I am going back to hearing consultant next week after having a pair of n.h.s standard hearing aids for three years . I haven’t really got on with them, I have had earring infections a couple of times and my ears seem to get blocked up with wax a lot, so I tend not to use them much. Has anyone any experience with the small ones that don’t have the tube that goes into your ear, are they better and have you had them from n.h.s , or how much should I expect to pay for them.
I use them all the time. Private, not NHS. Private aids have more control and adjustment and various options that NHS ones don't have. In effect you get what you pay for.
Not sure what you mean by the tube that goes into your ear. They all have to have some part in your ear or else you wouldn't get any benefit. I used to have the solid ones that sat totally in my ear canal, but one of the problems with them is that they do tend to push stuff into your ear every time you insert them.
Because my hearing loss is severe (Fell running injury - don't ask!) I'm now on the more effective aids that sit behind the ear. These have a small tube that goes to a plastic insert that sits at the entrance to my ear canal. Nowhere near as intrusive as the solid ones. Since going onto these aids I've never had to have my ears syringed to remove a wax build up, so I guess they do help. I also - and don't mention this to your consultant - dry my ears with cotton buds every time I have a shower. That also helps pull odd bits of wax out, but prevents a build up.
These do have the option to have different settings for different circumstances - normal, in the car, in a pub, listening to an induction loop etc. Many to choose from. They also have volume controls. I believe the latest ones can be controlled in some way via an app, but I've yet to see the benefit of this, other than as a sales tool!
Make sure you have a proper talk. Find out just how severe your hearing loss is. You'll never get your hearing back so you have to find the best help. Don't be embarrassed if you miss some parts of conversations; I do all the time even with my aids.
If you go private you will probably be given a "cooling off period" when you can effectively try them out and see if they are for you. But a decent pair will cost you four figures! As I said at the beginning - you get what you pay for.
I initially had the small digital BTE NHS hearing aids. Now I have signia silk nx7 in the ear type. They are fantastic ... superb clarity.
They are very discreet and very comfortable. Although if you often get ears that get blocked up with wax then I guess they would not be suitable for you.
The best ones are still RIC (receiver in canal).
They separate the mic which sits behind the ear with the speaker going in the ear on a thin wire. They have a small dome on the rather than a mould, so are pretty comfy.
The better aids you have the more channels (separate frequencies that can be tuned) the more they communicate between them and work out the acoustics around them, and the more directional the mics can be. In a really loud pub for example if you are speaking to someone in front of you, they will turn down the noise around you and focus the mics ahead.
They will also be Bluetooth compatible with phone, and rechargeable.
Better than modern NHS one will be over grand, top of the range from us, branded ie GN RESOUND, Phonak, Seimens would be £2900.
We’ve heard of some places doing the same for over £5k.
If you are near Oxford, give me a shout for STW rate.
