Hearing aids

[Jakebarnts]

I’m 34, I Got told I’m getting hearing aids today(VA is paying for it).

A few realizations happened to me this morning after seeing my results on paper,

1: I felt “old” leaving there.

2: My Tinnitus is way worse than I thought.

3: Im gonna be able to tell the wife the doctor said I should buy a suppressor, she will for sure fall for that “expense”(I Already wear ear plugs when shooting).

But in all seriousness, has anyone had hearing aid problems in cold weather? Like battery life? I’m thinking late November mule deer hunts.

Also, Will I be able to hear a mouse fart two counties over?


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[PNWGATOR]

Thank you for your service.

They’ll improve the quality of your life as well as the lives around you.

You‘re not old. You are 34. You have a hearing issue which is different than a listening issue and you dealt with it.

No civilized person owns a centerfire rifle without a dedicated can.

Batteries are inexpensive and weigh next to nothing. Pack plenty. Have more in your rig. Easy day.

Bluetooth phone calls and podcasts and music on top of your ability to listen to those around you will improve everyone’s experience.

Embrace those things!

 

[weekender7]

I recommend getting rechargeable hearing aids, mine last 18 hours in cold weather, take less than 3 hours to charge. I have two chargers, one of the chargers runs on a rechargeable battery and will charge them 3 or 4 times on it's charge, the other runs off USB.

Also, Will I be able to hear a mouse fart two counties over?
No, your hearing will improve drastically but don't expect to hear better than you did when you were younger.

 

[Darryle]

Some tips, don't stream music thru them, you'll find yourself struggling to hear conversations. Buy extra wax guards, change them anytime you think things sound muted and try several different ear domes, some have single vent, some have dual vents, different sizes and your ears will tell you which is best for you, but not something you can figure out in the office.

I have had 3 sets, the current Oticon behind the ear are the best I have ever owned. The processing power of behind the ear is better than any in canal version, regardless of what they tell you. I had a set that were OTC and less than $300 online, they blew the $6000 in canal premium hearing aids out of the water.

They will help marginally with tinnitus, the best thing I found for tinnitus is regular old ear plugs and avoiding aspirin.

My ENT said that tinnitus is not an actual ringing, but it is your brain trying to recreate the sounds it is missing and creating a hiss that is perceived as a ringing. There are no cures or quick fixes for tinnitus.

 

[*zap*]

What?

 

[Jakebarnts]

My wife will be so excited to not hear “huh” from me after everything she says.

I’ve been lip reading to compensate but she is always to the side or out of my view . I look forward to it, been dealing with this since 2009. I am slightly nervous to learn just how loud my 2 & 3 year old kids actually are .

A suppressor, well It’s been in the “want” category for awhile. I just know I’ll get 1 and that’ll snowball into a dozen quickly. I guess I better become civilized


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[weekender7]

My wife will be so excited to not hear “huh” from me after everything she says.

That's like saying there may be salt in the ocean and possibly sand on the beach.

 

[Jakebarnts]

Valid point.


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[Shawn Hultquist]

TYFYS. Welcome to the club. Do t feel old man it’s part of it. Hearing aids have helped me outdoors in a huge way. I can now hear bugles and turkeys. Previously I couldn’t hear them unless I was inside 150 yards or so. Ask the audiologist about the best ones for outdoor use, wind cancelling. I got the Philips brand from Costco. They come with a home charger and I also purschased the travel charger (like an air pod charger) for hunts and the fire station. Also get the blue tooth box that sits next to the TV and it streams it all to your ears.

The hardest part was getting used to hearing yourself talk and not focusing on all the other conversations going on like in a restaurant. Took about 3-4 days to get re-adjusted. Best thing I ever did was got them. Mine are three years old and out of warranty now but I haven’t had a single issue with them ever. Battery life is good. They last close to 20 hours. I don’t stream a lot of music or podcast though. I use my pickup for that. I have three setting for mine. Normal, automobile, and crowed places so it automatically cancels out back ground noise or whatever setting your in. And as for hunting yes they work great in the cold. Sometimes you’ll have to turn your head a bit to hear if you’re in a big blow but that’s all hearing aids and most people in general.

Best of luck


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[Strasburg89]

My doc said I only had moderate hearing loss. But after wearing mine for two days and getting used to them I cant stand not having them in. Get ones that you can customize for different environments if you can.

 

[dallen]

When I was originally tested by VA for hearing loss, had a female LTC doc tell me my loss was severe in the 3500mhz and above…..she said it’s why I find it difficult to hear women’s voices…..I asked her if she would write me a note to give to my wife…..she didn’t find that funny at all.

Fifteen years later, VA gave me a pair. Signia is the brand I got. Doesn’t help with tinnitus much, if at all, but does amplify sounds so I’m not saying huh so much. You will discover that some things go beep that you had no idea.

Funny that VA kept saying I don’t need them because they don’t help tinnitus…..then after a trip in snake country, I told the doc I couldn’t hear a rattle snake buzzing from 3 feet….he said “well that’s a safety issue” and I got a pair right then.

 

[2531usmc]

Some tips, don't stream music thru them, you'll find yourself struggling to hear conversations. Buy extra wax guards, change them anytime you think things sound muted and try several different ear domes, some have single vent, some have dual vents, different sizes and your ears will tell you which is best for you, but not something you can figure out in the office.

I have had 3 sets, the current Oticon behind the ear are the best I have ever owned. The processing power of behind the ear is better than any in canal version, regardless of what they tell you. I had a set that were OTC and less than $300 online, they blew the $6000 in canal premium hearing aids out of the water.

They will help marginally with tinnitus, the best thing I found for tinnitus is regular old ear plugs and avoiding aspirin.

My ENT said that tinnitus is not an actual ringing, but it is your brain trying to recreate the sounds it is missing and creating a hiss that is perceived as a ringing. There are no cures or quick fixes for tinnitus.

I cannot agree too strongly with this.

I had the ear canal hearing aid as my first device. It was so constantly and so totally packed with small amounts of ear wax that I almost never wore it. It was just not worth the trouble.

Then I got the behind the ear version and it was everything the ear canal version was not. Rechargeable, never got that severe wax build up, high level of clarity and I wear it constantly

 

[wyosteve]

I currently have 2 sets of aids. Rechargeable and battery style. Have 2 because a previous pair had one stop working and I still do some work where hearing is imperative, so can't chance having them go bad when I need them and try to wait several weeks for an appointment. Personally, I dislike the rechargeable. They are fatter/thicker and don't seem to fit behind the ear as well. Also, you have to plan for re-charging if you're in the bush. Not a huge deal if you take a battery pack, but just one more thing to carry. The battery type will work for 5-6 days on one set of batteries and a spare pack of batteries takes up little room and almost no weight. Got mine from Costco and they have been terrific. As mentioned, they won't address tinnitus, but they do mask it to some extent because you're now hearing things you didn't before which seems to over take the tinnitus. Good luck. It does suck to have to wear them, but I analogize it to someone who has to wear glasses everyday to be able to see. Once you get acclimated, it's not a big deal.

 

[Jmort1754]

VA pays for mine, I initially went with rechargeables and hated them. I now use the phonak with blutooth capabilities and I am lost without them. .

I keep extra batteries with me at all times, but I can get 2 days or so out of batteries and that is streaming and everything else.
Call the denver aquisition center and they will mail you supplies including a metric shit ton of batteries.

I have the non-molded just the in ear "tulip". The molded ones my ears always felt full.

 

[Kenn]

As a former hearing aid dealer I can tell you that I would never get a rechargeable because it's going to go out when you need it most and you can't do anything about it. Batteries do the same thing, but then you pop a new one in, and they're cheap. I can get several days out of a battery. As far as tinnitus, they will help some people a lot and some not at all. Also, the best prices and best service is typically Costco, which is part of the reason I sold my business.

 

[Darryle]

Also, the best prices and best service is typically Costco, which is part of the reason I sold my business.

Not the first time I have "heard" this about Costco.

I use Air Pod Pro Gen 2s for streaming and only use the hearing aids for meetings, get togethers, hunting and conversations. Mine also came with a rechargeable case, while traveling I have used them for up to 12hrs at a stretch.

 

[2531usmc]

Is there a hearing aid company that is considered “best”? Or all they all pretty much the same? I saw Costco hearing aids mentioned a couple of times

 

[northernalpine]

I’m glad this came up, have my ENT/hearing loss confirmation in a few weeks and should be recommended for some electric ear jewelry. It’s good to see where everyone else is at for recommendations.

Also, this thread has an exceptional amount of witty banter for only being a few posts deep. Kudos gents.

3: Im gonna be able to tell the wife the doctor said I should buy a suppressor

No civilized person owns a centerfire rifle without a dedicated can.

These are the types of comments that I come here for.

 

[Elk97]

My recommendations based on 25 years of having hearing aids:
Costco has great name brand hearing aids and some good hearing aid specialists (but not all are good). If you have severe hearing loss you might be better off going to a private audiologist. In the canal aids will be in the shop for a week or two maybe twice a year (especially if you do anything that makes you sweat). Behind the ear aids with the electronics in the ear (just a wire to the behind the ear part) aren't as trouble free as the ones that use a clear tube. Don't assume that because you now wear hearing aids that you don't have to wear hearing protection (your hearing is going to get worse unfortunately so take extra good care of the hearing you have left). Use a dryer (110v) to keep them in at night. Upgrade as often as you can, they are making improvements constantly. Good luck.

 

[7mm-08]

My hearing aids are the rechargeable Rexton behind the ear model I bought at Cosco in the spring of last year. They are my first set of hearing aids and I'm in my mid-60. I wolf hunt often leaving home at 5 am and returning at 10 pm. Temperatures are commonly in the single digits and below zero when I head up the hill by 7 am. I have not yet had one time out from running out of power.