worth your while getting the (free) upgraded Oticon Zest. It will be a massive leap forward for you in terms of quality of sound.

For other forum users who are in PCT areas that supply Siemens instead of Oticon, the free upgrade at 5 years is from Siemens Prisma to Siemens Reflex - again, a massive improvement in technology.

Thanks Hear Hear - I would never have known that they are outdated as it was only last year that I was upgraded from Spirit 2 to Spirit 3!! I was just relieved to have a volume control lol I have been to a few different audiology departments now and am I right that the budget vary dramatically? For instance, one was shocked at the hearing aid I was given by another area, saying that they would never spend that much!

Hear-Hear

Hello again Penny,

Yes indeed. Budgets do vary between the PCT's around the country, and you'll have seen frequent reference to this (postcode lottery?) on here and in the papers etc.

In all fairness though, the digital aids now supplied by the NHS all come from a national catalogue with fixed NHS prices. Some PCT's are able to offer some of their patients the most expensive aids from the catalogue - the Phonak Naida springs to mind, which is one of the most advanced aids currently available - but they can only do this if the 'other' costs of testing, fitting, service, etc, are reduced. In this way, the total cost per patient journey does not exceed a specified level known as the "NHS tariff". So, the better-run / best-managed audiology depts are able to supply some of their patients with top-of-the-range aids. Others can only supply the NHS 'standard' aids. but even these are far superior to old-fashioned equipment like the Prisma and the Spirit3.

amalis

I' ve got Phonak Naida for 3 weeks already and I am going to change them. My audiologist told me that they are expecting some new model which is smaller in 4 weeks and they ordered it for me. I don't feel that I benefit from Naida at all. Seems my PCT is pretty good. They told they are going to try all varieties of models available for me until I will be happy.

Miss_Penny_Pincher_2

This has opened my eyes! The treatment at my current audiology dept is dire. All of the staff seem miserable and the receptionist is rather unpleasant whereas all the other ones I've attended I used to enjoy going to lol Maybe it's really badly run which is why I'm being offered such outdated hearing aids? :S

Wen2_2

Logically, visible hearing aids are no worse than visible seeing aids (spectacles). Wonky hearing is no more a failing than wonky eyesight - and is equally no cause for shame. However it is difficult to understand because sightlessness is practiced everytime someone closes their eyes. It's harder to turn ears off.

I did not begin using hearing aids until I was thirty but think that before may have been a good idea. I'm now nearly 57 and I've never regretted having them. Recognising ducks was really wierd though. One does forget sounds.

My aids have become a lot smaller over the years but more noticable than a hearing aid (even if you wear two with hair up as I do) - is a hearing loss, especially when the brain has heard something and interpreted wrongly.

Use your aids. Hear birdsong. Hear more of what people are saying. Enjoy music, TV and lectures etc by adding appropriate accessories like earhooks, equipment loops and radio-aids. Smaller ones will come in time.

And if you want a different colour - I once rubbed magenta flat emulsion all over my PC to no ill effect. It was an old one though.

However, for hearing aids, I think that thin coloured plastic film (sweet wrappers under cling film might work) could be the safe thing. My audiologist said nothing against it. The switches might be a problem though.

Perhaps coloured sleeves are available? Connevans have sold waterproof ones for children. That reminds. Wearing glasses at 10 made me subject to calls of "4eyes". No one has called me "4ears" - or I've not heard them if they have!

Hear-Hear

Many people or not keen on traditional "hearing aid beige" aids, but the NHS can now supply a variety of colours for you to choose from.

If your local area uses SIEMENS, the selection of available colours is:
Beige
Blue
Green
Yellow
Red
Grey
Tabac
Silver
Black
Various translucent colours incl Purple, Pink, Green, etc

If your local area uses DANALOGIC, the selection of colours is:
Beige
Platinum
Anthracite
Marble Grey
Red/Grey (2-tone)
Blue/Grey (2-tone)
Light Blonde
Medium Blonde
Dark Blonde
Dark Brown

If your local area uses OTICON, the selection of colours is:
Beige
Orange
Yellow
Green
Transparent
Dark Grey
Light Grey
Dark Brown
Light Brown
Black

If your audiologist advises that only "Beige" is available, point out that the colour options are listed in the 'NHS Catalogue'.

Alizarin

Hello :hello: I'm going to be getting a hearing aid soon (just one ear) and I have a few questions that I was hoping some of you lovely people would be able to help me with please?

1. How long on average does it take for a BTE hearing aid to be ready? I had my appointment where they made my mould on 8th November.

2. I sometimes have problems with ear wax - is there anything I need to do when I get my HA to control this? I'm assuming ear wax build up isn't good for the HA?

3. I read the BTEs can get damaged by water - do I need to cover it up if I'm outside in the rain?

4. What is the best colour to get? I have long hair so don't think it'll be too visible ... but I kinda want people to notice it :cool: Are there any bright, fun colours available on the NHS?

5. Will everything suddenly get loads louder? I don't like loud sounds and I'm kinda worried about this!

6. Anything else I need to ask at my fitting appointment?

Hear-Hear

Hello Alizarin

1. If you are obtaining the hearing aid privately, it will usually take a week to be supplied by the manufacturer. If you are going via the NHS, then the aid will already be in stock. Earmoulds - whether private or NHS - are custom made to shape of your ear. They should normally take around 7-14 days to be made.

2. As you are having a BTE, ear wax won't be a problem. The aid itself is a long long way from the ear canal itself. Your audiologist will show you specifically how to clean your earmould on a daily basis, and how to thoroughly clean it once a week.

3. Hearing aids are fine in the rain - pretty much anything up to hurricane levels. They do not like showers, baths, swimming, etc. If you are female, avoid hair-spray !! (Actually, that seems to apply to many males too)

4. Colours depend on which manufacturer you have chosen (if private) or which manufacturer your PCT uses. See examples of colours in the post above. Some of the translucent colours are really quite funky, but if you have a bright face and a bright smile, then a bright solid colour could be great for you. Wonderful that you want people to notice it - you might even find that people are more considerate of you, and less patronising.

5. Oh yes, you will notice loudness very much at first. The brain has a bit of catching up to do, so it takes a short whle to adjust. Your audiologist will go through everything with you at the time of fitting, and will explain what to expect (and what not to expect). You will also have a follow-up appointment arranged for you, so that tweaking can be done, depending on how the first few weeks have gone for you. Don't worry about not liking loud sounds. Modern digital hearing aids have wonderful "compression" built in to the response, so that loud sounds are amplified much much less than softer and quiter sounds.

6. As for other questions to ask, you won't need to ask any questions at all if your audiologist is a good one, and has experience. In preparation though, it might be an idea to look at the Action On Hearing Loss website (was RNID) which has some really useful fact-sheets about hearing aids, and things you need to know or find out. For eaxmple, take a look at Page 4 of this:

http://www.actiononhearingloss.org.uk/supporting-you/factsheets-and-leaflets/hearing-aids.aspx

sunnyone

Alizarin wrote: »

Hello :hello: I'm going to be getting a hearing aid soon (just one ear) and I have a few questions that I was hoping some of you lovely people would be able to help me with please?

1. How long on average does it take for a BTE hearing aid to be ready? I had my appointment where they made my mould on 8th November.

2. I sometimes have problems with ear wax - is there anything I need to do when I get my HA to control this? I'm assuming ear wax build up isn't good for the HA?

3. I read the BTEs can get damaged by water - do I need to cover it up if I'm outside in the rain?

4. What is the best colour to get? I have long hair so don't think it'll be too visible ... but I kinda want people to notice it :cool: Are there any bright, fun colours available on the NHS?

5. Will everything suddenly get loads louder? I don't like loud sounds and I'm kinda worried about this!

6. Anything else I need to ask at my fitting appointment?

My favorite moulds are electric blue, it helps because most people cant see my aids but at least they can see the moulds.

My aids are NHS.