Hearing Aid advice

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BigWorm

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Hello,

Went to see an Audiologist at Kaiser and gave me these results:

200 500 1k 2k 4k 6k 8k
L 10 25 -- 65 70 -- 35
R 25 25 40 50 45 -- 60

SRT
RT- 40 84%/70dB
LT- 50 40%/85dB Masking 60

Costco tech

250-500-1k-1.5k-2k-3k-4k-6k-8k
R - 30-35-40-45-55-50-50-40-50

L - 20-25-70-70-65-65-70-65-70

Any advice on what HA fits my loss? CIC, RIC etc? I tried the Kirkland RIC HA at costco and will try the others (Bernafon and ReSound) next week for a comparison. Also, I am going back to discuss hearing aids with the Kaiser audi. I dont know how tell what needs to be tweaked since its my very first HA. Hope to get more helped on my situation.



Thank a lot!
:wave:
 
I have no idea....but if you go to Phonaks website and look up CIC and RICs it will have a graph of their range....so even if you're not getting Phonaks it will still give you an idea of what a CIC and a RICs range is.

personally I would stay away from CIC's just because they not as durable and have more problems
 
ambrosia said:
I have no idea....but if you go to Phonaks website and look up CIC and RICs it will have a graph of their range....so even if you're not getting Phonaks it will still give you an idea of what a CIC and a RICs range is.

personally I would stay away from CIC's just because they not as durable and have more problems
Click to expand...

My CIC did great while they worked for me, but once my hearing loss surpassed them that was it. I went back to them as a backup pair and I couldn't even hear out of them anymore. All hearing aids have their limitations but the CIC has a limited range.
 
ambrosia said:
I have no idea....but if you go to Phonaks website and look up CIC and RICs it will have a graph of their range....so even if you're not getting Phonaks it will still give you an idea of what a CIC and a RICs range is.

personally I would stay away from CIC's just because they not as durable and have more problems
Click to expand...
Good idea to look on the website for the graph!

Just curious, what kind of problems? Also, from what I understand the battery life isn't that long either?
 
ambrosia said:
I have no idea....but if you go to Phonaks website and look up CIC and RICs it will have a graph of their range....so even if you're not getting Phonaks it will still give you an idea of what a CIC and a RICs range is.

personally I would stay away from CIC's just because they not as durable and have more problems
Click to expand...

Awesome! Tnx!
 
In A Cloud... said:
Good idea to look on the website for the graph!

Just curious, what kind of problems? Also, from what I understand the battery life isn't that long either?
Click to expand...

honestly I have no idea, I'm just repeating what I've heard here :giggle: I never had a CIC before, actually probably most of the posters on here haven't, I think the most of us have too much loss for the that.

But I'm sure there are some, or people who might have had them at some point and can offer more specifics.
 
at a guess, a total guess here, with a CIC in that left ear feedback could be a problem.

But Deaf Alex is right, I joined this forum and the hearing aid forum she put up a link for last summer when I was looking into getting new aids. A lot of the members over there are audi's. I found better advice here, just because most of the people over there don't have loss as bad as mine.
 
I would never go back to any "in the ear" type HA's again. There are just too many issues with feedback, etc. I have a BTE style and it's far more comfortable but it might be too much "power" for what you need--but, it would also be much more expandable if your loss is progressive.
 
The reason most of us say to stay away from CIC is because while it's "nice" that the entire HA goes in your ear, it also leads to some significant issues such as:

Moisture buildup/damage to the components - some people have "wetter" ears than others - this can kill HAs and be very expensive to fix even if you are using a Dry & Store etc every night. Most of the people I know with CIC and ITE HAs have to have them serviced/repaired etc annually ... BTEs - heck I know people (including myself) who had their BTEs for almost a decade with no repairs needed at all!)

Wax issues - most of us have more wax than average - and it becomes more when you put a HA in (natural defence against a foreign object!). Even with wax guards, the wax can into into things and be very hard to clean out - it also means you can't hear as well since the HA is blocked up!

Battery life - because they have to use a smaller battery, that means less power, for less time ... that's not only a pain because you have to change them more often, it's also more money you have to put out.

Technology - It costs a lot more to make features fit into a CIC HA - you're going to pay a LOT more for the exact same (or less) features you could get in a BTE style aid.

Adjustablity - CICs lack a lot of the ability to alter programs, "grow" (if your hearing changes), and allow for individual adjustments (versus my BTE has a volume control, TCoil and DAI compatibility ).

Durability - There's no way around it, HAs are a serious investment and BTEs last significantly longer than CIC and ITE HAs ... in some cases more than twice as long.


A lot of people think that BTE style HAs are only for moderate to profound loss - however a LOT of people with mild or mild-moderate HA choose BTEs (even if they're the "perfect candidate" for a CIC).

I personally find the BTEs much more comfortable and better for all the things I want to do. Because the actual HA isn't inside the ear, there's less worry about component damage etc. Also because BTEs are more cost effective and last longer they are a better value - you can get a top of the line BTE style which will last you for many years (5-10 or more), versus a lower line CIC which might last you 2-5years.

I hope that helps :)

BTEs are really the way to go :)
 
I think your loss would allow for one of those tulip, or open dome ear hooks whatever they're called, but I think they look waaaaay more comfortable than a CIC or a ear mold. like this.....
 

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DeafAlex said:
That's a RIC aid, Ambrosia, also a good option for OP.
Click to expand...

I know ;) but it was th eear hook I was trying to show him. I think the open ear hook domes can work with the reg BTE aids too, not sure, but it's the ear hook that I was really focusing on, no occlusion problems! which can happen with both a CIC and BTE with ear mold....I wish my loss would allow for them!! that's GOT to be more comfortable!
 
Anij said:
BTEs are really the way to go :)
Click to expand...

I second this, I get new hearing aids every decade or so NOT because of the HA going bad but just the improving technology offers better hearing experience. My previous BTE HA STILL work even though I got them almost 15 years ago. :cool2:
 
Anij said:
The reason most of us say to stay away from CIC is because while it's "nice" that the entire HA goes in your ear, it also leads to some significant issues such as:

Moisture buildup/damage to the components - some people have "wetter" ears than others - this can kill HAs and be very expensive to fix even if you are using a Dry & Store etc every night. Most of the people I know with CIC and ITE HAs have to have them serviced/repaired etc annually ... BTEs - heck I know people (including myself) who had their BTEs for almost a decade with no repairs needed at all!)

Wax issues - most of us have more wax than average - and it becomes more when you put a HA in (natural defence against a foreign object!). Even with wax guards, the wax can into into things and be very hard to clean out - it also means you can't hear as well since the HA is blocked up!

Battery life - because they have to use a smaller battery, that means less power, for less time ... that's not only a pain because you have to change them more often, it's also more money you have to put out.

Technology - It costs a lot more to make features fit into a CIC HA - you're going to pay a LOT more for the exact same (or less) features you could get in a BTE style aid.

Adjustablity - CICs lack a lot of the ability to alter programs, "grow" (if your hearing changes), and allow for individual adjustments (versus my BTE has a volume control, TCoil and DAI compatibility ).

Durability - There's no way around it, HAs are a serious investment and BTEs last significantly longer than CIC and ITE HAs ... in some cases more than twice as long.


A lot of people think that BTE style HAs are only for moderate to profound loss - however a LOT of people with mild or mild-moderate HA choose BTEs (even if they're the "perfect candidate" for a CIC).

I personally find the BTEs much more comfortable and better for all the things I want to do. Because the actual HA isn't inside the ear, there's less worry about component damage etc. Also because BTEs are more cost effective and last longer they are a better value - you can get a top of the line BTE style which will last you for many years (5-10 or more), versus a lower line CIC which might last you 2-5years.

I hope that helps :)

BTEs are really the way to go :)
Click to expand...

Not to mention you can get BTEs in cool colors. I honestly don't understand the cosmetic factor......it's not like BTEs are 1930's body worns or ear horns!
 
deafdyke said:
Not to mention you can get BTEs in cool colors. I honestly don't understand the cosmetic factor......it's not like BTEs are 1930's body worns or ear horns!
Click to expand...

I think BTE aids with cool colors, look way cooler then the ITE or CIC aids.

I see colored BTE aids as good looking as some of the phones and other technology that is available.
 
NaidaUP said:
I think BTE aids with cool colors, look way cooler then the ITE or CIC aids.

I see colored BTE aids as good looking as some of the phones and other technology that is available.
Click to expand...


It was suggested to me to get the black ones because they sort of match my hair and would show up on my gray carpet should I drop them. They looked sort of blahhh to me. So I picked the titanium/chili red colored ones. :cool2:
 
In A Cloud... said:
It was suggested to me to get the black ones because they sort of match my hair and would show up on my gray carpet should I drop them. They looked sort of blahhh to me. So I picked the titanium/chili red colored ones. :cool2:
Click to expand...

Chili red is good. Mine are red..... :)
 
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