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Pugman1943 said:
Really good heading aids can help, ask me I have over 50% loss. My aids cost $2800 BUT DO A GREAT JOB.
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Thanks, Ed. What brand/model do you have, if I may ask?
CigarStone said:
Keep me posted. Mine are adjusted on line by a specialist and are unubstusive. I struggled with get the sounds that I cant hear to be present without causing other sounds to be loud or wrong.

Mine are made by Phonak, are just a few months old, I will check the model when I get home, like I said, if you want them, they are yours.
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I just searched out the old conversation that @Scap started a while back about his Phonaks. He was pretty happy with them, but seems to use them more for simple amplification (and bluetooth connectivity). We'll see how these Starkey units work out. I do appreciate the offer!
SKYDIVNEKD said:
I was lied to, back in the day, by a MiracleEar salesman. He told me then(early 90’s) his product would block out the tinnitus!! LIAR!!!

Even today the respected ones admit that’s not possible. Some are better than others at muting a bit, but it ain’t happening.

My other issue was the “barrel” effect. It sounds like yer talking in a barrel. To get an idea, put yer fingers in yer ears and talk. Yup, not good. I was always worried I’d miss something while testifying in court, so I scrapped em.

Good luck, Nick. I know good ones are out there, ya just gotta find em.

Floyd T
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My dude said straight out, "Don't believe anyone that says they can stop or cure tinnitus". The best that can be done is "redirecting" the brain from processing the tinnitus noises as the priority, to something that, for lack of a better term, distracts the brain from the tinnitus. Different companies have different technologies and methods of doing that. I know that my tinnitus is permanent, and so is the "Peanuts" comprehension due to cochlear damage. It's now just finding the ones that work best for my particular needs.

The good part, that I failed to mention previously, is that with this program we can keep trying until we get it right. The most it will cost me is a month's turnaround time when ordering the new sets, an 8-hour round trip drive to Spangdahlem (Autobahn!), and any difference in cost if I choose a different model to try out. The Air Force gets no funding from pushing any specific models, so there's no real agenda to separate me from my money. I'm happy with the arrangement so far. We'll see how it goes once I actually get these things in my ears. Dare I speak too soon, but I don't see how it can make my hearing any worse...
 
{tpc} said:
I’m sure one day, I’m going to need them. I know I have some tinnitus, but my brain does a pretty good job (at least right now) of blocking it out or ignoring it.

My dad who just turned 85 needs them pretty badly. He has tried some from an ear doctor, and those were good but he is too cheap to spend the money on them. My mom bought him some off some kind of Facebook thing she got, not sure if she got her money back or not, I think those were 1k and terrible…but she just did it, never asked anyone.

He keeps talking about going to the va because he thinks he can get them there more inexpensively, but at 85, he is now always too busy to make the appointment, cant get through to anyone there, can’t understand them when he does…

I think it’s easier for him to ignore things that bother him when he can’t hear them. Lol. But when he can’t hear things, it really bothers him..catch 22 right?

When he did have the good ones he was much easier to talk to, then politics come up and I’m looking for a tinnitus flare up at that point myself! Haha
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Check this out:

www.cnn.com

A 'game-changer' for millions of Americans: You can now buy hearing aids over the counter | CNN

On Monday, for the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy over-the-counter hearing aids. Those who are under 18 or who have severe hearing loss will still need a prescription.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com

The audiologist yesterday said this is going to be a game-changer for people. I understand the level of Hell that dealing with the VA is, so I can completely get where your dad is coming from. I'm the same way about trying to make an appointment, and if it weren't for my wife doing all the work on this one, I probably would still be without. The guy didn't know much detail about this new OTC deal, but from reading about it, your dad will be able to go to Best Buy (specifically mentioned as getting in the business) or some other store (I'm sure Wal-Mart will, as well), and get them there. Apparently it's going to cause a big shift in insurance, as well, as most don't seem to cover hearing aids right now. You can get dick pills through insurance, but not something as critical as hearing help...
 
My FIL had a cochlear implant. Granted the tech is probably a lot better now than when he got his, and he was never going to go through it again for an upgrade, but down the road maybe a consideration?

Though honestly it would take a lot of convincing to get me to do it or to recommend it to anyone, based on what I saw him go through. He is gone now, but near the end he pretty much gave up on it and took the battery or whatever it was off so he didn’t have to listen to anyone. Even before that he used one of those caption phones which we always thought were kind of invasive because, at least the one he had, worked by relaying your conversation to a person somewhere, that typed it in to a system to send to his phone.
 
kann said:
Check this out:

www.cnn.com

A 'game-changer' for millions of Americans: You can now buy hearing aids over the counter | CNN

On Monday, for the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy over-the-counter hearing aids. Those who are under 18 or who have severe hearing loss will still need a prescription.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com

The audiologist yesterday said this is going to be a game-changer for people. I understand the level of Hell that dealing with the VA is, so I can completely get where your dad is coming from. I'm the same way about trying to make an appointment, and if it weren't for my wife doing all the work on this one, I probably would still be without. The guy didn't know much detail about this new OTC deal, but from reading about it, your dad will be able to go to Best Buy (specifically mentioned as getting in the business) or some other store (I'm sure Wal-Mart will, as well), and get them there. Apparently it's going to cause a big shift in insurance, as well, as most don't seem to cover hearing aids right now. You can get dick pills through insurance, but not something as critical as hearing help...
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Thanks for the info! I’ll let him know, it might give us something to talk about other than stuff pissing him off lol. He is just old and crotchety now haha. Supposed to have a heart procedure next month so it might be nice for him to be able to understand exactly what is going on before it does!
 
{tpc} said:
My FIL had a cochlear implant. Granted the tech is probably a lot better now than when he got his, and he was never going to go through it again for an upgrade, but down the road maybe a consideration?

Though honestly it would take a lot of convincing to get me to do it or to recommend it to anyone, based on what I saw him go through. He is gone now, but near the end he pretty much gave up on it and took the battery or whatever it was off so he didn’t have to listen to anyone. Even before that he used one of those caption phones which we always thought were kind of invasive because, at least the one he had, worked by relaying your conversation to a person somewhere, that typed it in to a system to send to his phone.
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I did not know that the captioning phones worked like that. I don't know if I'd be cool with someone using that around me.

I was talking to my wife on the way down there and I told her that if he says I'm a candidate for a cochlear implant, that I'm doing it. I want all the rechargeable parts I can get! :p Honestly, though, it's something else that I did not know a whole lot about, and I now understand that it is more than just, "put a thing in your head, and then you can hear people". There's months and sometimes years of audiology therapy, and you still depend on lip reading a lot. I guess I'll pass on that one...
 
kann said:
I did not know that the captioning phones worked like that. I don't know if I'd be cool with someone using that around me.

I was talking to my wife on the way down there and I told her that if he says I'm a candidate for a cochlear implant, that I'm doing it. I want all the rechargeable parts I can get! :p Honestly, though, it's something else that I did not know a whole lot about, and I now understand that it is more than just, "put a thing in your head, and then you can hear people". There's months and sometimes years of audiology therapy, and you still depend on lip reading a lot. I guess I'll pass on that one...
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Ya, I mean I’m sure the tech is better than what he had, I think he got his when it was in its infancy. He had to go back and get it tuned a bunch early on and never felt it was quite right. Eventually he got frustrated enough with that, that what he had was “good enough” and that was it.

I think one of his biggest complaints was that it took awhile for his brain to adjust to it? Or something like that. So it was like he had to suffer with it, even right after he got it, before they would make any changes.

His was not rechargeable, instead he had a hearing aid like thing that hung off the back of his ear with batteries in it, and a cord that went up a magnetic deal that “stuck” to a part of his head. Not 100 percent sure how it worked but I think the hearing aid thing captured the sound and sent it up through the other thing to the implant?

I honestly don’t know why he had such bad hearing loss, but he did. Wasn’t service related that I know of.
 
I can hear my Bluetooth earbuds just fine, they are the kind that just sit in your ear - they don't go into the ear canal. And they have a mic built into them and pretty decent noise cancelling. Surely there's the technology out there that could turn those into hearing aids, they only retail for $150 and came free with the phone.

I don't mean actually turn my earbuds into hearing aids, just adapt that technology at a similar price point. The app that controls them has an equalizer in it, seems like that'd be another thing hearing aids could use if not specifically tailored to one person's hearing.
 
ChuckJr said:
I can hear my Bluetooth earbuds just fine, they are the kind that just sit in your ear - they don't go into the ear canal. And they have a mic built into them and pretty decent noise cancelling. Surely there's the technology out there that could turn those into hearing aids, they only retail for $150 and came free with the phone.

I don't mean actually turn my earbuds into hearing aids, just adapt that technology at a similar price point. The app that controls them has an equalizer in it, seems like that'd be another thing hearing aids could use if not specifically tailored to one person's hearing.
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From reading that article, that sounds exactly like what is on the horizon for hearing aids OTC. They will not be as fine-tune dialed in as if from an actual audiologist, but for those with less-than-severe hearing issues it should be better than just "good enough". I can't believe it has taken this long -- you can buy "cheaters" at any cash register to help with reading, but Big Medical™ makes (made?) it almost impossible to buy even the most basic of in-ear sound amplifiers OTC.
 
kann said:
Check this out:

www.cnn.com

A 'game-changer' for millions of Americans: You can now buy hearing aids over the counter | CNN

On Monday, for the first time, adults with mild to moderate hearing loss in the US will be able to buy over-the-counter hearing aids. Those who are under 18 or who have severe hearing loss will still need a prescription.
www.cnn.com www.cnn.com
You can get dick pills through insurance, but not something as critical as hearing help...
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I asked the insurance company why they didn't cover hearing aids under a standard policy and the response was priceless.

"Hearing is a luxury!" That's right, a luxury. I asked if they would pay to sew my ear back on, if it got ripped off in a fight. She said of course, because that's a medical emergency. So I then said, you'd sew an ear back on a deaf man?? Yup, can't make this shit up.

Floyd T
 
Just read the article, but even the new "competitive" options they list are ~$1K. I was kinda hoping for earbud level pricing. I realize the market for earbuds is probably larger than hearing aids, but those earbuds have touch control with programmable touch sequences - 1, 2, or 3 touches or right or left sequences. Rechargeable batteries that last quite a while, noise cancelling, mics, a case that has a rechargeable battery in it big enough to top the buds off a few times, and the case is really small. All kinds of technology built in there for hundreds less than the hearing aids. Maybe it'll take off and the economy of scale can help pricing, and I wonder who really buys $150 earbuds. I wouldn't have paid that for them even though I really like them now that I have them, and they aren't even the top model.
 
ChuckJr said:
Just read the article, but even the new "competitive" options they list are ~$1K. I was kinda hoping for earbud level pricing. I realize the market for earbuds is probably larger than hearing aids, but those earbuds have touch control with programmable touch sequences - 1, 2, or 3 touches or right or left sequences. Rechargeable batteries that last quite a while, noise cancelling, mics, a case that has a rechargeable battery in it big enough to top the buds off a few times, and the case is really small. All kinds of technology built in there for hundreds less than the hearing aids. Maybe it'll take off and the economy of scale can help pricing, and I wonder who really buys $150 earbuds. I wouldn't have paid that for them even though I really like them now that I have them, and they aren't even the top model.
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Apple sells enough AirPods/Pros to satisfy your "Who really buys $150 earbuds" question. I think I paid $170 for my AirPod Pros on sale, and they are worth every cent as far as sound and features go.

Now, two things about the new OTC prices: First, it is expected that this will help get insurance companies to begin covering hearing aids on a much grander level than currently offered (read: not much at all). Second, I think it said there are only like five main manufacturers of hearing aids right now, so it's a seller's market. According to the article, and suspected by my audiologist yesterday, there will most likely be a boom in manufacturers and technology which will result in much more affordable prices. So, it may not happen tomorrow or the next day, but hopefully within a year or two the tech will meet the price point you are hoping for.
 
kann said:
Apple sells enough AirPods/Pros to satisfy your "Who really buys $150 earbuds" question. I think I paid $170 for my AirPod Pros on sale, and they are worth every cent as far as sound and features go.
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Seconded. If mine broke today, I would have a new pair before I went to bed.
 
IngloriousBasterd said:
Got me a new safe for under the bedView attachment 61800
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I love it! Although I have always been of the mindset that you need a "loaded" gun within reach of your most likely areas of threat, anything else is just an expensive rock to throw. But I do like this in the scenario where you simply can't risk a loaded gun in the house.
 
CigarStone said:
I love it! Although I have always been of the mindset that you need a "loaded" gun within reach of your most likely areas of threat, anything else is just an expensive rock to throw. But I do like this in the scenario where you simply can't risk a loaded gun in the house.
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Yeah it’s nice knowing I can just tap my thumb on it and pop it open. Wish I had a spot to put it out in the open close by but it works really well and it’s the highest quality one I have seen especially at the price point. I love wyze products.
 
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