Hearing aids and glasses

OK, trying to catch up here after being away for a while. I wear glasses some days and contacts some days and I never have a problem with the hearing aids when wearing contacts.

Just kidding, I don’t have any problem with glasses either.

I’m a little perplexed by all the people taking their glasses off and putting back on several times a day? I put mine on in the morning and take them off that night. I have progressive lenses with a little magnetic sunglass attachment. I’m on my second set of those.

My contacts are multifocal contacts (like progressive lenses) so there are ways to see everything, close, intermediate, and distance, without taking off and putting on glasses over and over. If I did that I would no doubt poke myself in the eye daily.

I can hear the click of my sunglasses rubbing against my hearing aid as well whenever I put on or remove the glasses. That’s normal. In the past, when my left ear still had fully normal hearing, I would wear a bluetooth headset in the car and taking it on and off while wearing sunglasses made a noise. It’s fully normal to hear a click when glasses/sunglasses rub against a hearing aid:) I’m sure it would be more annoying if one wore glasses and took them on and off several times a day, though. When I did actually wear my glasses (I wear contacts F/T now since my son broke my glasses several months ago!), I don’t recall having any trouble keeping my hearing aid in when I removed my glasses, whether using the dome (in the past), or the mini mold (more recent).

Kerry

For me because I switch between sunglasses, computer glasses, and no glasses at all multiple times a day. Also because I hate anything on my glasses and clean the pretty frequently. Additionally, if you’re active, things can bounce around and make noise. For example, if i’m out in the Atlantic in my boat, the pounding waves can rattle the HA and sunglasses together.

@Don said:

I’m a little perplexed by all the people taking their glasses off and putting back on several times a day? I put mine on in the morning and take them off that night. I have progressive lenses with a little magnetic sunglass attachment. I’m on my second set of those.

— Updated —

For me because I switch between sunglasses, computer glasses, and no glasses at all multiple times a day. Also because I hate anything on my glasses and clean the pretty frequently. Additionally, if you’re active, things can bounce around and make noise. For example, if i’m out in the Atlantic in my boat, the pounding waves can rattle the HA and sunglasses together.

@Don said:

I’m a little perplexed by all the people taking their glasses off and putting back on several times a day? I put mine on in the morning and take them off that night. I have progressive lenses with a little magnetic sunglass attachment. I’m on my second set of those.

@JeffBowser,

I do the same thing.
The noise of putting on or pulling off of my glasses / sunglasses doesn’t bother me.
I do favor thin temples more than wide ones though.

@srsearle said:

“I’m a little perplexed by all the people taking their glasses off and putting back on several times a day? I put mine on in the morning and take them off that night. I have progressive lenses with a little magnetic sunglass attachment.”

I get what you’re saying. My glasses are for “book” distance, and “computer” distance. So, if I want to see the white board or the person speaking, clearly, I need to remove my glasses. During an hour long presentation, and taking notes, that means the glasses are coming on and off many time per meeting. I get that progressives with a longer focal point on the top part would be great. That’s another $150 or so from Sam’s club. Maybe that’s the way to go. I just wanted to explain the “on off” that people don’t understand.
Thanks for all your help everyone,
Scott

I got about 5 or 6 years out of my first set of progressives, so it’s really not expensive when you consider how many years of use you get, and not having to buy multiple pairs of glasses. I just got new ones at Costco and I got their newest progressive “theory” (marketed as something like HD Progressive), with polycarbonate lenses (very light), and the anti-reflective coating, and they were $234 so I think progressives are coming down slightly in price. I have vision insurance at work so I paid $34.

Most of the time I use multifocal contacts. Multifocal contacts are like progressive lens glasses, except that I can see at any distance without looking through one particular spot. They really are amazing.

Sometimes I will have them in and friends with reading glasses will ask me how I can read this or that fine print without glasses. I think contacts or progressive glasses make me seem younger at work or at least don’t call attention to my age. I’m in a field that assumes youth is better or more capable.

Another option for contacts is monovision, where you have either one contact for up close and one contact for distance, or one contact for distance and nothing in the other eye, or one contact for reading and nothing in the other (depending on your needs). I have tried that and used that for years and it works pretty well. The brain adjusts and sees what it needs to see.

I tried mulitfocal contacts & did not like them. I glad they work for you.

@Don said:

I got about 5 or 6 years out of my first set of progressives, so it’s really not expensive when you consider how many years of use you get, and not having to buy multiple pairs of glasses. I just got new ones at Costco and I got their newest progressive “theory” (marketed as something like HD Progressive), with polycarbonate lenses (very light), and the anti-reflective coating, and they were $234 so I think progressives are coming down slightly in price. I have vision insurance at work so I paid $34.

Most of the time I use multifocal contacts. Multifocal contacts are like progressive lens glasses, except that I can see at any distance without looking through one particular spot. They really are amazing.

Sometimes I will have them in and friends with reading glasses will ask me how I can read this or that fine print without glasses. I think contacts or progressive glasses make me seem younger at work or at least don’t call attention to my age. I’m in a field that assumes youth is better or more capable.

Another option for contacts is monovision, where you have either one contact for up close and one contact for distance, or one contact for distance and nothing in the other eye, or one contact for reading and nothing in the other (depending on your needs). I have tried that and used that for years and it works pretty well. The brain adjusts and sees what it needs to see.

One thing you might want to get if you are on a boat and taking glasses on and off is a safety cord. I bought one from my Audi. It’s like those chains that people use who wear their glasses around their necks but it is shorter and has an alligator clip on it that hooks on your clothes. Little loops go on the HA. Looks kind of silly and seemed pricey but is lot cheaper than having a HA go overboard. I hook mine on when I’m gardening so I don’t accidentally plant a HA.

— Updated —

One thing you might want to get if you are on a boat and taking glasses on and off is a safety cord. I bought one from my Audi. It’s like those chains that people use who wear their glasses around their necks but it is shorter and has an alligator clip on it that hooks on your clothes. Little loops go on the HA. Looks kind of silly and seemed pricey but is lot cheaper than having a HA go overboard. I hook mine on when I’m gardening so I don’t accidentally plant a HA.

Hi Momof2+dog,

I am not sure how severe your hearing loss is but if you are getting away with CICs I think you have a lot of style options. To get rid of your occlusion you don’t necessarily have to go to BTEs. The reason you are thinking BTEs is probably the fact that you can put a large vent into your earmold. However this same sized hole/vent can easily be accomplished by getting a ITC, half shell, or ITE which would all fit into your ear with nothing behind it. The larger the aid the more room to put a larger hole. How large the hole has to be to reduce occlusion and also not cause feedback will depend on the hearing loss.

Regardless, in the end what you are looking for is a vent to reduce your occlusion which can be accomplished with an in-ear hearing aid which would allow you to not wear anything behind your ear. You would not be sacrificing sound quality by not getting the BTE. While most people don’t have issues with glasses and BTEs if you don’t even want it to be a thought investigate those other styles (ITC, half shell, or ITE).

@Miki said:

I tried mulitfocal contacts & did not like them. I glad they work for you.

Thanks! I’ve worn contacts for years and the new ones, the so called “gel” types, let in more oxygen (like 90+ %) and are very comfortable.

At this time I have RITE BHE aids and before that I had ITE aids. I love the BHE aids except for the issue with feedback when I wear my hat. And being in Texas and having the summer heat we have a hat is almost a have to. I wear my hair very short so I do not wish to get my head sun burned. I also have the issue that my BTE aids have lots of issues due to me sweating, so I find myself not wearing my aids as much as I should. So I am getting new aids this year from the VA and I had a long talk with my audiologist and I am getting ITE aids again mostly due to the sweating and the fact that my hearing has gotten worse an I was ordered to wear my aids every minute that I am awake except for showers. I am hoping I do not have the stuffed up feeling that I had before with the ITE aids. But I know as before I will get use to them and go on with life. As of this May I have been wearing aids for nine years and I am getting ready to have my 4th pair of aids. The main reason for so many in that amount of time is the fact that my hearing has been getting worse at a much to fast rate.