Hearing Aids/Loss

teamsamson

Hey, just been to ENT specialist and told me lve congenital hearing loss (only diagnosed now-lm 26!), and that l could get hearing aids if l feel l need/want them, its up to me. just want to know if anyone knows of any good hearing aid places in Dublin and costs please?

Thanks!

larko

I work in the hearing aid industry but I won't say where to make this fair. What I suggest you do is shop around, times are tough in the shops so you could haggle on price.

Getting a hearing aid is about a few factors really. Your loss, your budget and your lifestyle.

Hearing loss is very important. The type of aid will be dependant on your loss. If it's mild/moderate with High Freq loss you may be able to get one of the new speaker in canal aids. These aids in my opinion are very discrete and are flexible to wear (ie they can suit an active lifestyle). If you have a severe/profound loss you may need to have a powerful aid and the size of the aid my be bigger.

I think you should go to someone who will give you a proper hearing test and examination and who's after service is the most important as a hearing aid will always break down. The first few months after fitting a HA are important as this is you rehab time. Aids cost from 1200 each to 3000 each. Although you can get a grant if you have enough PRSi or claim on your tax through Med 1 form.

You can PM me if you want. If you want to check with me I can let you know if you are being treated fairly. I have no affiliation to any hearing aid shop, I have just worked in the industry (manufacturing/repairs) for 8 years.

teamsamson

Thanks for your speedy reply! lm a nurse myself, so lve had 2 audiograms in the past 3 weeks already! lm missing alot of the middle frequencies. but since its appartently congenital lve survived 26 years like this! The Consultant thinks my hearing must have deteriorated in the past few months and thats why lve noticed a difference. Phew-enough of the rant!

Cant believe the aids are pretty expensive. dont mind the price (though l am from Cavan!) and what size really. just wondering where are the best places because l heard you can be caught. The Consultant told me the same as you, that l need to find a place with good aftersales service. He gave me a list and told me 2 were very good-Judith Nugent, with the Diagnostic Audiology Services in Charlemount, and Sandra Cummings in Beacon Hall, Sandyford. Both not great for me, as l live on the North side.

8 years is a long time, and l appreciate your knowledge-thanks!

RobFowl

This might be useful. Its the profession body for hearing aid suppliers.
http://www.ishaa.ie/Members.html

teamsamson

Have checked it out already, but didnt find it freat. miss the personal approach! Thanks RobFowl!

larko

Where on the north side are you? I could recommend someone if you want.

I know the two audiologists the ENT recommended and they are both very good. In saying that, the ENT's tend to recommend the same people given their location and as you can see they are probably close to the proximity of where you went to see the ENT.

Although at 26, this was late to pick up a congenital loss it can be hard to detect until, as you say, you start noticing problems (socially, work etc.)

I think your hearing loss will have to be monitored regularly as it's a new diagnosis - just to keep an eye on the rate of loss.

I'm studying audiology at the moment so I'm interested in your situation. Do you have other symptoms in the ear tinnitus, fluid, mastoid cavity? Sorry for the questions, I'm an eager student.

teamsamson

saw the ENT guy in Beaumont public, so thought it weird for him to recommend places on south side. he never said to mention his name, so no advertising.weird.

my older sis and younger bro had grommets as kids, but my hearing tests were always normal. l find it weird l was diagnosed as havin congenital hearing loss. but the ENT guy said he could tell from my audiogram and from my speech-never thought l spoke funny, but my dad always said l spoke differently than rest of my family. the ENT guy said it was only certain words. great-hearin aid and funny speech at 26!

lve only noticed (and my family and work mates) my hearin loss within the last few months, with some tinnitis and l have become mildly clumsy, which l have never been. lm booked for an MRI to be on the safe side and also so the ENT guy can have a better look at my inner ears. my frequency and pressure were normal on the audiogram, so only problem is my inner ears. so lve sensorineural hearin loss-no treatment , only aids.dont mind really.

no probs with the questions!

larko

Grommets in kids are pretty common. Eustachian tubes are lateral in children and the fluid cannot drain. As we grow older they develop at an angle so this problem doesn't present as much. So I wouldn't consider this an issue.

I find it odd that your audiograms were normal as a kid. But that's life I suppose. Somethings just can't be explained. Sensorineural losses don't always cope well to hearing aids that's my only concern. I would wait for the test results of the MRI before spending any money.

The tinnitus can be helped with aids and I'm thinking that the clumsy nature might be linked with vertigo.

Is your daily life affected by this loss? I reckon you have very good coping mechanisms given the fact that you have congenital hearing loss and it's not presented itself until now.

teamsamson

Hey Larko,
didnt actually have an audiogram as a child, as far as l can recall (my parents agree), but l do remember having some hearing test (tuning fork) which were all normal. Its so weird and driving me bananas! Just want definite cause so l can actually understand.

My every day life is going grand, though l am missing some parts of conversations, so was thinking aids may benefit me somewhat. Though you say sensorineural loss doesnt respond well to aids- lm fecked!

Deffo not looking into anything until l have the MRI. He also told me to get my thyroid levels checked coz he felt it was mildly enlarged. Had my levels done last year and they were fine, but lm working over w/e, so think l'll get them rechecked to be on safe side. l cant believe lm falling apart!! Deffo going to check my birth cert!

larko

Don't be silly you're not falling apart. Your life has been fine up to now and it will continue to be. Don't get me wrong.. you're not fecked with hearing aids, it's just that Sens loss in some cases doesn't respond as well as say a conductive loss.

Hearing aids get fitted a lot to Sensorineural losses and the person gets on fine, so don't panic. Most shops will give you a trial and if it doesn't suit you can get your money back. Just make sure you tell them if it's not working. There is nothing worse than someone coming back after a year saying "oh these aids never worked" but you have no history of them ever coming back. You have to be proactive in your own treatment if hearing aids are the way to go.

Best of luck with the tests.

teamsamson

ah Larko,
lve survived this long, think l'll be ok for another wee while! thanks for caring! goin to wait till l get MRI results and speak with the Consultant before l decide on aids. will let ya know how l get on!

Thanks for all your help!

schmel22

teamsamson wrote: »

ah Larko,
lve survived this long, think l'll be ok for another wee while! thanks for caring! goin to wait till l get MRI results and speak with the Consultant before l decide on aids. will let ya know how l get on!

Thanks for all your help!

Hi,
Don't panic! Your loss is a Sensori nearal loss around about the 1K to 4K. It resembles a cookie bite when you see it on your audiogram. Hearing aids are mainly fitted to SN hearing losses as many conductive losses can be reversed,grommets,stapdectomies etc etc.

No one can tell you that you need a hearing aid,it,as you said,an AID to help in social situations. I totally agree with your ENT Consultant,your hearing could have dropped just that little bit more and now you are struggling. It is true that hearing aids are not your own ear,don't function the same way,obviously. They are not like glasses you can't put them on and go wow back to normal......................because you have never known NORMAL,sound and hearing is perception . To normal hearing people in a room,one finds the telly too loud the other thinks it is fine?! I'm rambling here but........ Most of my patients have to persevere with the aids if they want to succeeed with them and you will learn in which situatioin you will have to use them,in other words it is quite alright to have them in your bag and then produce them when you need them. Hearing aids have literally come on in leaps and bounds,its not usually the aids that are the issue just your dispenser,which is why just do your research,it is like any big purchase,be careful and comfortable and if you don't like the advice from one find another,just think if you were buying a car. The digital aids are very good indeed and they can be adjusted to suit the individual they are not somehting you pull off a shelf they are customised to your hearing loss.

In my experience,stay away from the high street, many health service audiologists fit hearing aids and not just from the private hospitals - I would suggest speaking to your audiology department,as haering aid dispensers are their peers. Hearing aid fitting is not regulated in Ireland,so 'buyer beware'. Ask for a trial and one where you get a FULL refund if you are not happy and as mentioned before a documented and agreed after care service. A number of things that can go wrong with hearing aids,not necessarily major problems (ie wax blocked microphone,tubing has condensation..........)

The hearing services recommended to you are well established dispensers and they both have a wealth of experience. Audiology is a very small community in Ireland so we all pretty much know each other,that is why I think you should speak to your audiologist who would only be too delighted to point you in the right direction.

I'm an audiologist myself with 12 ish years experience. I've worked in a few countries and it is such a shame that in our health service we don't fit hearing aids to our patients we have to send you out into the big bad world.

Hope this helps,I get asked these questions a million times a week,you're not alone!

Oh and going on the why was my hearing fine as a child,it may not have been,but if you remember the test it could of been quite crude also you are looking for a childs reaction and depending on their cooperation...............................not an exact science but that's why we have experienced audiologists and new testing techniques. Main thing is that it has been picked up and you will now be monitored and you don't think that you are going mad! The internet is a great thing and you can get all sorts of info in telling you how to cope.

Don't mind if you have anymore questions,fire away

teamsamson

Hey Guys,
thanks for all your help! had my MRI Brain, which was normal, so now my ENT Doc suggested hearing aids, in both ears. cant believe lm 27, wear glasses/contacts and now need aids-l'll never get married!! thank God lve long hair!! lm waiting to hear back from HSE re:grants/entitlements, then lm off shopping!

Thanks again for all your help!!

schmel22

That's great news for you. Hearing aids have come a long way don't fret!!
PRSI contribution grant ('stamps')or whatever they call it................don't wait for anyone to get back to you any repitable hearing aid company can tell you about it,you just have to get a form signed by your GP and away you go.

One thing I will say,make sure they have an EXCELLENT after sales service,we are great in this country at selling NOT so good at looking after you. You sould get a trial period of AT LEAST a month and full refund if you don't like them.

Testing proceedures should be up to ISO standards and ALL hearing aid dispensors 'should' be FULLY qualified as an audiologist as well as a dispensor (check this out). The hearing aid business is NOT regulated in Ireland so 'buyer beware'. Any hearing aid business (and it is BIG business) should be well established,have a good reputation and as said before an excellent aftersales service,this is very important,you'll need follow ups,repairs,cleaning and updated moulds. Don't be fobbed off

PM me if you'd like some private hearing aid suppliers I have worked along side in the past. I have always worked public service so I have no alliegance to anyone or any company. Incidently if you have a medical card you are entitled to aids through the 'Hearing Service' HQ Nrth Great Georges Street.

You may feel I am being overally cautious but I've seen and heard it all from my patients believe me!!

PM me if you need anymore info!