Transition from analog to digital

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stephie

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Hello. I'm new to this site, and have been searching the forums for information on this problem. I've not found anything yet that answers my questions, so here goes. I have bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, moderate to severe in the left ear and profound in the right. I am 37 and have worn a hearing aid in the right ear for 30-odd years. My left ear has been aided for 7 years.
I am really frustrated trying to transition to Oticon Epoq Ws, at least in the right ear. The left seems fine but the right is terrible. The sound has felt blocked or muffled ever since I have been wearing it, which is about 3 weeks now. The sound quality was great at first, but this blocked, muffled sound predominates and I just can't hear out of that ear.
The audi has adjusted it several times, most recently on Monday, when she made adjustments after talking to an audi at Oticon. She changed the program, admitting that that the Dynamic setting had not been a good choice for someone like me.
She means well but I don't think she has a lot of experience fitting users like me.
My guess is that I need something more powerful in the right ear. My old Phonak took a 675 battery, but the Epoq W takes size 13. Or do I need to give the Epoq W more time? I'm a little nervous--it feels almost dangerous to be driving with the Epoq W, and I think when I teach I will have to put my old Phonak back in.
I am really confused and I think my audi is too. Any suggestions, advice, feedback, will be greatly appreciated.
 
Hi Stephie,

In 2000 I recieved bilateral digital HA's for my profound deafness, they were Widex Senso and I found them fantastic unfortunately for my left ear it was too profound for reasonble evironmental hearing so I took it off and never used it in left ear. Roll on to 2007 I needed new HA's for my right ear, all 3 branded digitals (oticion, sienmens, Phonak) did not do the justice for me so I was refered for Cochlear implant for my right ear. I asked for analouge HA (which was like needle in haystack) for my left ear and finally heard few environmental sounds, I needed it otherwise i would be without sounds for 5 weeks after my CI operation. Recently, after good 2 years with CI, CI Audi and I felt that I need more with HA so I asked my HA Audiologist to see if they got any more powerful HA available, I tried Phonak 412 digital HA for my left ear, at first I heard almost everything! It was fab.... but after few weeks, it was short lived... I can't hear anything out of it now and the Audi cannot max it out since it's already maxed out! I guess another trip to the Hospital is in order...

Just to list to make sure that you have tried these before going back to Audi...

1 is there condenstion in the tube?
2 replace battery (your left hearing aid might have different setting therefore might drain less battery if your right hearing aid are at it higher setting and would drain more battery)
3 Had it been in dry/store? sometimes sweat/water can make muffled sounds.
4 check the air holes (microphone etc) for blockage.


Although, It does sound like you need few trials with different HA's to see which is the best one for you. If your hearing progressive loss you would need HA's with room to adjust for further loss. From what I thought that full sized BTE hearing aids (that takes 675's) are only powerful enough HAs for the profound loss.
 
The poster above gave some great advice.

In my experience, digital aids did not work well for my profound loss. The sound was muffled and distorted. I could not make sense of speech and could only hear environmental sounds. (Oticon DigiFocus II) When I went back to using my analog Oticon 380Ps, sound was much clearer (although I still could not understand speech, hence my reason for getting CIs). You may be someone for whom digital aids do not work. Then again, you may want to try a different brand like those mentioned above. I've always done well with Oticon, but your case may be different. Hope this helps. Good luck!
 
Thank you both for your replies. Overthepond, I had tried all those things already. I see that you had a good experience with digital at first only to have it deteriorate. I had checked some more on the forums and saw that happened to others as well. I wonder why this is the case--that digitals can work great at first, and then not.
Since I am a teacher, I was really hoping that I could benefit from the sound quality of digitals. I do not have lecture classes; if I did, I could get away with talking all the time, but I need to be able to understand my students!
My loss does not seem to be progressive. It was probably the result of an infection as an infant. I had enough hearing after that that I acquired language, but a serious illness at the age of 6 affected my hearing again.
HearAgain, thanks for your input. It is helpful to know that you too experienced muffled sound.
 
Stephie; First I wish you lots of luck with what ever you come up with. I used analog aids for years then digital and now with CI. I am a retired teacher and have an idea what you are facing. Not fun! I just wish I had the CI when I was still teaching, I might still be teaching if I had. From what you posted I would guess you are a candidate for the CI and if that is the case, based on my experience, don't walk, run to your trusted audi and start the process. I realize we are all different and some don't have the luck/response I have had but odds are good. Have it in the worst ear first if possible. I had choice as both of mine were equally or about equally bad. If I had the opportunity to get one in my other ear I would do it in a heart beat but at my age, I'm surprised insurance covered it in one and on teaching salaries you know the expense is way out of range of possibilities.
 
A small intro: I am deaf in my left ear which can't be aided by any hearing aid, and severe - profound in my right ear with the loss in that ear starting @ 60 dB and going down from there.

Good luck on the transition to Digital! It took me awhile myself. I had a terrible experience with the GN Resound Canta 7 - it was exactly like you describe on your Oticon. After about 3 years of ownership it felt muffled, the volume wasn't ever nearly enough, and I had a very hard time with it. Turns out a year and a half after that (I never really noticed anything wrong - I thought it was just fine for what it was) it turned out to have a bad microphone/speaker and my audiologist and I theorized that it had happened about a year and a half before I upgraded my hearing aid (WOW).

So, I tried switching back to Analog. I got the Unitron US80-PP Power Analog. At first it was a world of difference because of the power and additional clarity that it brought me (this was my first power aid). But, I had several issues which included the occasional "bzzzz" in my ear instead of noise like when an item was scanned at the super market or my car alarm would sound as it's set with the key chain.

After a few months with the Unitron US80-PP and being generally dissatisfied with it, I ended up upgrading to another digital, the Phonak Exelia. This hearing aid was absolutely horrendous. I had a terrible time with discerning sound, noise, and various other things. I'd be on the phone talking to someone, noise would whizz by, and the noise would be such a nuisance that I couldn't even HEAR on the phone at all. In addition, nothing ever sounded quite right and it was an overall terrible hearing aid. I finally had enough and took it back, thinking I'd like sticking with analog better after all. How wrong I was.

I ended up finally trying out the Unitron 360e hearing aid at the recommendation of my audiologist. It's a power digital hearing aid, with a 675 battery. This has to be the best hearing aid I've ever owned. At first I had a few issues with it - such as the hollow sounding sound and underwhelming sound information. After a few adjustments which included increasing the bass, adjusting volume, and removing the filter (a small tube inside the tubing of the aid that, in my case interfered with clarity and fullness of sound) I have to say this is the best hearing aid I have ever owned. No weird "bzzzz" in my ear when my car alarm sounds or when items are scanned at the supermarket, or any other weird issues. Phones sound amazing, and noise stays right where it's supposed to be, and everything else is just "right".

So far everything is stable and perfect and hopefully it stays that way for as long as I need to have it stay that way. I would recommend trying the Unitron 360e in a heartbeat after the wonderful experience I have had with this aid.
 
Have you thought to ask your audi about trying the Naidas? They come in a super power and ultra power and may just give you that oomph you need for your other ear especially. The naidas also have sound recover if you wish to use it. Sound recover takes your higher freq sounds and transfers it into the lower or mid freqs where you can hear better..this will only really work with a sloping loss ..most ppl have trouble with high freqs so profound users can benefit from the sound recover...worth a try?
 
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