MX Linux Forum

I have to get hearing aids. The basic attributes that I have already selected are that they are behind the ear and rechargeable (my hands shake to the point where putting tiny little batteries into tiny little slots is not in the cards). My question to the folks here that wear hearing aids is what extra features that the hearing aid clinics push are worth the extra expense and which, in your opinion, should be avoided or can easily be given a pass?

Thanks in advance.

John

my father's has some sort of connection to his phone. I presume bluetooth.

I'm not there yet, but jackhammers, concrete pumps, and Van Halen is catching up with me.

I read that combining them with bluetooth earbuds is the coming thing.

Get digital hearing aids, ie such that has digital processing. Analog is just and only amplifying which often results in positive feedback.
Many of the digital have Bluetooth connections, as mentioned above. That is good.
Modern digital hearing aids have possibilities of lobe shaping, usually it is possible to have 3-4-5-... different profiles (omni, concert, narrow lobe ....) as well as possibilities to reduce noise. profiles for different situations as meetings, f2f, ,,, Some also have programs for ease tinnitus. Some have possibilities to handle phone calls (via bluetooth to the mobile phone)
It is good if the user have some means to also control the gain (~amplification), eg via a mobile phone.
All these features may sound beyond basic need but they are very nice to have! well worth some extra investment.

Hearing aids should be individual fitted, mainly to adjust frequency response to each ear. Most often not a flat frequency response.
It is well worth the money to contact a audiologist, they often also sell hearing aids. To get hearing aids as self description is a mistake.
A good audiologist will offer testing hearing aids for 1-2 weeks before buying. This is worth a lot as the hearing aids shall compensate the hearing problem as well as fit physically.

Those things one is putting in the ears are called domes. small plastic things which needs to be cleaned regularly and also replaced rather regularly. Then there must be some possibilities to easy buy these things, at a pharmacy, internet ...

Guess how I know ...

//Peter

I'm in the same position as John, but after having seen a number of specialists, including an ear, nose and throat specialist, I am leaning toward the higher tech devices. He suggested that the bluetooth and/or other connectivity to phones and other bluetooth devices is the coming standard, even to the point of phones providing the audio pickup, as I thought he said, but as my hearings not that good....

I am fortunate to qualify for Govt. scheme and get a Signia brand, a subset of Seimens I believe. I paid extra (a bit actually) for the bluetooth kit, a separate neck worn transmitter, although newer aids are increasingly in-built.

This is so for the Cochlear version my father uses, although he doesn't use a smart phone. If he did, newer Iphones and some Samsungs are compatible, but not generic Android yet.

However, my own aids do work with basic Androids on bluetooth and make a lot of difference in both ease of hearing and convenience for phone calls, being hands free. In this instance you get cleaner and 'corrected' sound and can even block external speaker input if background noise is distracting.

They can also pair with an accompanying transmitter, attached to a TV or simple Aux output, but need a phone app to connect.

Simpler for me is to pair/connect to a laptop (direct using my bluetooth neck device) without a phone app being needed, so any newer tele or device with bluetooth would be likewise simple.

My father's Cochelar aids have options for replaceable or rechargeable batteries, but both require you to disconnect the compartment forom the aid to replace/recharge. This also requires some dexterity.

I have a little cleaning brush with a magnet on the end that makes it quite easy to pick up and insert a battery. In practical terms, this is probably easier than swapping battery modules, which may not actually be available with your regular behind ear hearing aid, where the compartment is built in and just flips open to replace cells.

First of all: get them fitted by a specialist. Not off the rack, those $10 things.. sorry.. are crap. Fun to try out to see if getting hearing aids would make a difference, but once you determine they do, get proper ones.

Of course DO get checked by a specialist to see if nothing else is going on that is causing the loss.

The specialist (whether that be a doctor or hearing aid specialized store doesn't matter anymore these days, at least not in my country, I assume the same applies to Canada) can measure your loss, and exactly tune the things to that. After that mine had to be adjusted again, since certain noises physically hurt. But all that could be done in store, so no waiting for them to get sent back from a factory or whatever. I actually recently had them adjusted again. I will end up fully deaf in time, inner ear damage caused by medical errors, goody.

Anyway..

Behind the ear or in the ear.. that is a personal choice really. Those in the ear things weren't an option for me, my hearing loss is too extensive.

When you pick behind the ear.. get earpieces that are custom-made to your ears. No domes. I have only heard people complaining about them. Too small so they dropped the aids, the things breaking, falling out of the ear, getting clogged easily... Once you have properly fitted earpieces that will get you a long way. Oh.. and when they are made and they hurt.. SAY SO. You won't believe the number of people I have been around complaining about it and not speaking up. It is easily fixed, in store.

Also.. if you are getting hearing aids, invest in them. The ones these days can be fully customized to your liking and have a wider frequency range. I have those. Trust me, they are hella expensive, but they are worth it. The ones before the ones I have now lasted me over ten years.

Finally.. get the bells and whistles. I can connect my most recent ones with my phone using a little bluetooth device about the size of a card reader or usb stick that clips onto my bra strap (no need to get a bra in your case, a tshirt or whatever will do ). If operating little buttons is a thing, you might want to ask the store about that instead of having the bluetooth connection to your phone or other devices in your hearing aid itself. Once I turn that thing on I can adjust the volume of the aids on it, without having to fuss behind my ears and pressing the wrong button. It's basically kind of a remote control, to answer my phone I tap its big button.

Oh.. and there are phone apps as well now, but as I don't have my phone glued to my butt.. if you do have it with you and on you all the time, the connection straight in the aids might be an idea.

I also got me the remote mic. In hindsight I could have left that out and saved me some money, as I never use it. But that thing is basically for someone else to put on, like when you go for a walk and still have issues filtering out their voice from the surrounding noise.


OK that is enough rambling from someone who has worn the things for 30+ years now. I am on my 4th set. The one that lasted me the shortest was the first. But back then I didn't know what I know now, and they didn't have what they have now. They sounded like transistor radios in those days

As per some of Eadwine's comments and in addition:

Audiologist is essential to tune to your needs, after they do a series of hearing tests to map your frequency losses.

In the ear is more about cosmetic look than actual usefulness in my understanding, while they also block more natural sounds that a behind the ear version will allow. This is what I was told by the experts.

When getting fitted, the audiologist should make ear molds so that a custom insert can be made and then delivered. I needed a little 'wing' added, eventually, so it stays seated, when eating etc.

Some aids offer a 'remote control' that is easier to use than the wee buttons etc on the aids themselves, for volume or program settings (eg. regular, noise enviro). These are well suited to those who have less dexterity.

Thank you, @j2mcgreg for starting this thread...and to all who contributed...I am in the same boat...and this was really helpful in getting me off my butt and doing something about it. I have noise-induced hearing loss from ten years of listening to diesel engines on fishing boats...time to get it done.

I thought I'd add some more info on my situation in response to the remarks above:

-- the only way to purchase hearing aids in Canad currently is through a dispensing audiologist

-- my hearing loss is mid to low range IE on the music scale we were taught as children I have no problem with Lah, Ti, and Doh; I can sort of hear Fah, Soh; but I have real
difficulty with Doh, Ray, Me.

-- the audiologist explained that the best solution for me is to allow the high end sounds to be heard naturally while amplifying the mid and low range sounds to match. This
is more effectively accomplished with behind the ear because of the design of the probe that fits in the ear.

-- The clinic that I am dealing with offers a ninety day trial period and if in that time I find that the arms of my glasses interfere with how the aids sit behind the ear, I can
return them and go with an in the ear design.

Good that you have the in ear option available. There is a reason that I am VERY happy with my more than perfect still eyesight! Seriously.. I have small ears, but with glasses added to them I feel like I no longer need my car to get around once outside.

I have a titanium stapea in my right ear. Right after the operation I remember telling the Dr. I could taste the titanium. Makes it hard to hear and my balance sucks too. Gosh I remember those magnet things used to change the bats my grandfather wore.

On Wednesday I am going to Costco for a hearing test. They made 2 more appts for Fitting, etc. I plan on getting behind the ear type. I don't think the fancy bluetooth stuff will help me. I do want them to adjust automatically to the environment.

What they need to do is build eyeglasses with hearing aids in them w/ intergated bluetooth to your phone (optional). The rechargeable batteries should be inside the eyeglasses providing longer life with better microphones built in front and rear of eyeglasses for better clearer audio to user. Just my 2 cents. Something like BLU - which did not get productized ... -> https://icrowdnewswire.com/2015/12/17/b ... e-calling/

That might work for most people including the original poster where replacing small batteries become mute as you can easily recharge these ones. Maybe someone will have come up soon with something like those.

Integrated? Oh heck no.. what if you need new glasses every two years?

You cannot change the kind of frame, and you HAVE to use compatible frames or the aids won't connect.
Hmm.. why does that sound familiar?

I want linux glasses & hearing aids

razor2021 wrote: Sun Jan 16, 2022 10:37 pm What they need to do is build eyeglasses with hearing aids in them w/ intergated bluetooth to your phone (optional). The rechargeable batteries should be inside the eyeglasses providing longer life with better microphones built in front and rear of eyeglasses for better clearer audio to user. Just my 2 cents. Something like BLU - which did not get productized ... -> https://icrowdnewswire.com/2015/12/17/b ... e-calling/

That might work for most people including the original poster where replacing small batteries become mute as you can easily recharge these ones. Maybe someone will have come up soon with something like those.

I remember when I was kid in the '60s that my grandmother had a pair of those. Her major gripe was that when the hearing aids needed servicing she had to give up her glasses for whatever length of time the repair took and use an older pair with an older prescription in the interim.

Eadwine Rose wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 3:36 am Integrated? Oh heck no.. what if you need new glasses every two years?

You cannot change the kind of frame, and you HAVE to use compatible frames or the aids won't connect.
Hmm.. why does that sound familiar?

I want linux glasses & hearing aids

Yeah, that's true. You could just change the lenses, but I agree, most people change the frames as well. Maybe that's why the start-up idea never took off when it first started back in 2015 ...

j2mcgreg wrote: Mon Jan 17, 2022 6:36 am

I remember when I was kid in the '60s that my grandmother had a pair of those. Her major gripe was that when the hearing aids needed servicing she had to give up her glasses for whatever length of time the repair took and use an older pair with an older prescription in the interim.

Yep, true. Repair would make the person sightless and also not being able to hear. A non-starter ...

I suffer from high frequency hearing loss - the typical age-related deafness.

I used to have digital aids provided by the National Health Service - free, and they worked very well, but during the Covid pandemic my local clinic closed and we were expected to post the devices to a remote hospital for repairs, etc. I was reluctant to send them away and have no aids at all for a period, so I went to a local private retailer (SpecSavers) with a qualified audiologist, who provided (at a cost!) digital hearing aids.

The devices I got can be linked to my smartphone with bluetooth, so I can get mobile phone calls direct to my devices, and also listen to recorded music, hear internet audio and all the other bluetooth goodies. I am an amateur musician (play cornet in a brass band) and go to a lot of concerts - I can change the frequency response of the devices using a smartphone app, to a setting more suited to music.

Very happy with the devices so far.

I thought that I'd give an update to my situation. Last Friday I switched from a pair of behind the ear aids made by Signia to a pair of in the ear aids made by Phonak. The sound quality from the Signia aids was superb but the cords from the from the in-ear speakers were not long enough ( I've got a big head) to comfortably reach the receivers. This meant that the receivers were sitting on top of my ears rather than dangling safely behind them. The short cords also meant that the receivers would fall off my ears with little provocation. The only reason that I switched to the Phonak brand is that Signia does not make a rechargeable "in the ear" hearing aid in my price range. I've only had the current set for five days but my only complaint is that I am getting a lisp on esses when watching TV or watching videos on my laptop. I 'm confident that the hearing aid clinic will be able to make adjustments that will eliminate the lisping sounds on my next visit.

I also had an idea that if the behind the ear receivers were magnetic, they could attach to metal eyeglass frames and no longer flop about with any head movement.

Interesting - was curious about if Phonak would have firmware upgrade supported via mobile phone app either iOS or Android. Here is the blurb, in case there is a firmware update to correct the lisp, or for any reason, that you were mentioning.

Firmware update in the myPhonak app
Can I get a firmware update in the myPhonak app or do I need to visit my hearing care professional for this?

No, you can’t do a firmware update of your hearing aids yourself. The firmware update must be done by your hearing care professional in their office. The firmware update cannot be done during a Remote Support session.

So, it can be done, but by the professional.