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Newbie would like some opinions

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Hi! I’m obviously new here but have been reading the forums for a few weeks now. I’m just looking for some opinions on my (I posted it in “My Albums” on my profile - I don’t really know how to read it). I have what looks to me to be mild hearing loss in the mid-frequency ranges of my left ear and the audiologist and my said I could benefit from an aid for that ear. They are still trying to determine why I have the hearing loss (I go in for a next week). I have been having a very hard time understanding people when I speak with with them and they often times have to repeat themselves multiple times and I avoid speaking to anyone on the phone. I work in customer service so these issues do affect me at work. Recently my L ear feels like it’s blocked about 85% of the time and I will get periodic sharp pain that feels like it’s deep in my ear and have had mild dizziness off and on for a few years (all the tests they did for vertigo etc came back normal). The ENT thinks that this is most likely hereditary (though no one else in my family has hearing loss before their 60’s, I’m 37). I’m thinking it could also possibly be related to issues I had when I was very young - all I remember is having to be bussed two hours each way to a special school for intense speech therapy where I spent most of the day with one hand on my therapists mouth and one on her voice box to learn to make the sounds properly. Unfortunately my parents do not have any of those records available. I was born prematurely and have some learning disabilities. Is it possible I’ve had hearing loss since I was young and I’m just no longer compensating for it as well as I used to and would a hearing aid help any? I apologize for the rambling and thanks in advance for any opinions.

Tracy

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Well, if it was me, and I had 100% understanding at 50 and 55 DB, I would not get a hearing aid.

You will probably get more response if you include the results here, somewhat like I have. For each ear the frequency (tone) is across the top, and the hearing loss is down the side, so for each frequency measured, find the hearing loss for that frequency and right it down. Then put that in your signature area so people can refer to it on every post you write.

You can see on mine below that both ears are about normal in the low tones, then it starts getting worse the higher the frequency. Then at very high frequencies it gets a little better.

Your goes up and down in the left ear and that looks like it would be hard to fit, so if you do this, be prepared for it to not be an instant solution; it will take several adjustments. It’s also possible that your hearing may fluctuate from day to day. Continuing to track causes down with an seems like a good idea.

Most states require a 30-day free return period for hearing aids, so it doesn’t hurt to try one (or two) and see if it works for you. Some would say I don’t need them with my audiogram either, but I’m soooo happy to have them. It’s not that I can’t hear and understand without them, it’s just that it’s so much less work with them. The first 6 weeks were not easy for me, getting things all sorted out but now I’m a happy camper.

–Beth

My numbers don’t look like I need yet, but I teach adults and find it exhausting to focus on students and keep asking them to repeat when they aren’t loud enough or I miss consonants and misunderstand what they say.
Social gatherings are wearing trying to get up close face to face. Have been advised by that receiver in ear open design so I can hear around it and lots of precise programmability is the way to go. Will report back after a month with these aids.

Thanks to everyone for the responses. I’ve been reading the responses but this is the first opportunity I’ve really had to login and respond.
I went ahead and got a hearing aid (ReSound Forza) from Costco to see how much of a difference there was (I had the extra $ unexpectedly and knew if I waited it would get spent elsewhere). I do notice that they make it a little easier to understand people which is what I was looking for. I’ve only had them for one day so it’s still too soon to really judge. I do think that I need to go back and get a smaller dome (I measured the one I was given and believe it is the large one) as the current one feel like it is squished up inside my ear and keeps working it’s way out. I’m assuming that it should not feel that way (someone please correct me if I am wrong).
I also had another appt with my and my was normal - they can’t figure out why I have the hearing loss and say it must be genetic. I go back in January for a follow up.
Anyways, thanks again for the responses and to everyone who contributes to this site. I have read a few different forum sites and everyone here seems much more helpful and friendlier to new posters than a lot of the other sites.

Nevermore, if you aid is on a 30 day trial and your having fitting issues and a feel full issue you may want to try a Behind the ear , really a lot less visible than what you have and you won’t have the full ear feeling …and in my case I heard more naturally and in ones I demoed a lot better battery life.

In reply to @cheeselover

@cheeselover said:

Most states require a 30-day free return period for hearing aids, so it doesn’t hurt to try one (or two) and see if it works for you. Some would say I don’t need them with my audiogram either, but I’m soooo happy to have them. It’s not that I can’t hear and understand without them, it’s just that it’s so much less work with them. The first 6 weeks were not easy for me, getting things all sorted out but now I’m a happy camper. --Beth

Like Beth, I can function without mine, but it’s much easier with them, especially in noise. At least in California (and I think it’s Federal Law) the 30 day return period starts when fitting is done, and a thorough fitting can take weeks.

@lwt42 said:

Like Beth, I can function without mine, but it’s much easier with them, especially in noise. At least in California (and I think it’s Federal Law) the 30 day return period starts when fitting is done, and a thorough fitting can take weeks.

LWT42,
There is no Federal law regarding trial periods of hearing aids, only state mandates and not every state has a law regarding trial periods and some even have 45 day trial periods as mandated by law. Those states without a mandated trial period are: AZ, AL,AR,DE,GA,HI,IN,IA,KS,MI,MS,MO,NE,NM,NC,ND,SC,SD,WY. Those with a 45 day trial period are: MN, NY and VT and finally, Washington has a 30 day trial but you can get 100% of your money back within 3 days and can only be charged 15% or $150 whichever is less if you return the ’s.

@Nevermore said:

Hi! … Recently my L ear feels like it’s blocked about 85% of the time and I will get periodic sharp pain that feels like it’s deep in my ear and have had mild dizziness off and on for a few years (all the tests they did for vertigo etc came back normal). The ENT thinks that this is most likely hereditary (though no one else in my family has hearing loss before their 60’s, I’m 37).

Tracy

Tracy,

I think you need to go to a different . When ENT’s can’t figure out what is wrong they fall back on the hereditary cause. I was originally diagnosed with a heredity diagnosis that was later changed to a HF hearing loss most probably caused by exposure to mumps and measles. The fact that you have aural fullness, a sharp pain, and mild dizziness all point to a probable eustachian tube problem. I’m no doctor, but I know someone who had similar problems and they were finally diagnosed with eustachian tube disfunction. Another possible cause is Menier Disease, you have all the symptoms: hearing loss in one ear, a fullness or pressure sensation in one ear, brief and sudden episodes of severe dizziness, the only one that you didn’t mention a roaring tinnitus in your affected ear. I would go to another ENT and see if they can find what’s going on.

In reply to @seb

@seb said:

LWT42, There is no Federal law regarding trial periods of hearing aids, only state mandates and not every state has a law regarding trial periods and some even have 45 day trial periods as mandated by law. Those states without a mandated trial period are: AZ, AL,AR,DE,GA,HI,IN,IA,KS,MI,MS,MO,NE,NM,NC,ND,SC,SD,WY. Those with a 45 day trial period are: MN, NY and VT and finally, Washington has a 30 day trial but you can get 100% of your money back within 3 days and can only be charged 15% or $150 whichever is less if you return the HA’s.

I think the original poster is subject to California law, as am I. My audiologist says that the trial period doesn’t start until fitting is done, and I think that’s part of California law as well. At six weeks, I think we might be close to done with fitting.

@lwt42 said:

I think the original poster is subject to California law, as am I. My audiologist says that the trial period doesn’t start until fitting is done, and I think that’s part of California law as well. At six weeks, I think we might be close to done with fitting.

I’m pretty sure in all states that have a trial period, the trial period begins once your initial fitting(day you get the ’s) is done and goes for whatever time period (30,45,60,90 days)you have for your trial.

In reply to @seb

Tracy;

I’m with seb on this one. You should get a second opinion from another ! I have been diagnosed with eustachian tube dysfunction as of June this year. It started all of a sudden; nobody really knows why, including the ENT. But I have some similar symptoms to yours such as a full feeling in my ears, and occasional sharp pain deep within my ears, as well as intense sinus pressure and very infrequent dizziness. The is actually what caused me to finally get my hearing checked this year…because my hearing in my “good” ear suddenly dropped a bit in June and I began experiencing symptoms of ETD. When the ETD is really bad, the hearing in my “good” ear drops by 10-15 decibels, which can make conversing really difficult given the moderate hearing loss in my other ear (which is why I’ve gotten a hearing aid for my right ear). Anyway, if it is ETD, there are some things you can try that might help, such as decongestants and steroid nasal sprays. Unfortunately neither of those has worked for me, so I’m waiting for a head to see what else, if anything, might be going on. Fortunately, the head CT should also serve a secondary purpose of confirming the diagnosis of otosclerosis in my right ear.

On that note, some of the symptoms you’re describing are also typical of otosclerosis, which is a hereditary disease of the middle and inner ear that causes fixation of the stapes, thus preventing the transmission of sound waves to the cochlea, causing a primarily conductive hearing loss. (It can also affect your cochlea, creating a sensorineural loss.) Otosclerosis is typically discovered in people 25-40 years of age, and is more prevalent in females, so given your symptoms and your young age, I strongly suspect that you would benefit from getting a second opinion! That your ENT says your hearing loss is hereditary without knowing a cause seems like a bit like a cop-out to me.

Kerry

@seb said:

Tracy,

I think you need to go to a different ENT. When ENT’s can’t figure out what is wrong they fall back on the hereditary cause. I was originally diagnosed with a heredity diagnosis that was later changed to a HF hearing loss most probably caused by exposure to mumps and measles. The fact that you have aural fullness, a sharp pain, and mild dizziness all point to a probable eustachian tube problem. I’m no doctor, but I know someone who had similar problems and they were finally diagnosed with eustachian tube disfunction. Another possible cause is Menier Disease, you have all the symptoms: hearing loss in one ear, a fullness or pressure sensation in one ear, brief and sudden episodes of severe dizziness, the only one that you didn’t mention a roaring tinnitus in your affected ear. I would go to another ENT and see if they can find what’s going on.

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