Hearing Aids Costs

I wonder if I'm looking for them as I seem to see these ugly lumps of so-called flesh coloured plastic behind so many ears, from bald men to long haired women.
I also notice the flesh coloured gums of dentures and partial dentures with metal clips.

Oops, pressed too soon, meant to add I have short hair and the aids are not that noticeable. I tend to see them on bald/balding men but not on women.

As an aside, I actually bling’ my hearing aids by wearing charms on the plastic tube or curly, coloured wire around them. The charms look lovely I think.
I’ve had no issues with soreness or infections.
I would say that with regard to background noise you do need to persevere for about 3 weeks at the level set by the audiologist and then turn the volume up or down as required. It was a little wearing initially but I worked with primary aged children with behavioural issues so could often be noisy.

I have just round to making my appointment with Specsavers. Don't have long to wait either, they can see me on Monday. Might as well try them out for free first to make sure I like them.

I have very expensive hearing aids from Scrivens, £2,500 which I had to pay upfront because I don’t have any credit history. They charge overnight on a charger and never had any trouble with infections and they are barely noticeable but pick up far too much background noise for me, applause is torture. I would go with the NHS, they are greatly improved and the audiologist is not working on commission.

The nhs ones are unnoticeable from the front and my hair is very short. I do keep a bit more hair behind the ear to just curl over the hearing aid.

In my opinion, looking at friends, the ‘in the ear’ is much more noticeable. It sits there like a little plug because it has to be big enough for a battery, however small. The little receiver in ‘behind the ear’ goes right into the ear and the wire coming out is thin clear plastic that blends in with your skin.

As far as irritation and infection you do have to experiment with end pieces, both size and material. I had some problems at first because my ear canals were different sizes so the first ones were too big on one side. You can be allergic to some plastics so need to get what suits you. But this would be the same whether it was private or NHS, in the ear or behind the ear.

I got NHS ones last year and DH has them too, I find them ok. The ones I have are moulds they are clear plastic and behind the ear is silver. My DH are smaller and flesh coloured you can hardly see his at all. I would try NH first if I were you ExD1938

Ooh. Having read Caramac's post I am now thinking I should go the NHS via Specsavers route.

If you can get NHS 'free', why not try them first? You will still have the money you've saved to buy an alternative if you can't get on with the NHS ones.

A private hearing clinic in the next town to me states that their hearing aids cost about £1000 for each ear. I am thinking of going down that route.

My doctor seemed quite offended because I asked to go to Specsavers for a hearing test, rather than the hospital audio unit. Seemed to think I should have tests to "see what's going on". Nothing's "going on". I'm 78 and there is deafness in our family.

It takes me too long to reply and I see other people are the same, often replying to a post from 'way back - I've just done that.
Thanks for the details on cost caramac - that' exactly what I wanted to know. I have £1000 saved up, but it may be better spent on a new laptop and a dishwasher I'm beginning to think!

Hmmm - Thanks Squiffy, sadly I hat havig hair around my ears (perhaos I'd better have a chat to y hairdresser). My Mum had the same problem with background noise like Harrigran's DH but that was with ugly behind the ear ones from NHS.

Are the stories about soreness and infections just urban myths? I can remember my first NHS specs giving me a blister on the top of my ear when I first got them as a child and can remember crying myself to sleep because it hurt (or maybe it was the jibes about spekky 4 eyes that hurt)

I’ve got the nhs ones and even with short hair people don’t notice them.
Apparently this type are more efficient than in the ear type.
However, I was quoted , by Specsavers, from £2000 for in the ear up to about £4000 for Bluetooth in the ear.
I was very happy with Specsavers service but went nhs via GP. The audiologist at the clinic said exactly the same as the audiologist at Specsavers.
I’ve been very happy with mine and like that I can turn the volume up or down as required very easily. Nothing is likely to be as good as good natural hearing but hearing aids have definitely been a boon to me.

I know several people who went to the expense (huge!) of buying their own aids and were very disappointed with them. The NHS aids are hugely improved these days and are very small and neat and undetectable if you have hair to hide the part behind the ear - which is also very small. Batteries are provided free of charge, as are frequent check-ups.

DH bought his own hearing aids and they cost around £2,000 but that was 11 years ago. I wish he had just got the NHS ones because he never wears his aids, they amplify the background noise too much for his liking.