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OT: Hearing Aids

Two if you need two.

Reply to
F
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I know several people with hearing aids. Some are happy with the NHS ones, others pay for private ones. Being interested form a technical side, I've asked some of them about their experiences. The NHS ones seem ok for some hearing problems. Until the patient has a proper test and perhaps tries a hearing aid, second guessing that a private one will be needed (or one will even help) is premature.

Reply to
Brian Reay

You may even find that an audiologist visits your GP surgery from time to time. One comes to my surgery every two weeks or so. I got fitted up with hearing aids in a single visit - in which my hearing was tested for frequency response and the hearing aids were programmed accordingly and given to me.

Mine have soft conical ends which push into the ears, and do not have to be specially moulded to fit my ears. They seem perfectly ok. I was given several months supply of batteries, and was told how to order (free) replacements when required. Batteries last me for approximately a week - usually a bit more because I don't wear the aids all the time, and I remove them and turn them off (by partially opening the battery holders) at night.

Reply to
Roger Mills

Do you have to pay for those? What type of batteries do your hearing aids use? I'm guessing that your "my aids do more" is simply that your batteries are not of similar capacity.

Reply to
Richard

And AIUI if you lose one they will replace it FOC, but if you lose a second one then you do have to pay.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

That's important. I do wonder how many people know they should do that.

Reply to
Chris Hogg

They should be told that when fitted with the aids, and it's in the little booklet I was given. But how many people remember, or bother to read the booklet is another matter!

Reply to
Roger Mills

I'm sure of that too. Saying how long batteries last obviously depends on the capacity of the battery as well as the load. There will be a tendency for smaller aids to have smaller batteries.

Reply to
charles

Doesn't follow at all. Mostly you are paying for miniaturisation now. It is quite likely that your batteries have a lower capacity to be smaller.

Try switching them off overnight you will get better battery life.

Reply to
Martin Brown

Reply to
charles

8<

Y&ou are just deaf and have the volume set high. ;-)

Reply to
dennis

Sorry, Brian, but that is a load of bollix! The NHS hearing aids are very good quality. They are "proper digitally tailored ones" too. They don't do any other sort. And they are free, so far as I know in all health areas, for those who really need them. Different authorities have different arrangements but the principles should be the same. In some areas, Specsavers can dispense NHS hearing aids - you can usually check on the Specsavers website. Not all NHS areas supply in-the-ear models.

I've had NHS hearing aids. They were good but I didn't like them over my ears because I wear spectacles and the combination of the two gadgets felt "clunky". So I went to Specsavers and paid £1100 for in-the-ear ones. For that, I got the hear aids, repairs for a year and hearing tests and batteries for four years. The audiologists I saw at Specsavers advised me not to spend more that that - pay more and just get gimmiky add-ons like remote control and linking with iphones etc.

I've had excellent service from Specsavers - but I had very very good service - and hearing aids - from the NHS - and completely free.

And as some others have said, first port of call if anyone has hearing problems is G.P.

Oliver

Reply to
Oliver

He need to see his GP and get referred on. He will almost certainly qualify for new hearing aids - they are very good and completely free. If there are any underlying problems, they will get checked out as well.

Reply to
Oliver

Really is annoying, the NHS bashing. I was due to get my ear with perforated drum checked on Monday, done on a six monthly basis as it is considered to be an at risk condition. Owing to sickness, they were unable to keep my original appointment and arranged another which was today. All set for another six months. A while ago I had the misfortune to drop my hearing aid in liquid, which killed it. They replaced it FOC with a more recent version.

Reply to
Richard

In Wales you only get one and they won't replace it if lost.

Reply to
Andrew

That is not true of the Wrexham and Hywel Dda services, at least the last time I used them.

Reply to
Roger Hayter

It is fantastically important for people whose hearing is really badly damaged and the amplifiers are running at close to maximum gain. Placed on a hard surface the microphone hears the in ear transducer and goes into howl round oscillation screaming like a banshee. The owner is of course oblivious to this racket having removed their hearing aid.

It shortens battery life to a couple of days tops.

Reply to
Martin Brown

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