Hearing Aids

[DIANE HOFSTETTER]

Hi Terry,

Hearing aids are changing so rapidly that, if you get any, you must work 
closely with a qualified dispensing audiologist or hearing aid dispenser, 
who has up-to-date knowledge and equipment and who is willing to really work 
with you and with the manufacturers to program your aids to give you the 
best possible results.

The clearer you can be about what your needs are, the more likely you will 
be thrilled with them. (e.g. What are the listening situations you most want 
help with? Hearing in noise, hearing speech, listening to music, tuning 
--all require different programming of the aids).

Then you must also be willing to hang in there, possibly having to return 
for adjustments several times, until you get them right.  Generally 
speaking, the sooner you get hearing aids, the easier it is to adjust to 
them.  If the brain does not receive normal sound stimulation, it gradually 
loses the ability to process sound and will have to relearn it.

Diane




Diane Hofstetter




----Original Message Follows----
From: terryb <t46xd8jb at xplornet.com>
Reply-To: Pianotech List <pianotech at ptg.org>
To: pianotech at ptg.org
Subject: Re: Hearing Aids
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 2006 23:25:22 -0500

Joe,

Thanks for the information. I understand what you are saying about 
controlling the volume. However, the ones I am thinking  of just have a high 
volume limit of 80 db (I think). The audiologist can adjust them so that the 
different frequency ranges are louder or softer, to customize them to the 
wearer's preference.

I am not sure yet, what I will get if anything. My hearing isn't really bad, 
but I have been told that I would benefit from hearing aids.

Cheers

Terry Beckingham RPT

At 06:55 PM 6/9/2006 -0700, you wrote:

>Terry,
>IMO, (and I do wear hearing aids), you need some that can be adjusted by 
>you, as far as volume is concerned. IF the hearing aids have Suppressors in 
>the circuitry, the need for volume control is less, but not eliminated.
>The biggest problem with a person getting used to hearing aids, is 
>understanding that "less is more"! The natural tendency is to turn the 
>darned things up when you can't hear. That is the opposite of what you need 
>to do. Hearing aids have come a very long way in the past few years. They 
>are ungodly expensive. When you consider how complex they are, you realize 
>their worth. The ones that my Hearing Aid Dispensor Person is recommending 
>to me are in the $7K to $8K for a pair. Yikes! Because of that, I've been 
>putting off my "up-grade".
>The biggest mistake most make in regards to hearing aids, is they are 
>self-conscious about them, so they want them to not be visible. That type 
>of hearing aid, most of the time is not adequate for our needs, IMO. Yes, 
>they do have a little control thingee that you carry in your pocket that 
>allows you to change "channels", but we need more than that. We need to be 
>able to control the volume. Especially, considering all of the different 
>"noise" situations we get into. In this case "one size fits all", DON'T.
>Regards,
>
>
>Joe Garrett, R.P.T. (Oregon)
>Captain, Tool Police
>Squares R I
>
>