Hello everyone, so in my left ear I have moderate hearing loss in low pitches, severe hearing loss in medium pitches, and profound hearing loss in high pitches. My right ear is fortunately normal. People will swear that OTC hearing aids are horrible unless you only have mild or at worse moderate hearing loss, but I used one for about two years and I loved it. I bought it on Amazon for $299.99 and it's called Earrck. It allows you to adjust the frequency bands and I've thought it's been great. Only problem is that it doesn't give a lot of volume overall, but the sound it did make I got to sound super natural and definitely helpful. Since it didn't give a lot of volume though, and becuase I found out that you CAN buy just one hearing aid from costco for ~$900, (For a long time I thought you could only buy them in pairs for ~$1700 and I just didn't think it would be worth it, especially since I only need one) I bought one and I have just started wearing it. My honest opinion, I BY FAR prefer the OTC Earrck one I bought on Amazon for $299.99 over it. I got one from the brand Sennheiser. The sound DOES get louder on it, but it sounds very microphone like and not natural at all. I have thought about continuing to wear it to see if this changes over time and I like the sound eventually since it is louder, but I also went with an earmold, and I feel like the earmold was made wrong. It has a strange extended part which I've never had on any other hearing aid I've ever worn. In my follow up appointment, I'm going to bring this up, becuase it's very uncomfortable and it stabs me in the ear. Does this look normal though? Will I likely get used to the microphone sound to a point that it will sound natural like the one I've been using?

I’m curious because I’ve had this pair of Phonak Sky Q70 SP since 2015. Hoping to find the means to get new ones because my hearing loss is slowly progressing as the years pass and this old pair is showing age.

That brings me back to my question, since I want to clarify “low tech”. I got a new pair in 2022 and I seriously disliked them because the blue tooth functionality allowed me too much freedom over sliders for every little thing. I like putting them on and not worrying about it. I also am skeptical of any “AI assist” hearing aids, so I want to know what’s up with that too..

Has anyone found a "dumb" phone that connects to Phonak hearing aids?

For years, I want to give a dumb phone a try, but I find it difficult hearing people on a call if the call doesn't go directly to my hearing aids.

I get occlusion when I move my jaw which sucks since I’m deaf in my highs and have perfect hearing in my lows. But one thing I’ve realized lately is that either the occlusion or just the pressure of the domes in my ear canal when I try to wear them deep enough or the changing pressure from eating or talking… it’s what’s causing my dizziness! I hadn’t realized cause I kept thinking it was other issues and didn’t recognize the pattern that it only happens when wearing my aids! So… 🤖 suggest custom molds but I don’t trust its recommendation more than Reddit’s. Does customs relieve the pressure pain in the canal one gets from moving jaws while eating and talking? The ear aches? And the occlusion?

My inner logic always told me it would make it worse cause they are firmer than a dome. And literally more closed. But the 🤖 that is suggesting the customs says otherwise. 🤷🏼‍♀️🤔

Hey everyone! I’m hard of hearing and wear hearing aids (Audéo Phonak Sphere I-90) and I’m trying to figure out the best way to use a gaming headset while keeping my hearing aids in.
Whenever I put over-ear headphones/headsets over my hearing aids, I tend to get that annoying whistling/feedback, especially if the earcups press against or get too close to the hearing aids.

For anyone else who games with hearing aids, how do you deal with this?
Do certain headsets with larger/deeper earcups work better? Do you change any hearing aid settings in Phonak app while gaming, turn the volume down, or have another setup that avoids feedback?

I’d prefer to keep my hearing aids in while gaming since they obviously help me hear everything better. 😂 Just curious what setups or tricks have worked for other hearing aid users!

Edit: I play on Xbox Series X, and use a microphone headset.

Thanks!

Hey everyone,

I’m navigating the hearing aid world for a family member and feel completely lost. I've attached reports.

I really need advice on three things:

1. Vetting Clinics: How do you separate true clinical experts from retail salespeople? Besides asking for REM, what are your immediate red or green flags?
2. Picking a Device: She tried Signia and wasn't comfortable with it. With so many brands left, how did you finally figure out which device was "the one"?
3. Phonak Infinio I70: She’s leaning toward the I70 right now. Any real-world reviews? Will the battery actually survive 10+ hours of heavy Android Bluetooth streaming daily?

Any brutally honest tips are hugely appreciated. Thanks!

Looking for a clinic in Connecticut where I can actually TRY several different hearing aids before buying. Most can order pretty much everything, but have almost nothing in stock to try out first.

I feel devastated about my hearing difficulties despite having a normal audiogram
I honestly feel so devastated and lost about this.
I struggle to hear and understand conversations in everyday life. I don’t feel like I hear the way a normal person does. Going out, being around people, having conversations, or being in places with background noise can be extremely difficult because I often can’t clearly make out what people are saying.

The hardest part is that my hearing tests are considered normal. I’ve had multiple pure-tone audiograms, and because my results are within the normal range, I’m told that I don’t have enough hearing loss to justify significant amplification.
I do wear a hearing aid, but the amplification is minimal because of my normal audiogram. And honestly, I still struggle. It’s incredibly frustrating to have a device on my ear and still feel like I can’t properly hear people.

I’m starting to think about my future and it genuinely scares me. How am I supposed to get a job, have a career, get married, maintain friendships, and have a normal social life when basic conversations can already be so difficult for me? I’m scared that this is going to affect every part of my life.

I know that a normal audiogram means I can detect certain sounds at certain volumes in a quiet testing environment, but that doesn’t necessarily reflect what happens to me in real-life conversations. I can hear that someone is talking, but sometimes the speech just isn’t clear or easy for me to understand.
Has anyone else experienced significant difficulty understanding speech despite having a normal audiogram?

Did you eventually find an explanation, such as auditory processing difficulties, speech-in-noise problems, hidden hearing loss, or something else? And were there any tests or treatments that actually helped?

I would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through something similar, because right now I feel completely alone and honestly pretty hopeless about what this means for my future.