Hearing aids

[atepointer]

I felt led to pass this along in case anyone in your orbit is struggling with hearing loss b/c of the transformative results for my sweet ol dad. He had withdrawn from the world more and more the past several years as he simply couldn't hear with his old hearing aids any longer. He finally tried Phonak branded hearing aids and what a difference. Talking on the phone was so painful for him we'd get 90 seconds and he'd have to hang up. Now that his earbuds link to his iphone he's calling me 3x a day just to talk. He has a bluetooth base dock that connects to the tv and beams tv to his earbuds.....at his own volume so mom doesn't have to endure volume on 10 or inversely that dad can't hear at mom's levels.

Anyway we were probably the last to know that such tech existed, but in the event you or a loved one has these issues I'd look at Phonak. I know there are several other great brands out there too. So fun to see my dad and my mom able to converse now. I am very protective of my hearing and double up with squishys and ear muffs even with a suppressor and don't know if the hearing loss will be hereditary, but I'm glad to know such tech is out there. Take care of those ears! Dad was in the Army and the idea of hearing protection.....well.....yea not so much back then. Take care of those ears because we know better nowadays!

 

[Maggot]

Good post.

In jest, after forgetting my 'ears' with the Barrett M107, for just one shot, the best I can do is say..."Eh, speak up sonny."

 

[Rthur]

What?...

R

 

[Threadcutter308]

I have a pair of Phonaks that I got at Costco. Went in, primarily to look at their Kirkland brand. The audiaulogist waved me off and showed me the Phonaks. She set up both and sent me out to walk around in the store with each of them. The Phonaks were remarkably clearer, so that’s the route I went. I bought the TV adapter, but have never used it, haven’t needed to.

 

[atepointer]

I have a pair of Phonaks that I got at Costco. Went in, primarily to look at their Kirkland brand. The audiaulogist waved me off and showed me the Phonaks. She set up both and sent me out to walk around in the store with each of them. The Phonaks were remarkably clearer, so that’s the route I went. I bought the TV adapter, but have never used it, haven’t needed to.

man that's great what an amazing thing tech can be.

 

[MCSO1357]

I can personally testify to this, as hearing aids have made my quality of day-to-day life infinitely better. Luckily my employer has a very generous benefit specifically for hearing aids on top of good health benefits which allowed me to get $8k hearing aids for just over $1400 out of pocked cost, extra money renews every 3 years.

 

[atepointer]

I can personally testify to this, as hearing aids have made my quality of day-to-day life infinitely better. Luckily my employer has a very generous benefit specifically for hearing aids on top of good health benefits which allowed me to get $8k hearing aids for just over $1400 out of pocked cost, extra money renews every 3 years.

that's so awesome. I sure hope innovations continue with hearing devices dad's hearing was troublesome but up until the last couple of years I didn't realize how alienated he felt. He's literally like a different person. These new earbuds have a wind mitigation feature which he loves because he plays tennis five days a week and apparently when the wind blows in hearing aids it can be very startling. Now it just cuts off

 

[Foul Mike]

I have hearing aids from VA. They are OK and do what they are intended to do, however, the little umbrella thingees that go in your ear just drive me nuts after a short time and out they come.
I bitched about that so they gave me some earplug ends that are better. They came with several cards of little inserts and a tool to change them out and I should have smelled a rat right then, how come so many of these little tiny chingas?
Although I wash my ears out everyday when in the shower those little tiny chingas will collect the slightest bit of ear wax like steel filings to a magnet and plug up then there you are with nothing but an earplug that only makes things worse.
What works best for me is electronic earmuffs like you use for shooting. That and kind people who know you don't hear well and speak directly to your face so you can lip read and they speak in a loud voice. They are unlike My Squaw who knows I can't hear well but insists on speaking to me when there is a wall between us and gets pissed when I hear a bit but have to come back and say,"There is a wall between us and YOU know I don't hear well so would you please mumble that again a bit louder while I am standing here looking at you?"
You would think she would learn but the years have proven that is above her ability to learn. Really pisses me off.

 

[The D]

My dad finally got over himself and committed to wearing his hearing aids and it’s made a world of difference, now if I can get him off his insulin too...

My father-in-law on the other hand. He’s just as deaf as my dad but won’t wear his for some reason. It’s super frustrating always having to yell everything to him. And every time my wife is talking to them on the phone, her mom repeats EVERYTHING that’s going on to him

 

[oneshot86]

i need them

 

[Jscb1b]

WHAT?

 

[Zeroit]

I can relate very well with most of posts.
My dad gave me a pair of hearing aids,
His ear canals are large so they didn't fit well, I have used them for only about 15 minutes at a time , I was able to hear shit I haven't in years.
Yes, you must look at me and talk if you want me to guess what the fuck you just said.
The virus shit with the people who mumble normally, and put a mask on dosen't help me, I need a interpreter.

 

[Dunraven]

H

What?...

R

Huh?

 

[Dunraven]

I can thank a WHO concert for my hearing loss. Stood 10 feet away from left speaker bank. Entwhistle side. Pretty awesome, but what a price to pay.

 

[Alphatreedog]

I have a hearing aid . Finally got one a year and a half ago as my hearinv loss was unmanageable ie sucked a bowl a donkey ass . Man what an absurd difference .
I often could not hear the birda sing . I was going to go back and get the reconatructive inner ear surgery finished this year so that I could hear in the other ear
but the fuckin Rona postponed that . And I still struggle with people facing away from me fuckin mumbling .

 

[Arc Light]

I don’t need them, yet. But the prices of these things are nothing short of outrageous. WTF magic technology do they have to justify a $5K+ price tag?

I really hope a company like Bose or Apple jumps into this market with realistic prices for the masses.

 

[Sgt47]

I don’t need them, yet. But the prices of these things are nothing short of outrageous. WTF magic technology do they have to justify a $5K+ price tag?

I really hope a company like Bose or Apple jumps into this market with realistic prices for the masses.

Apple ... realistic prices? Then again the price might be subsidized by their Chicom overlords so they can easily listen in on everything you hear.

 

[Foul Mike]

I have come up with a new strategy and have been using it to some success, good on my end of this Bin of Shit.
When My Squaw says something to me, with a wall between us, and I can't see her, I completely ignore what she says as she knows I don't have the ears I used to have.
I no longer come around the corner in the house and ask,"What was that you just mumbled?" I ignore it ALL even though I knew she was saying something to me, I just march on.
She knows I can't hear well, so why wait until I am in a different room or around the corner of a wall and she knows I can't make out what she said? I just heard something.??
Well FUCK that!! Say it to my face so I can lip read the conversation or don't say it at all. and say it loud, otherwise I think she just likes to hear me ask,"What did you say?"
I hate all of these masks that don't let me see a person's lips move. and I did not realize how much I depended on that.
I think I may be deaf as a stump at times.
And,NO, I don't need Depends to control my bladder, I just can't hear well. FM

 

[Zeroit]

What FM Said.
They know I can't hear for shit, turn away and start walking still blathering, let alone into the other room.
Yes, sometimes I just ignore them or say I heard you talking but I don't have a fucking clue what you just said.
Throw some background noise into the game gets even more than interesting, and to the ones wearing a mask , I haven't acquired any mask lip reading skills nor shall I.
Phones are fun, go ahead and put me on speaker phone and see how short the conversation will be.
Sometimes it's a blessing.

 

[Alphatreedog]

Waiting cor hearing aids with facial recognition so it shuts off for known dumbasses .

 

[Ken Burton]

I started wearing hearing aides a few years ago but it's still not as good as what God gave us.
Came back from Nam and then a few other great jobs for hearing loss and now.
I still have some problems with people talking but without the aides it would be a total loss for me.

 

[Zeroit]

Waiting cor hearing aids with facial recognition so it shuts off for known dumbasses .

But that might limit you to a small handful of people you have verbal social interaction with?
Wait, let me know if they perform as advertised.
Even people with no hearing loss might be interested.

 

[Foul Mike]

I will never understand what is good about speaker phones???
Put me on that and the conversation is over. I can't hear nor understand what you just put out.
As soon as I get put on speaker phone, ---it is over.
I will tell them we have a bad connection, call me back, or I will recall you. I hang up. Then they will either come off of speaker phone or I will boff them off as what I had to say wasn't important enough for them to hold the phone to their ear and speak directly to the mouthpiece so I could understand what is being said.
If it meant no more to that person I called,or called me, that I have to get put on speaker phone, then it really wasn't that important at all and the call meant very little to them. I find speaker phone to be very rude and until they have the time to talk to me directly, don't waste your time nor mine. I can't fucking hear you. You are garbled and mumbling.
Is that just me? FM

 

[2aBaC̶a̶]

How well would something like this work for actual hearing protection? Are they noise canceling enough?

 

[Foul Mike]

Electronic muffs is what you want for shooting. You can hear but the noise of the rifle is blocked out.

 

[atepointer]

Apparently dad went in for a 'tune up' hearing test recently I was unaware of and they adjusted the size of his speakers and now he is just over the moon. He called me from a walk yesterday and said 'can you hear that? those are birds chirping!'. I sure hope my ears don't go the path of his, but I've got his bald head and bad vision so just waiting on the ears oh well.

 

[acudaowner]

hearing is fun if you really want to hear what they are saying

 

[Joel Danielson]

I shoot in a F-class league on Monday nights (up until Rona hit), and it is really interesting to watch and listen to most of us once the shooting is over and we head for the Legion to have a beer. Half of us end up taking our hearing aids out, because all you end up hearing is a steady roar from guys getting louder as they get lubricated. Between all the years of shooting and a lot of concerts close to the stage, you better be facing me if we are going to have a conversation. It is amazing how much better the aids are compared to a few years ago. Mine Bluetooth to my phone and have an app that I can use to adjust volume and other functions. I have to give the VA credit for helping improve my quality of life with the hearing aids they furnish for me.