Hearing aid?

[reddog]

Update:

I went to my regular family dr this morning and got checked out.. What they found was an impacted right ear and a small amount of wax buildup in the left..

It took her almost 45 minutes of flushing, digging, etc to get to where she could see the ear drum..

I have never had to have this done before.

What she said was it was a combination of wax, dirt, hair etc.

When she got the biggest plug out, she asked me if I wanted to see it, which I did. I only got a glance at it from the side, but it was about the size of a 22 bullet.

I walked out of there with probably the best hearing Ive had in 5 years, so maybe its not as bad as I thought it was, in regards to HA.

I do plan on getting hearing test from a ENT specialist, just to get a track record of where I am not, should things start to deteriorate.

Thank you to all that replied. It has enlightened me considerably..

[hawg]

Research this till you've read every forum on it, ask all your friends what myths they want to tell you, find a friend thats a doctor for his opinion, and then go to Costco and buy a pair. Those are the steps we all take, I'm happy with mine from Costco.

[GBS]

As in many areas, this sure seems to be a field ripe for change. $6000 for a pair vs $2700 for the same at a discount place? Someone is making some money.....and you can bet that the discount place is too!
This is an area where the insurance industry has allowed it to just be "standard practice" to accept the high costs, which boost the premiums we all have to pay. Just like the world of auto body repair, which I again have the pleasure of visiting. It is always interesting to get a repair estimate covered by insurance, and then ask for a new one that will be paid directly out of pocket. It's amazing how much lower the shops will price the work.

[grasshopper armory]

and some or all will whistle a tune for you, and the people standing next to you.

[Natty Bumpo]

I got hearing aids for the first time this spring. I am 73 and a lifelong shooter who didn't use good ear protection back in the day. Once you lose some of your hearing its gone... forever.

GBS pretty much nailed it. I went to the excellent hearing clinic at our local hospital. They have four audiologists with the Aud D degree. These are the experts with the training who can diagnose and prescribe the type of HAs you need. This is the most important part of the whole process; the prescription of the AHs you need. They prescribed Phonak HA's for my loss which is moderate. They cost approx. 3K and my insurance covered half of that. I have been very happy with them, and so is my wife. Each ear aid is programmed differently.

Many folks have said good things re Costco. They may sell very good HAs but are the people who do the testing truly expert in testing and prescribing?? My advice is to get tested by someone who has the proper training and credentials to diagnose and prescribe HAs; that person has the Aud D degree.. Then you can buy the aids wherever you want to.

Good Luck, this change has made a positive impact on my life.

NB

[hawg]

Here in Baxter, and I suspect in many places, the lady is an Audiologist that could no longer compete in a private shop because of her expenses and the price she needed to charge. She's outstanding and does give you the set that matches your hearing loss. As a couple said, that is vitally important because some aids cover the different frequencies better than others.

[tly]

Natty Bumpo -- I have a similar profile, lots of shooting, equipment and other stuff without protection.
The advice to go to real audiologists is right on.

I went to a place selling major brand equipment & spent 3k. I knew no better. They ran full page ads in the twin cities papers and were endorsed by the local mfg. The tests involved listening to paper crumple and a few minutes in a booth for whatever reason. The only way they could be adjusted is with their computer at their site. Guess what, they disappeared leaving me with a couple of pieces of plastic.

They still work, I have them in plain sight every day just as a reminder.
For awhile I used the left one for phone calls on international calls. It is tough enough with language issues but compounded by my hearing deficiencies hard telling what I committed to sometimes. But the bit about brain adaptation really holds true.

Good to see that you have a solution for yourself. Sure saves $$$ (for now)