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Options for severe hearing loss

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Well, after a decade or so living with moderate hearing impairment I have just been hit with sudden and comprehensive hearing loss. Both ears are now at around 80db loss. I’ve also got some pretty terrible word recognition scores, around the 40% mark. I got blasted with steroids right away but they seem to have done nothing. I still need to look into a few things with an but in the meantime I’d like to inform myself a bit more.

At the moment I’m wearing Resound Nexias but I suspect they’re not powerful enough to cope. I’m getting quite a bit of static after the most recent adjustment which suggests to me they are being pushed too far. I know most hearing aid places stay with one brand so I am going to have to do some shopping around if I want to change.

I suppose my question is, what brands and models are out there at the moment that would likely be suitable for someone with severe approaching profound loss? I’m still in the workforce so for me speech, tinnitus management and the ability to connect/stream are critical. Music fidelity is not important and I’ve pretty much given up expecting any ability to handle speech-in-noise.

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You’re still within the fitting range for the Nexias, and might just need a different receiver (UP) and mold. If you are happy with them, your Aud/fitter may be able reprogram/refit them and save some $$$

Screenshot 2026-01-17 180947

Interesting, thanks. The fitter wasn’t keen. Maybe he thought I’d just be too much bother?

I wonder what the heavy distortion and static is then? Maybe just my hearing playing up?

So many maybes.

Well, some /fitters are both clinicians and salespeople. That may explain the lack of interest. Refit or make $5000.

The Nexia is a good aid and it has been in the market for two years and likely still in warranty.

Hey, sorry to read this and hope you are coping ok. Ask your audiologist about the Enzo IA from Resound; it might work for you. My own speech recognition is not great too and I’m looking at captioning glasses for a bit of extra help in parallel to the . Unfortunately, there isn’t much feedback yet on this technology as far as I can see.

@leccy said:

I have just been hit with sudden and comprehensive hearing loss.

When did it happen? A few weeks ago?

If is recent, try Audeo Infinio Sphere with UP receivers in cShell with no or 0.5-0.8mm maximum diameter vent.

If your is 40%, there is little possibility that even the best hearing aid could help break that comprehension “ceiling.” You’re eligible to get at least a evaluation because it is much below the 60% threshold..

That evaluation doesn’t oblige you to surgery, but will provide you with much useful information about your hearing.

Yeah, 3 weeks ago. So my long journey is just beginning.

For now, I just wish I could get the tinnitus under control. I swear my left ear is stuck in front of an industrial strength exhaust fan while my right ear alternates between a tree full of cicadas and someone playing the cymbals. With a bagpipe in the background.

Thanks for listening.

@leccy

I am so sorry to hear this; you must be in shock! You already got some good advice. I’m sure more people will chime in. I’m not qualified to give any specific advice, but it’s certainly true that if you had an evaluation for a cochlear implant, you wouldn’t have to decide anything.

I hope that things become more clear soon. This forum is a true boon!

Edited

In reply to @leccy

@leccy said:

Yeah, 3 weeks ago. So my long journey is just beginning.

Ask about possibility for high oxygen hyperbaric therapy (at least 2.5 ATA) as soon as possible.

It requires much sessions (at least 10-15 each 1h under 100% oxygen).

The time is a key.

In reply to @OcramSagev

I had to change audiologist within a practice for this type of financial reason. My current one is absolutely amazing. You deserve someone who is clinician first, let the money follow it naturally.

It was the same with me. I had Meniere’s disease in my right ear for 18 years, I could hear very poorly in it. One morning I woke up completely deaf and with a very strong noise in my ears. I spent 2 weeks on Betahistine to no avail. Then I went to the hospital for 10 days. Every day they dripped 500-600 milliliters of various medications into my vein. And as they wrote above, 1 hour a day in a pressure chamber with oxygen, and every day they warmed my ears with something similar to electrophoresis. On the 8th day of treatment, my hearing almost returned. After the hospital, I returned to work. Almost 2 months after the hospital, I was very stressed at work for 40 minutes one day. The next day I lost my hearing again as before. I went to the hospital twice more for the same treatment, but without the pressure chamber because it broke. Unfortunately, the following treatments did not help. I think you should try to get treatment if you have the opportunity, maybe you can get your hearing back. I sympathize with you and get well. (Sorry for writing through a translator)

How on earth do people find specialists who actually want to listen to you and not just sell you something to get you out the door?

I went to a very highly regarded ontologist who took a glance at my audiogrsm and and said “coclear”. Which will cost me $11k after insurance, thank you very much. That 5 minute conversation cost me $250.

Back to the audiologist to adjust aids after repairs. 10 minutes fiddling. “Can you hear me now?”. Done.

I’ve never had such disinterest from a GP or a physiotherapist or a dentist or a urologist or any other specialist I’ve seen. But hearing specialists? Who cares if you’re close to a nervous breakdown due to inability to communicate? Nah, go away and deal with it is the attitude.

Now I have to work out how to fit my hearing aids so they don’t squeal and don’t hurt my ears.

I think you can tell I’m seriously pissed off right now.

@leccy said:

How on earth do people find specialists who actually want to listen to you and not just sell you something to get you out the door?

Perhaps a neurotologist or otologist would be the answer. These physicians are otolaryngologists who specialize in, among other things, the ear’s & the brain’s vestibular sensory systems. The neurotologist was very beneficial to me because my loss is primarily from nerves in the brain. The physician was able to direct the audiologist for proper devices and programming.

These physicians don’t sell hearing aids, so there is no bias on. their part to direct your treatment one way or the other.

Edited

incredible that you’ve found a Neuro-otologist who isn’t only interested in making you do 1000 unnecessary tests in order to charge your insurance a million pounds and then tell you “you have hearing loss and you should wear hearing aids”.

BTW i wear Phonak Naida Lumity UP if that helps.

In reply to @leccy

Go for the evaluation and then ask them to recommend an audiologist. Sometimes they are in the know because part of the CI evaluation is evaluating the fit of your hearing aid (you don’t want to implant someone when the problem is just the hearing aid), so they know which providers are doing a good job and which aren’t.

@leccy said:

Both ears are now at around 80db loss. I’ve also got some pretty terrible word recognition scores, around the 40% mark. I got blasted with steroids right away but they seem to have done nothing.

I agree with the cochlear implant evaluation route. It’s very informative about your hearing loss. You will get helpful information.

I also agree with your aids might not be adjusted properly and that’s why your word understanding is all of a sudden low. You really need to make sure your aids are properly adjusted to your hearing loss. The evaluation will make sure your aids are adjusted right before going the CI route.

Try not to dwell on the tinnitus. Thinking about it just makes it worse. Stress also causes tinnitus. Try to relax and stay busy or have good thoughts. You are not alone concerning tinnitus and remember tinnitus will not hurt you.

Good luck with this.

Thank you all for your kind words. It’s been a frustrating few weeks!

I’m managing Ok now I have 2 working hearing aids again. I’m getting some horrific feedback (squealing) in my right aid though which suggests there is still a bit more tweaking possible

I’m booked in for a evaluation next week so I will see how that goes. Hopefully I’ll be better informed at least.

.

I have a profound loss cant hear anything less than 90+ decibels. I have a Phonak aid . Newly arrived back from New Zealand after 12 years there. I went with independent audiologist after years of high street ones linked to manufacturers. Coming back advised go nhs as probable next step cochlea implant. My aids were fine till had them retubed. NZ ones have an extra kink that stops them moving so much and stops whistling. Now I’m overwhelmed with whistling in nhs and nz ones. Looking at buying kicked tubes bit really not sure which is the ones?

feedback is more likely to be wax or the earmould being worn away than the tubing. when they retubed it did they mention anything about the earpiece being split or worn? that happens often with the softer ones. did they check your ears?

In reply to @leccy

Had an interesting session with the audiologist affiliated with the specialist. After the usual hearing tests she actually did - first time ever. At this point she basically aborted the session saying she couldn’t get a decent adjustment as there was too much noise escaping from my ears. I now need to get a pair of custom molds made so they can do the “how good can your ears get” test. All indications for now are still CI though.

I’m strangely not freaked by all this. Apart from impending cost, of course!

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