My vote would be to take the quality hearing aid route ASAP to restore as much hearing as likely. I’d seriously appreciate to be able to rely on something as unassuming as hearing aids. Always had fantastic hearing, then just over 5 yrs ago a debilitating fungal infection decided to latch onto my brain lining, attack cranial nerves, now I’m permanently/profoundly deaf in both ears. Even the most modern Cochlears are no guarantee to recover any hearing. In all honesty, if being deaf as in no sound whatsoever it’d be more tolerable, but the insane tinnitus that accompanies my type of inner ear damage (sensorineural and conductive) is brutal to say the least. Imagine your head in a tin can in a blender with ice cubes being shredded and no realistic fix for it.

TLDR… NEVER take hearing for granted and get that checked/corrected ASAP!

I’ve been using the Signia brand hearing aids for a few years. I like that they are rechargeable, small and that the software allows me to tailor the directional hearing so that I can adjust the area it is amplifying sounds (such as in a restaurant where the background noise would normally drown out my ability to listen to the speech of the person in front of me. Lastly, Signia has a small device that broadcasts the sound from my TV directly to my hearing aids.

    Interesting thread.

    I’m pretty much deaf in one ear with constant tinnitus in it , not nearly to the extent @JonWoo187 is experiencing ( I feel for you ) though.

    I went to the NHS several years ago and got a hearing aid which I don’t use as my other ear is good enough 95% of the time. Although I do find it difficult in noisy environments to hear what people are saying.

    But as I spend most of my time myself listening to the radio or watching tv ( on my iPad with earphones) or other single person pastimes, cycling, hillwalking, running I don’t feel the need to wear my hearing aid.

    And they’re for old folk aren’t they, I’m only 64 🧐

      Waitforme That is the attitude I have matey. I spend much of my time with earbuds in listening to music. My wife is wheelchair bound and very softly spoken, so most conversations start with “pardon, can you repeat that”. I just feel at 66 things are not going to get any better and now the time is right for investigating the pro’s and cons of the different options. It is the usual problem, of what make to buy and who to buy it from!

      https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/

        NHS digital are the way to go unless you are extremely wealthy. Even then, a properly set up NHS aid is still a good option. My late mum was very deaf for 45 years and progressed through the older analogue models to the digitals. They worked amazingly well for her with the huge advantage of being free with free batteries. To get anything better will cost you thousands, not forgetting maintenance and batteries.

        DavecUK changed the title to Hearing Aids .

        I retired from audiology in 2021. I have fitted hearing aids to service personnel, private patients and worked for the NHS.

        The advantages of private aids, short waiting time, if you pay for the very expensive aids you may get the latest technology.

        Advantages of NHS, you have already paid for it, same technology as mid range private aids that can cost thousands, lifetime backup/ support.

        Most people wait years too long to get there hearing tested, but if you are in a hurry go private.

        If money is no object go private.

        Top tip, it is not just your ears that degrade with age, the brain is really where we process the information from the ears and make sense of it. The processing power available to make sense of that information gets less as we get older. Suddenly giving our older brain more information to work on won’t give instant results, it takes time and practice so you have to wear the aids and give your brain time to get used to the new situation.

        If you go to the NHS, be nice to the audiologists, they work hard and are under paid:-)

          I’ve had many brands of hearing aids over 15 years. Best for hearing clarity is Phonak. Best for adjustability via Iphone app is Jabra Resound. They also sell a “multimike” that I connect to my PC for direct PC to hearing aid audio (MS Teams calls, etc.). But Phonak wins hands down for speech clarity. And I’m betting I can now get Jabra style tech from Phonak. Fyi, I buy from Costco Canada at ½ the price of other private retailers. My insurance plan pays $1,000 CDN, the government pay $1,000 CDN and I kick in $500 to $1,000 depending upon what accessories I buy. Read up and come armed with lots of questions. Its amazing what they don’t tell you. I have lost count of the “I wished had known” topics.$

            JHCCoffee It is a whole new topic for me. I am going to see my doctor this week and explore that route first. My hearing issue has been around for 30 years so I guess that’s I have proved I can live with it, but on the other hand I also accept that a hearing aid could make life simpler. I do not know if over here the government chip in if you do not go down the NHS route. There is some good info coming out folks, thanks.

            https://www.suddencardiacarrestuk.org/2024/02/thank-goodness-for-madeira-cake/