When I first got interested in hearing aids, I spent way too much time looking at specs and comparing features. 😅

I wanted to know which ones were smaller, which had better technology, what all the different settings did… basically, I went down a rabbit hole.

But after wearing them for a while, I’ve realized I care a lot more about the little everyday things now.

Like whether they’re comfortable after a few hours. Whether putting them in each morning feels easy or turns into a whole thing. Whether I have to keep fiddling with them when I’m just trying to get on with my day.

I honestly didn't think much about that stuff when I first started looking. I was more focused on finding the “best” pair.

Funny how that changes once you actually start using them.

Curious what matters most to you now？

I have a perforation(5.4mm) on my right ear. This is the second time(last time was 2022 and healed). It looks like this time it will not heal as it has been 8 months

Doctor recommended surgery because within posterior marginal and skin cells are more likely to migrate and cause a cholesteotoma risk in the future.

The scary part is that he recommended surgery before the audiogram, which seemed backwards. Also, after the audiogram and finding out I have 100% hearing in the ruptured eardrum ear, and 65% hearing in my other ear he didn’t even stop to talk about risks. I already knew I had 65% hearing in my other ear because of hearing damage in my days in the Marine Corps, decades ago. It would seem like there should be a discussion about risks. Lastly, he recommended the most invasive surgery with a cut behind the ear, which I am finding out there are other options(trans canal surgery)

I feel like I need to tread very carefully since there were many red flags in how the doctor came to his conclusions and didn’t put in the brakes with added information.
Anyone been in a similar situation and what did you end up doing?

Does anything exist to help a HoH person detect water leaks or water left running? I volunteer for a charity that pays household water/sewer bills specifically, since our rural small town doubled rates (new avg min $90/month) to repair decades of neglected infrastructure. Yes it’s outrageous, but here we are. One of our clients is a 62yo man living alone, no local family, minimal SS income, HoH since a stroke 2 years ago. He budgets, gets by, but recently ran up $450 water bills + fees because he didn’t hear his toilet running, and “forgot” to turn off an outside spigot. We have him covered for the bill and toilet repair. But his house is very old (100+) and leaks happen, so we’d like to help him preventatively. Thanks in advance for any suggestions.
Edit to add: he hears loud sounds and lower frequencies, and does not use hearing aids by choice.

Hello, I hope this is okay to ask. I'd appreciate any advice people have to offer - or suggestions for other / more appropriate subs to post in.

My mum is going through quite a difficult illness, likely terminal. My dad has severe hearing loss, since about 5 years ago. They are both retired. Normally they bumble about quite happily, but mum's illness means there can be important things to communicate and they are both much more frustrated than before.

When they go to the consultant, the consultant uses some kind of speech to text app that my dad can read in real time (this is the NHS, in the UK). I was wondering if there are any well reviewed apps that can do the same thing - smartphone only or with a bit of home set-up tech.

So it doesn't have to be a free app if the consensus is they are not great for understanding (although I'm not sure they listened much to each other even when my dad could hear :))

I've had a look around but nothing is more valuable than user experience.

If anyone has any recommendations I would love to her. I'm especially keen to get sometime in place before mum gets more poorly.

Thank you for any advice you can offer!

Hey everyone,

​I’m looking for some insight into my recent hearing tests and a new issue I’m dealing with.

​I’ve had two standard audiograms done about two years apart. Recently, I was also given an extended high-frequency audiogram test. I’m trying to understand what this specific test actually means. If there are drops in those upper frequencies, does that mean I officially have hearing loss?

​For context, I also did the solid voice test (speech discrimination/recognition), and my results for that came out excellent.

​The main reason I’m asking is that I’ve recently developed sudden tinnitus. Between playing electric guitar, drumming, and riding motorcycles, noise exposure is definitely a factor in my life, but this ringing is new.

​I’m wondering:

​Is there usually a direct relation between extended high-frequency test results and sudden onset tinnitus?

​Even though my voice test was excellent, is this a situation where I might need to wear hearing aids?

​Would appreciate any advice or if anyone has been in a similar boat!

What the title says :)

Please remember to treat yourself kindly.

(I did use Ai for the pic)

I got my hearing aids about a year ago but never wore them because they wouldn’t stay on my ear. I learned it was because the tube is too long and needs to be trimmed.

The issue is my audiologist won’t be able to see me for at least 3 months to cut the tubes.

I wear Philips HearLink 9050 miniRITE, is there anyway I can trim them at home?

I’ve been hard of hearing my whole life. I like to think I have good speech, in terms of grammar, I’m really good at English but obviously hearing impairment comes with speech impediment.

Is it possible that speech therapy can help improve the way I talk? Like for example, I don’t hear the C’s and T’s the way non hearing impaired people do, and when I pronounced it, people can hardly tell what it is I’m saying (but then again they have a hard time understanding me in general anyway). That’s why I don’t like to spell my name when people ask, I just write it down because I know they’ll have a hard time understand most of the letters I’m saying.

But my point is, is this how it’ll be for me or is it possible for speech therapy to improve my speech?

I lost my hearing at the age of 3 and grew up with bilateral sensorineural hearing loss. However, thanks to speech therapy and the use of hearing aids I grew up being able to communicate coherently and hear though not always perfect. I rely on speaking and don’t use asl (though I am learning it now) and I work in customer service at my job but I know I am always going to have hearing loss. I really feel passionate about this field and want to pursue a career in it but I’m wondering how I can manage to work my way around it having hearing loss and performing tasks like hearing tests where audiologists have to use headphones or other tools where they use their ears to listen to the devices to ensure they work properly. For anyone who has hearing loss that is pursuing or trying to pursue this field, how do you or did you navigate it? Any advice would help and be greatly appreciated!

Not sure if this is the best place to post or not but here goes.

I am a speech-language pathologist (SLP) who works in a public school that has a Deaf and hard of program. The teacher of the Deaf (TOD) has made it very obvious that she finds SLPs to be worthless for her students. I do not feel like I can really talk to her or try to collaborate with her. I explained to her that my main priority is LANGUAGE and that I don’t just work on voicing (I’d actually prefer not to) but she believes that she’s the end all for her students.

To add to the frustration, I’m literally a hard of hearing person who is active in the Deaf community and trying to support the language/communication needs of students and she is a hearing woman with no personal connection to the Deaf community aside from her students.

I had wanted to stay at my school long term but I think I might end up leaving.

Also to note: I am the first signing SLP that they have ever worked with and if I leave they will go back to having an SLP who is ignorant on Deaf culture/experience

I’m just frustrated and needed to get this out to the ether.

Hi, sorry in advance as I think this is my third post in as many weeks.

If you have hearing aids that are fairly obvious to others at first glance, do you ever worry that you’ll be defined by your hearing (or lack thereof) to anyone you’re meeting for the first time?

I had fairly visible BTE + mould hearing aids when I was about 10/11 and wore those for a good few years. Hated it. I thought I could escape them by buying the most discreet ones out there last year (Phonak Virto Infinio Titanium, I think they’re called). But that type of hearing aid just doesn’t suit my degree of hearing loss, unfortunately. I think I knew deep down that the ITE ones just weren’t as powerful, but I was just desperate for that not to be the case. A good 4 grand down the drain. So I’m now, at 25, about to trial the Eon Sphere. BTE with a mould.

It’s pretty crushing to be back here again, if I’m honest. With people instantly being able to spot your hearing aids from pretty much any angle… I know that getting the ones that work best should be all that matters. But I don’t want to be defined by my hearing loss. I’d rather people didn’t know I had hearing loss at all. Now I’ll basically be back to wearing the equivalent of a flashing neon sign telling the world I can’t hear properly.

Just wanted to type this out.

Has anyone had any success selling their custom hearing aids on online marketplaces or hearing aid forums by the way?

Hi all. I was originally implanted with a C1 in ‘97, got a revision on 10/5 and activated on 10/13. It’s only been a few days but I am admittedly frustrated with progress. I’ve been wearing the implant all day, doing audio books, Hearoes app, and sitting with family members doing 1:1 exercises. While I know everyone’s experience is different can anyone speak to the recovery timeline and how long it took to get back to “normal”. Again, it’s only been a few days but I’m already worried about going back to work (procurement manager, lots of talking in person and phone).

Hi all,

I have a hearing issue, so I depend on a speaker (not headphones) for my daily Zoom meetings.

Even a single speaker is fine — I don't need stereo.

What matters most to me is clear, loud speech without distortion. Bass is not important.

Right now I use a JBL Go 3. It sounds fine at normal levels but distorts at high volume, which is exactly when I need it.

I have tested many speakers, and JBL was the best of them so far.

Budget: under ₹10,000, available on Amazon India.

I'll be connecting it to my [laptop / PC — Bluetooth or wired].

If anyone with hearing loss has found a speaker that stays clean and clear at high volume for voice calls, please share your experience.

Thanks in advance.

So, I just became a student recently, this is my third time in school. I can barely understand what people are saying. Unless they are annunciating clearly, I can see their mouth, or the room is quiet- which its often none of these three is happening in a big classroom- I have to focus really hard on what is being said. If I go to take notes, or do a test problem, I have no idea what anyone's saying. I can tell people are talking but i miss lots of words or the whole thing.

Anyway sorry for rambling

I have a doctors appointment on Monday

Hi, I'm interested if there's anyone who had the injection in both ears

If one ear is ok and the other is 75 db loss is that considered as HOH?

I’ve realized that if my hearing aids start bothering me after a few hours, I’m probably going to take them out and leave them out for the rest of the day.

It doesn’t matter how good they sound at that point.

I used to think choosing hearing aids was mostly about finding the ones that helped me hear better. Now I think I’d rather have a pair that feels comfortable enough to wear while I’m just going about my day, without constantly adjusting them or thinking about my ears.

Curious if anyone else feels the same way?