Hearing aids

[Rine]

Got my hearing tested the other day and I have about a 35 to 40 decibel loss in my right ear and my left is just above the normal line. (He said I had a little wax buildup so it might improve a little but supposedly he measured the nerve or something.) He recommended I get a hearing aid for my right ear due to the problems I told him I was having.

You see, I have trouble hearing whenever there is any type of background noise; I always have to ask people to speak up when I'm running register because I can't hear them over the machine noise. I can't hear other people in crowds and other people think I'm standoffish because I don't talk much at parties, but really, I'm too busy trying to figure out what the hell is being said by lip reading and general body language. I hear people talk, but I can't understand them.

So I think I actually do need a hearing aid. (I also have tinnitus which I've had for years now and it's getting progressively worse.)

But there are so many types and they are friggin' expensive too. I don't want one that plugs my ear but I don't care if people see that I wear a hearing aid, even though I'm young to have one.

So my question...what's a good kind that will work well for my problem, which is background noise, and what kinds are...um, cheap. :lol: Any general advice would be appreciated. :)

[cinema guy]

The best hearing aids these days are digital. They are able to clean up sounds and reduce background noise. They can also be programmed to increase volume more at the wavelengths you need it most and reduce the volume of loud sound.

Analogue hearing aids just tend to amplify volume across the board, which can make them extremely difficult to wear in loud environemnts.

There are a great variety of sizes available, from very, very small ones that fit in your ear to traditional behind the ear with a plastic tube to the earpiece size. I have a moderately small pair, whereas my mum has behind the ear ones that she gets very self-concious about.

They don't actually plug your ear, because they all have air holes for both ventilation and to prevent feedback. Wearing them is actually less intrusive then wearing glasses.

Tinnitus is pretty much a constant with any kind of hearing loss, I'm afraid.

I too was pretty young when I got my first hearing aid - 25 or so. It was free on the NHS, though they would only give me one despite hearing loss in both ears. I got digital hearing aids a few years ago, they cost me a huge amount of money. But they improved my quality of life dramatically.

If I can tell you anything else, give me a shout.

[IceLee]

Ive worn behind the ears hearing aids since I was a kid, as I was born profoundly deaf. I hardly notice my hearing aids at most times, but from experience, I seriously recommend you to remember to take them off before stepping into shower or bath or jumping into swimming pool.... I forgot I had them on and all and jumped into the school pool when I was six.... Got told off lol. but yeah hearing aids since then have improved massively, theyre lighter, more comfortable and now have flexiable ear molds, seriously, you won't even notice them too much. There are some hearing aids for behind the ears that you can change colours of, and coloured ear molds (both my hearing aids and earmolds are purple)!

And I agree with cinema guy, there are many types of hearing aids that should suit you.

(And I do suffer from Tinnitus and I am aware theres pretty much no cure for it, so I've learnt to put up with it.)