Age related hearing loss

[gamba]

This is all very interesting to me having diminished HF hearing for many years, which at the age of 88 is only to be expected.
I attended the ENT clinic at my local hospital years ago & at my first appointment had what appeared to be a most thorough medical internal examination of the ear followed by a wax impression to provide a mould for the actual earpiece. A subsequent visit, after trying on my new hearing aid for comfort etc., was followed by a series of acoustic tests at different frequencies until I felt satisfied with the results.

Although I'm fairly happy with the sound one can't help wondering, 'is there anything better' ? ( & on the NHS ! )

My present device is a Siemens Reflex M with two settings 1. Everyday listening 2. Background noise. Perhaps someone may know something of this model & would be prepared to comment.

I use it at home for TV only. For music I always prefer my Sennheiser HD 600s. I would use the aid for concerts & recitals if it were not for my fear of accidentally knocking it off onto the floor in the dark with disastrous consequences !

Finally, my advice to you all to avoid so many problems is - JUST DON'T GET OLD !!!

[clive heath]

Ferretfancy,
I wish you success with your visit to ENT. I recommend that you check with your GP/local clinic that your ears are wax-free for the appointment as this can otherwise be frustrating for both yourself and the department you visit as I found to my own cost. The consultant was not amused!!.

On the more general topic, of course the hi-fi solution to moderate hearing loss is the traditional treble boost on the amplifier but in shared listening situations ( which might include the neighbours ) this is not always a sociable solution and if you are going to invest in the (necessarily lo-fi) aid anyway my original point is that it seems to benefit stereo listening even though only one ear is aided.

[vinteuil]

Finally, my advice to you all to avoid so many problems is - JUST DON'T GET OLD !!!

well, yes, I recognize the disadvantages involved in getting old - but at the moment - I prefer it to the alternative...

[salymap]

And if you are going to have problems after 70 or so, try not to put your back well and truly OUT . as I have at 81. The result of careless digging 40 years ago, when I 'jumped' on the fork but my back took the strain.
Osteopaths won't touch it for fear of being sued because of my age and I have started treatment with a chiropractor, but no better yet.

I apologise for being off-topic but of all the things I've had this is the most disabling and painful..

Stillhearing loss isn'tnice, I know that.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Both my parents suffered hearing loss, my father in particular. I've been luckier so far, possibly because my hearing was so good to begin with and because I've avoided noisy locations and when I play in orchestra, I wear special earplugs.
Up to the age of 35 (approx) I could "hear the picture" on a cathode ray TV set, at 15.625 Htz. I found it quite deafening when walking around Comet or Curry's. At 61, I don't hear like a bat any more, but well enough to know how bad DAB radio can be.

[Ferretfancy]

Eine Alpensinfonie

Like you, I used to be bothered by the TV's whistle. As for the awful DAB, it's interesting that even with the usual hearing loss at the high end, our ability to hear distortion does not suffer!

[gradus]

HD sound for R3 listeners. Discuss.

[salymap]

I managed tofind this old thread as, for the first time ever, I had a test and was fitted with NHS Hearing Aids yesterday.

I had to turn the volume on the aids as low as possible and managed to listen today to the Tchaikovsky vln concerto.

BUT,cleaning my teeth sounded like someone shovelling snow, turning on the kitchen tap sounded like the most awful rain storm- you get the picture.

I've been worried since this thread with ferret's comments and shall only wear the aids for coping with a number of visitors at one time and listening to music.

Wish me luck - one other thing, the Audiologist said Tinnitus is hearing BELLS, my constant noise is more like a bath filling.

If anyone wants to PM me with comment or advice, thanks.

Saly

[clive heath]

This happened to me and I went back and asked them to lower the level of amplification and the range so that on minimum it was effectively zero. This means you can amplify from nothing upwards. They did this but left the original extra large boost range in place (which I now have more need of!!) and available by the selection process e.g. press once for this, a second time for theatre LOOPs etc..

[johnb]

Wish me luck - one other thing, the Audiologist said Tinnitus is hearing BELLS, my constant noise is more like a bath filling.

Well the NHS website disagrees somewhat with your audiologist:

People with tinnitus can experience different types of sound. Most people describe it as a ringing sound but other sounds may include:

buzzing
humming
whistling
music

Sometimes, the noise associated with tinnitus beats in time with a person’s pulse. This is known as pulsatile tinnitus.

Good luck with the hearing aid.

[umslopogaas]

I have had tinnitus for ages (I'm 64 and have had it for at least twenty years). It is a continuous, unvarying high-pitched whistling hiss. It doesnt affect my overall ability to hear and I dont notice it so much when other sounds dominate, like music or conversation. I dont know what caused it, but am suspicious of the headphones I used for many years to listen to music when I lived in a small flat with many near neighbours: headphones were the only way I could listen to loud stuff without having the neighbours banging on the walls. Now I have a detached house and can listen as loud as I like, but I fear the damage is done.

It is salutary to consider the fate of a friend of mine, who in his younger days used to coach rifle shooting and didnt wear ear protection. As a result, the loud bangs destroyed his middle frequency hearing. He was fine on low notes and high notes, but struggled with the ones in the middle, which are just the ones you most need to follow human speech. He got by with help from a hearing aid, but you always had to remember to speak a bit more loudly and clearly than usual.

[salymap]

Thanks for the replies. I will ask about what Clive suggests when they phone me in three wweks to see howIam getting on.

A mixed blessing, hearing aids.computers and many more things in life.

[Ferretfancy]

Thanks for the replies. I will ask about what Clive suggests when they phone me in three wweks to see howIam getting on.

A mixed blessing, hearing aids.computers and many more things in life.

saly,
Since my last posting on this subject I have decided not to see an audiologist for a time, as listening to music is not yet a problem. The Albert Hall this year sounded much the same! I sometimes get blamed when my partner says something, usually from the other end of the room, and I miss the beginning of the remark, but I think that's more like inattention. The bad hyperacusis symptoms have disappeared, thank heavens.

The crunching cornflakes you hear with your aid suggests to me that it's set a little high,hopefully that can be adjusted. Can you still hear in stereo? A man at the Proms told me that his hearing aid, although he was very pleased with it, reduced any directional effect, that would really bother me, as I'm proud of my audio system.

Do let us have a report on your progress, and of course the Very Best of Luck as ever !

Bws. Ferret

[mangerton]

saly,
Can you still hear in stereo? A man at the Proms told me that his hearing aid, although he was very pleased with it, reduced any directional effect, that would really bother me, as I'm proud of my audio system.

Do let us have a report on your progress, and of course the Very Best of Luck as ever !

Bws. Ferret

Yes, I second Ff's good wishes, saly. I don't have any problem hearing, but I've noticed what appear to be the symptoms of tinnitus in one ear for the last few weeks. I'm proud of my audio system too.

[salymap]

Thanks Ferret and mangerton.
Ferret,your earlier problems kept me away from hearing aids, but at 83 orchestral music has become a travesty and I want to hear my CDs and LPs again.
So glad you could hear the proms too.

I'm going to take it slowly but nice to have the support of others. Thanks all.