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Changing Audiologists

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I am considering changing audiologists and would like some comments about doing it. I have had my hearing aids for more than a year-and-a-half and am still having trouble, especially with occlusion (echoing.)

My audiologist has been trying all the time to correct my situation, but in some ways it has gotten worse. Voices, especially some women’s voices, are shrill, high-pitched, and many sounds and voices sound as if they are coming either from a speaker or they sound as if the person is in a tunnel. Needless to say, it is difficult. In some instances, a person can be standing directly in front of me speaking, and I am unable to make out what he/she is saying. Watching television and movies in theaters is hard because often I cannot make out what people are saying, primarily because of the echo effect.

My hearing aids are ReSound Alera 7s, and I have 3 different program settings. I feel as if my audiologist has done as much as possible. I have described in so many ways how noises, especially voices, sound to me, but after adjustments they do not get much better. It is not a matter of sound but more about making out speech, especially because of the occlusion.

So, I am considering changing to a new audi. How easy (or difficult) is it to do? Do most audiologists deal with the same hearing aids or do I have to look for one who treats clients with the Alera 7? Also, I feel that a new audiologist will want to give me a new hearing test, and I am willing to do that, but would that audioligist be willing to take me on since I would not be buying a new hearing aid? Thanks for any comments.

My 2/24/2011
Hz…250…….500….1000….2000…… 4000….8000
L…….55………55…….55……45………50…….50
R…….60………50…….55……55………60…… 60<O:p</O:p

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Have you asked the audiologist to get the rep involved to help solve your problems? If not try that first, you may find that a new audiologist won’t want to adjust your current aids and will want to sell you new ones. Good luck!

After a year and a half, if they have not been able to solve that issue, then move on. You will have to pay for someone else to have a go, but hopefully it will be worth it to have someone else look at the problem.

You can change providers any time you want. Realize that by doing so you will incur charges for changes to hearing aids (most likely)…

What kind of style hearing aid is it?? I know it’s an Alera 7 but is it an , , remote mic??? That will make a difference with occlusion. Sometimes, you just can’t get rid of it no matter what you do. Also, what kind of word recognition to you have? This can/will also make a difference when it comes to speech clarity.

If you switch, you will need to find someone who is capable of working with ReSound products, and, I’d suggest someone who is also familiar with them - not someone who just has their software. If someone calls who has hearing aids I am not familiar with I tell them up front that I’m more than happy to try to help but that I am not very familiar with that particular device. Just bring all the information you can to provide them with a good history of what has been done otherwise they might just end up trying all the same things without success.

fwit, if you got 1.5 years worth of changes in them you might be ahead to let whomever just reboot them and start from scratch. do a fresh audio-gram and them go through the initial fitting setup. at some point like with a computer when someone has made a bunch of changes it’s easier to just start clean then to try to find all the changes.

Thank you for the replies. I appreciate the information and help you have offered.

My aids are , and I like that feature. My word recognition problems come more from occlusion than anything else. Because voices seem to be coming from a tunnel and they reverberate, I have a hard time making them out. Also, they seem to shouting because my setting is high, but the people are just talking in normal voices. My audiologist does not think that the settings are too high, but voices do come across that way many times.

I think starting from scratch with a new audiologist and with a new hearing test, as has been suggested, makes sense. I would definitely look for someone who has experience working the the Alera 7s. I just wish it didn’t have to require getting new aids.

@Alec said:

Thank you for the replies. I appreciate the information and help you have offered.

My aids are BTEs, and I like that feature. My word recognition problems come more from occlusion than anything else. Because voices seem to be coming from a tunnel and they reverberate, I have a hard time making them out. Also, they seem to shouting because my setting is high, but the people are just talking in normal voices. My audiologist does not think that the settings are too high, but voices do come across that way many times.

I think starting from scratch with a new audiologist and with a new hearing test, as has been suggested, makes sense. I would definitely look for someone who has experience working the the Alera 7s. I just wish it didn’t have to require getting new aids.

word recognition score during your audio-gram

getting new aids??

Word recognition:
Left ear: 75/80
right ear: 75/84

I mentioned buying new hear aids because it seems that seeing a new audiologist might require buying new aids. It seems difficult to find audiologists who will take you on once you already have aids recently bought elsewhere.

This is a more accurate reading from my :

Speech:
L: 84% at 55
R: 80% at 55 dB

In reply to @Alec

@Alec said:

Word recognition:
Left ear: 75/80
right ear: 75/84

I mentioned buying new hear aids because it seems that seeing a new audiologist might require buying new aids. It seems difficult to find audiologists who will take you on once you already have aids recently bought elsewhere.

Those are pretty good scores…and your audiologist should not require you to purchase new hearing aids…if they do…leave. That is unacceptable for hearing aids that are less than 2 years old and most likely still even under the original warranty. It’s possible that the ReSound circuit is not really the right one for you and that is contributing to the sound quality issues you are having but you should still be able to work with them to make the workable for at least another couple years.

Since you have ’s, you could have whoever you see try to make the venting on your earmold (if you have one - if you are wearing domes on a thin tube I’d change to the earmold) a little larger.

I take issues with any professional that just because the computer says certain settings are what you should have, don’t take into account the wearers needs/preferences. Software programming are suggestions, not rules that must be followed. If they are too loud, she should turn them down.

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