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Musician, first time with hearing aids

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I understand having to get used to something, but when the difference so vast thats when it became distressing.
No I went recently and it was out of her depth to be honest in how to re programme as she was just used to plugging a hearing aid to match a hearing test, she didn’t even know what else to suggest or tweak it, so she has referred me to a senior audiologist which I’m seeing next week.

Some people have suggested I go private or use the stores like Specsavers, but because I’m registered disabled with them I’ve always got them free via NHS, so I imagine going to stores like Specsavers will be costly.

In reply to @Sash88uk

@Sash88uk said:

I understand having to get used to something, but when the difference so vast thats when it became distressing.

It is the same as starting with the —then that device is not providing even a bit of speech understanding and rustles and beeps can be really disturbing and annoying, because it is direct electrical stimulation - something completely different that even most digital .

Aside from HA technology, months ago I and @Neville suggested that it is quite probable that you have conductive hearing loss, which is often treatable by an . To check that supposition, it would be good to obtain a bone conduction and an air conduction audiogram, and check the air-bone gap. would be useful, too.

It is important to ensure this because the HA may prove completely unnecessary, require a completely different setup, or even necessitate a different form factor.

It may turn out that // devices will suit you, which give a more natural impression of directionality, because they are based on the auricle.

In reply to @Bimodal_user

@Sash88uk said:

I just feel I’m being patronised with the age old “oh you’ll get used to it” I won’t because I don’t want to settle for something that doesn’t work for me.

This is a misunderstanding. You won’t get used to it, your brain will adapt and it will sound better. When your leg has been in a cast for a long time and you take it out walking hurts, but over time your muscles and ligaments stop hurting and become strong. That’s more similar to what people mean. You have to do the work, but it won’t sound on day 40 the way it sounds on day 1.

But you do need an experienced fitter who has seen people with profound loss. And they really should get a measurement of the output of your picofortes before they die.

In reply to @Bimodal_user

Yep honestly I will be asking about the bone conduction test, I want to really get to the bottom of that and clarify the type of loss I have. Also I will screenshot the types of hearing aids you’ve told me about, I have googled them before and I was wary of how sensitive they look in terms of if someone knocks your hear and that looks painful if it pokes right at your eardrum or something, for example I have young nieces and nephews, they are rough and climb all over me and very clumsy.

But yeah I want to go next week armed with as much information about hearing and hearing aids as possible, I’m not well knowledges considering I’ve had hearing issues for 30 years, I just got my hearing aids, went to every 6 months and never questioned things since then and got discharged over 10 years ago and that was it just got on with my life and pretend I was “normal” and didn’t have hearing problems.

Edited

In reply to @Sash88uk

Well, in my professional opinion,Your perception is going to be different from the next person. In the USA, you get a trial period, you could try them with an OPEN MIND and give yourself the chance to enter the digital era. You can indicate what worries you, and have a good relationship with your audiologist. As others indicate here, you can still get analog hearing aids in some places. Some companies still sell them. Pico Forte was in my university years great. However, if you try some of the new Phonaks, you might be surprised to feel actually more natural, more ambient sounds, and with more things that you can either take out or improve in your hearing aids. As a professional, I do try them on, in order to see how my patients feel, and the unnatural sensations that they sometimes inform. But for the most part, with the prescriptive tools (rule by which your hearing aids are programmed). Nal-Nal1, Nal-Nal2, , etc. Digital hearing aids can simulate your analog hearing aids to a much more comfortable sound and more natural. Reduction of wind, being able to hug, kiss, with no feedback, reduce feedback, improve microphone direction, etc. I do hear the difference. You need to try them with an open mind and not based on the opinion of other users. You are unique in your individuality.

So I’ve got given Phonak Naida, whilst they are clear and good at picking up sounds, they still don’t feel or sound as good as my analogs, like you say it’s your brain that needs to train all over again to re learn the sounds, I think this is where I struggle mentally too, flushing the toilet doesn’t sound the same, closing the car door doesn’t sound the same, I hear my own voice too much which is freaking me out. Also I have noticed when I drove home after the audiology that the voices on the radio sounds tinny and echoey, can this be amended on the hearing aid

Edited

Interesting, your voice issue would seem to suggest occlusion due to a nice tight fit between you ears and the hearing aid dome or mold.

However, your tinny and echo issue would seem to suggest that you don’t have a tight fit between your ears and your hearing aid dome or mold.

Could it be that one ear has a tight fit between your hearing aid dome or mold and the other ear doesn’t have a tight fit?

You might want to do a search on the Phonak active vent. I don’t know if it would work for you, but you might as well look into it.

5 steps to fitting ActiveVent Receiver in Phonak Target | Audiology Blog2

ActiveVent Receiver tackles the conundrum that audiologists face on a daily basis. Now your new clients who want to socialize after their tennis match don’t have to compromise first fit acceptance.

How strange there’s a difference between the two issues, but yeah I do wear full fitted ear moulds and not the domes. I have got a few more made as these are old, therefore might have shrunk over time. So shall see if that’s the case when the new set come via the post.

Stupidly enough I don’t actually know, they are battery powered (size 13) though. Amazing how he gave me so many batteries because they run out every 4 days he said I didn’t expect that, I’m used to changing mine 1-2 weeks.

I didn’t have hearing test and he has my previous hearing test, no bone conduction test done, he used my analogs on a box to “match” up, naturally it’s never going to truly match up though, but I can see why it’ll take a lot of going back and forth to Audiology to constantly tweak where I know doesn’t sound or feel right.

Also my Audiologist did comment I have a flat loss, funny enough considering I haven’t been regularly to audiology in over 10 years, he was actually my audiologist when I was little, NHS staffs seem to stay employed for a long time there, which was nice to see familiar faces.

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