I first went my ears testing back in 2018 and was told then I could have hearing aids if I wanted. (Uk NHS). I’ve resisted up until now and have recently been back as it’s now at the point where it’s really bad. I literally have to put my whole head right next to someone’s mouth to be able to hear what they are saying when in a noisy environment.
Anyway. I haven’t been shown my or anything, just been told I need hearing aids. So I am booked in next week for NHS ones fitting.
Now I’m happy to try these, see if they make an improvement but long term I don’t really want behind the ear ones which I believe the NHS only provide.
What’s the best way to go about looking into private ones should I decide I’d prefer some more discreet in the ear types?
Do the nhs give me a copy of my audiogram I can take with me to get some? Does it matter what kind of provider I use? Can I just go online etc?
There’s a big difference for example between getting something like the signia silk 7 from a. Provider with all the aftercare to just going and buying a set. I’m guessing it’s better with the aftercare?
Or do I need to have another hearing test with a private provider? What sort of providers in the uk do you guys use?
Lastly, Are any types of hearing aids not really useable with ear defenders? (Sometimes wear these at work)
Sorry for all the questions and apologies if I sound a bit stupid but just seem a bit lost with it all initially
Welcome @Sts121, unfortunately people will notice your hearing loss, long before they spot your aids… Depending on your loss, Costco UK, if you have one near, sell top line rebranded aids, at around half or a third of UK private Audioligist’s, it’s worth investigating them, they do , (Real Ear Measurement) and use best practices… Boots, and Specsavers are also cheaper, all of these dispensers, including private A.uDs will retest your hearing, you can ask any private A.uD, or the NHS for a copy of your , it’s your information, and you are entitled to a copy, if requested… It will probably take you a few months to acclimatise to your aids, it just takes time, to relearn sounds, and adapt to a much louder, and chaotic world… As for ear defenders, I use the cupped type, over my BTE’s, and turn my aids down to zero, to avoid feedback. Good Luck, cheers Kev
In case it may help you decide my own experience of NHS Vs private is that the NHS is fine. I have had NHS aids for 15 years with little or no problem. My current NHS aids are rechargeable and have Bluetooth for hands free calls and streaming. I find it is easy to get repairs and maintenance. The NHS audiologists are helpful and knowledgeable.
Recently, I bought the latest Phonak aids from Specsavers - the Infinio Sphere. I had read a lot about these aids and thought that they would be a big improvement on my NHS aids. However, I did not find much of an improvement. They cut out background noise quite well but I didn’t find this helped much. Some speakers are not easy for me to understand and the Infinio Spheres made no difference to that so I took them back to Specsavers for a refund. I felt that the audiologist wasn’t very responsive to me. If you do go private, make sure that you can get a refund and make sure that the audiologist is willing to work with you on fine tuning the aids to your needs and requirements.
In summary, my recommendation is to go with the NHS in the first instance and not to worry about your aids being visible. If anything, it helps if people know you are hard of hearing.
Really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I’m yet to see my nhs but I have attached one above that I took online. As to its accuracy i have no idea until my appointment week.
I’m going to give the nhs side of things a go first to see where I end up. I’m in my early 40s and with very short/shaved hair around the back and sides which makes me super conscious about hearing aids that go behind my ear. I am conscious about it but that said I wear contact lenses because if I wear glasses for too long I always come out in spots in my hairline around the back of my ears. Something I’ve had for years. So it’s not just looks but also that element to it.
I’d be happier long term I think with in the ear ones. They don’t necessarily have to be the tiny invisible ones as I’m starting to accept that not being able to hear certain things is having quite a big impact now on my life.
I’ll see what the nhs say next week. I wasn’t sent to specsavers on account that they said I was a bit young to just go off having hearing aids so have been through the hospital people. Who have also referred me for an .
Although I did have an mri back in 2018 so I’m guessing they won’t find anything on that side of things anyway.
I’m in my early 50’s and after sudden hearing loss in my left ear which has not responded to treatment, I’m trying hearing aids.
When I lost a chunk of my hearing in my left ear I went to the GP and then on to the audiology department in the main county hospital where they tried a variety of steroid treatments over a few weeks, with a hearing test and at each visit. If you ask they will give you a paper copy or post you a copy.
As the NHS waiting list was quite long (6-18 months) I also went to Boots to try some Phonak Lumity aids (on a 3 month trial, but £3k if bought), so I could keep working. They tested my hearing at the time and it matched the NHS results. I’ve returned these and I must say the service I got from Boots was good.
I got an NHS fitting appointment through in 2 months but when I went in they said I’d got an ear infection so took me through to , who gave me antibiotics. I’m in for my rescheduled NHS fitting on Monday.
I’ve bought some Phonak Sphere from Wholesale Hearing for £2.5k (£4k if bought from Boots) who set the aids up on the basis of my NHS audiogram. They then did a remote (via the Phonak app) tuning session and after a month I’ve got another tomorrow to make a few tweaks.
I’ve got a shaved head and the Phonak aids nestle behind my ear and a very thin wire just hooks over and connects to the receiver (speaker) tucked into my ear canal. These are referred to as , Receiver In Canal aids as the microphones are in the bit behind your ear, but the receiver is tucked right into your ear canal and cannot be seen if you are using domes (like the flexible silicone tips you get on earbuds). If you get ear moulds rather than domes, then these are bigger and are more visible in your ear.
No one really notices the RIC aids unless you point them out.
Behind The Ear () are similar but all of the gubbins (mics, batteries and speakers) sit in the bit behind your ear and a small clear pipe goes from this to your ear canal. These again can have domes or full ear moulds. On my first fitting appointment with the NHS, on the basis of my hearing test they were going with moulds and a larger diameter tube as the said I would need the high frequency power. However at my obvious distress as getting old man hearing aids (to be brutal, I so overreacted), they said we could try some more powerful aids with domes and a thinner tube, but these may not have the umphf needed in the higher frequencies, but they would measure to see if these worked.
RIC aids are hardly noticeable (and are so not the big pink things our grandparents wore), but you can also get aids that look like earbuds (but people may think you a bit rude leaving earbuds in while talking with them), ones that sit in your ear, ones where they sit in your ear canal and some that tuck right inside and need to be placed and removed every 3 months by an audiologist (you buy a subscription). Generally the smaller the aid, the fewer the features and you have to switch to replaceable batteries rather than rechargeables.
You will notice how many people you know are actually using hearing aids. My best friend since school has always worn them, there is a 17 year old lass in our brass band who wears them.
I’m surprised it has taken me so long as I grew up in a rural area and quite often went shooting, then at college I used to stage concerts and I’ve run a nightclub for a while. As a lot of my musician friends have hearing loss, I make sure my kids wear sound reducing earplugs at concerts. We went to a concert on Friday night and they were handing out free (compressible foam) earplugs at the door!
It is a bit of a postcode lottery, unfortunately not all NHS Audiology Departments, are created equal…If you have a complicated loss, then time constraint’s are challenging, and a 20 minute fitting appointment, ain’t gonna cut it! Many of us forum user went the route, basically because of the sheer frustration involved with the NHS, you can wait months for any follow up appointments… Nowadays, I don’t much bother with DIY, my Boots Audioligist is just wonderful at her job, nothing is too much bother, my aids are set up perfectly for my needs, that isn’t to say, I won’t delve in again, I probably will at some point, but at present, I do not feel the need to tweak anything… Depending on your location, most NHS A.uD’s dispense aids,1 tier below top of the line, so they will be good aids, usually 2 or 3 years behind what is available in the private sector, depending on you loss, some NHS A.uD’s will have the authority to buy, one off aids, outwith the NHS catalog, this has happened to me in the past, I was given a set of aids that were literally only months on the market! On another occasion, probably 30 years or so ago, a very kind NHS Audioligist, bought and paid for a private set of aids, out of his own pocket, he was giving me a leg up, as at the time I was unemployable, due to my severe/profound loss… Most NHS Audiology Departments have some wonderful A.uD’s, but these A.uD’s become disillusioned with the service, I know personally quite a few, whom jumped ship, to the private sector, out of frustration, allotted time & financial constraints, they couldn’t do the job they were trained for! Good Luck @Sts121… Cheers Kev
Hi Andy
That totally depends upon where you live. Here in Somerset I was given Phonak Nathos Novas 2 and a half years ago. Most NHS aids are a specific version made for the NHS but based on a standard model. You won’t get the latest tech but what you get will work well in most contexts. Going private will only be better if you can find a good audiologist. Even then, they may not be able to offer you a big improvement over NHS aids depending on your hearing loss and your requirements. Unfortunately, NHS audiology departments vary greatly in quality. I have been lucky here and previously in Surrey. But my sister was very disappointed with the NHS audiology service in Hertfordshire and is really pleased that she went private. So my advice is try the NHS first. You will most likely get a Phonak , an Oticon or one from one of the other leading brands. Good luck!
Thanks so much Teewens. I got a pair Danalogic Ambio 77 but performance was poor at best
I got an NHS pair of the Danalogic Ambio 77 just a few days ago. Initial experience for me is that they offer more “detailed” hearing than my previous Bernafon Jura JU7C aids. On the downside are the audio processing features to suppress “unwanted sounds” for the sake of speech clarity, e.g. volume reductions etc. I’ve made a list of things that I’m not happy with and at a follow up appointment will request that these features are turned off.
You might consider noting down issues that you have and arrange a follow up appointment to get them sorted.
Thank you, I have the BeMore app. Do you have the Danalogic Fitting Software to adjust your own aids?
I’m referring to the “features” in the Danalogic 1.18 Fitting software of the aids that can reduce the volume of “impact” type noise e.g. crockery, cutlery clinking. I’ve also experienced the sound of a tap running water into the kitchen sink being reduced in volume. These are audio processing features of many aids to ensure clarity of speech. Features which I prefer not to have active so that I have a more “natural” hearing experience. Not one where the aids reduce volume and then return them to regular volume.
I’ve been through the same process with Bernafon aids.
I’ll check the Danalogic Fitting Software I’ve installed and identify the specific “features” and let you know. As I’ve only had the aids a short time I’ll be raising the issues at my follow up appointment with the NHS audi. After that and depending on the outcome, it may be the option will get the aids sorted the way I prefer them.
Yeah use the correct approach on this particular issue, the software and hardware and set to music program, which has most of the features turned off by default, you can do it or get your audiologist to do it for you.
Scottish Highlands
England
