Finally getting hearing aids. Any tips from wearers

I got my hearing aids 18 months ago. I remember walking out of Specsavers and going to a restaurant for lunch. I could here all kinds of conversations going on...I felt bad about listening in....hahaha. I would not be without them. Bird song and music especially...wonderful to hear it all so clearly now. They cannot be seen...tiny piece right in ear which is attached via a clear tube to the piece behind ear. I have short hair as well. They cost just over a thousand pounds...well worth saving for. After care has been brilliant.

I first got my hearing aids three years ago. At first I found the surrounding noise extremely unsettling - car blinkers, tap dripping, newspaper rustling etc. But I wore the aids for a short time at first then increased the time each day. My audiologist told me that this allowed my brain to become used to the different sounds gradually. You need to persevere over quite a long period to fully feel comfortable with them. When I'm home not watching tv I don't wear them as I don't need to hear the vacuum cleaner at full blast! I have found they are wonderful when I'm socializing however sometimes I remove them if the restaurant is very noisy as I find they give too much background noise. I can now hear all the news on tv without straining all the time.

My advice is to keep trying and don't give up too easily as they can be a wonderful benefit. You just need to realize that sometimes the background noise is too much and simply decide not to use them at that time. Good luck!

My DH has a hearing aid Which was originally supplied by the audiology dept at our local hospital, then we discovered that this service, like so many others in our area, has been sold off and is now run by Specsavers. This was good for us though, as we know the manager (due to complex issues we have had re dh's glasses). He had it upgraded by them and I specifically asked for it to be non adjustable by him, as I knew he would forever fiddle with it and it would always be on the wrong setting! He gets on very well with it and I am delighted, so nice to be able to talk at normal speed and volume!

I have a friends who had NHS ones and could not get on with them at all for the various reasons you have all experienced. Both she and her husband are now paying a total of over £5000 for private ones, which they will have on a 30 day money back warranty. I am waiting with interest to see what they are like, as I was assured by Specsavers that the ones they do are as good as you can get!

I have mild to moderate hearing loss - need the TV turned up and have to get people to repeat things; often miss hear and give silly answers; example: colleague asked if she could borrow my charging leads and I responded that yes, I would like a cheese sandwich. This final indignity drove me to the GP and then the audiology department of the local hospital!

I hope you read this because I have had two aids from the NHS and I was told that there is nothing you can buy privately that will be any better than NHS aids - the setting up of the aids was amazing as test readings were fed into a computer, the aids were plugged in and configured specifically for my hearing loss. They have helped a lot - they did take a little getting used to as evidently the brain needs to recalibrate and adjust to better hearing. I try hard to wear them all the time because I have read that you can 'forget' sounds that you haven't heard for a while and then will never hear them again, whatever strength of aid you use. Good luck - and please do think about the free aids from our wonderful NHS; we have to pay for dental treatment and specs, but hearing aids are still free and there is an excellent support service and free batteries too.

DH had private ones on trial - would have been £3,000 - but decided against them. A year later he found he could have NHS ones (ie he listened to me!). Found they looked almost exactly the same, small discrete above the ear type. Unfortunately he only wears them when he goes out (when he remembers so conversations can become erratic) though I am trying to get him to wear them for car racing on tv as I find it so loud I can't be in the same room! He puts spectacles on when he gets up, why not hearing aids too?

When I first got mine I only wore them"when I needed them". But your brain needs to re-learn how to process all the sounds it's been missing. I found that I needed to wear them consistently, to train my ears and brain and once I did this I got much more from my hearing aids. Do persist because its worth it to prevent the isolation that can eventually creep up on you.

Just an aside here, last week I had an appt at the local hospital and met an old neighbour who I hadn't seen for several years. I was surprised to see her wearing hearing aids and I don't know if they are not very effective or if she hasn't had them long but she shouts very loudly!!! I and the whole waiting room were treated to her problem which involved her nipples which are discharging and the cleaning out of them involving mirrors and Qtips . She went on at length and you could have heard a pin drop and newspapers were held up very close to peoples faces

I have excellent digital NHS ones, the technology has improved a lot even in the last 5 years since I first had one. I now have two behind the ears with a tube that goes over into the ears. Bushy hair round ears completely hides them! Get good instructions about cleaning them as a tiny bit of wax can stop them working completely. They greatly improve my hearing in crowded places and in theatre or cinema particularly useful when with some friends who have low pitched voices. I was very reluctant at first but now a complete convert.

NHS hearing aids are not free. We have been contributing to our NHS for most of our lives and I did not give permission to sell off lucrative parts of it to private companies. My local hospital audiology dept is excellent. I have had aids for over ten years with brilliant professional service and batteries when I need them. I know someone from spec savers who had a couple of days training. Our hearing is too precious to leave to the market. The asset strippers are waiting to pounce on our wonderful nhs. Don't let them.

No need to pay when you can get them for FREE from NHS!

I tried hearing aids back in early 1980's and they were awful, all they did was magnify the noise, did not make anything clear at all. BUT then ENT suggested trying new digital ones two years ago and what an amazing difference. I can even hear birds tweeting ! I would suggest building up gradually, an hour , then two then three, as it takes a while to get used to all the noise, plus the plugged feeling in your ear, plus they can get hot and sweaty inside. If I am alone in the house I take mine out to give my ears a 'rest' and enjoy the silence once more and hearing again I find overwhelms me, life is just too noisy. Also a tip for cleaning them, get some of those little miniature dental brushes as tiny bit of wax gets into the holes, BUT be careful not to push anything down the tubes as it will block them, use the brush to hook bits OUT not push in. Wipe them often with a wet wipe to stop bacteria building up on them. Mine have given me a new lease of life and I can join in socially again, so perservere but I would urge anyone not to waste their hard earned savings when you can get them for free from NHS and they do whole range of aids according to your hearing needs so not all big and ugly as some may suspect!

Hi - I tried them on and off for a few weeks before giving up. The other thing with them was they made my ears hot and sore after a couple of hours use.
I lost most of my hearing in my teens (50 odd years ago) due to industrial deafness. Had a hospital appointment, wore the aids to hear the doc - all I could hear was the strip lights buzzing. Do not let my experiences put anyone off getting them - just trial them before deciding. Any TV I want to watch I use over ear headphones - much more comfortable for me.
NB: got them on the NHS.

"Try before you buy" - or better still don't buy - get them free on the NHS!

That is what I am worried about oldkranky. I mainly want them for TV because even with the sound up I find it distorted.

may I ask a few questions?

How long did you persevere before you gave up on them.

How severe was your hearing loss and what age were you when you got them.

When the audiologist said a money back guarantee, I asked what problems made people give up. He said, just what you did. He did say though, that it was more likely when people had left it a bit late.

Hope my questions are not intrusive

It is best to start slow - the audiologist I had set the aids very low and ratcheted them up gradually so I could get used to the changed sound.

Hi - got mine 2 years ago - had one in each ear. Cannot get on with them as all
noises are at the same level. Tried to hear the tv, gave up as I could hear wifey in the kitchen and all noises outside. Was overwhelmed with sound. Mine are the fancy digital ones, were great in the soundproof fitting room, but outside in the
road the din was appalling. Gave up on them, still i can have selective deafness when wifey wants something done. Try before you buy.

I bought one hearing aid about 8 years ago with the 90 day guarantee. It is great, no rustling, don't hear my own voice. I go back every year to 18 months free of charge and have an audio check and if necessary have it ratcheted up.

A friend said recently she never knew I wore an aid

Make sure you have on with a small securing plastic piece which stops it falling out.

Go for it and enjoy hearing most people. My DH stills mumbles

I went to specsavers on recommendation. The audiologist was very good. They do 2 aids as they say it is better.

I have chosen tiny behind the ear ones, as I don't think I could stand anything inside my ears . I will see how I get on, at nearly £3000 I hope they work.

I need aids - I have been told this several times - but I found them very difficult when I trialed them as I have neuralgia on one side and having an aid in one ear hurt - but OK in the other on the side where I do not get the neuralgia.

I found that paper rustled somewhat!

It depends where you live - not all branches do this - it depends on what the local NHS has decided.

I had no idea Specsavers did NHS ones

My DH finally got hearing aids a few years ago after my trying to get him have a hearing test for AGES. He found it a little difficult adjusting but now he puts them in first thing when he wakes-he knows I will not attempt to speak to him til he does-and he leaves them in all day til bedtime. Much better, not perfect of course, but a great improvement on before.
They are quite discreet but can be seen a little which I think is a good thing so you'd hope people would make allowances. Speak clearly, look at him and not cover their mouth. It all helps.

I started wearing 1 hearing aid about 3 years ago (NHS) and it didn't seem to make much difference to me but when I saw the audiologist last year, she upgraded me to 2 hearing aids, and I really cannot believe the difference they have made to my life. It is incredible. They took some getting used to because I couldn't believe how much noise existed in my house, the floorboards in the kitchen creak like you wouldn't believe. I could even hear my stomach rumbling - goodness knows what other bodily noises have escaped my notice over the years . I have noticed an improvement in managing tinnitus as well, a problem which has driven me to the edge of insanity over the years.

OH had free NHS ones from Specsavers. Excellent service and they are teeny tiny!

My DH has NHS ones. They have changed his life. He does sometimes get background noise but on the whole they have been great.

DH paid £2,000 for his and will not wear them, he says it picks up all the background noise and magnifies it so that he can not hear conversation close to him.