Hearing aid malpractice?

[Bosco-d-gama]

Just over 3 years ago my hearing had become so compromised that I made the leap and had the audiology exams done. As I’d figured there was significant enough loss to warrant hearing aids especially in my left ear. I got appliances for both ears but was so disoriented that I returned the one for my right ear. The other device seemed to work but not too well so I went head and kept it. I went back a few times to have adjustments but it just never helped my hearing much at all. To me the device seemed to be working properly. It ‘jingled’ when started up and would ‘crackle’ with artifact noise when I manipulated my eye glasses so I presumed that the very expensive thing was operating as expected and that it was my hearing that was so bad that it was just not correctable. 

 

So a few weeks ago I get a letter from the device manufacturer advising me that the warranty period was about to expire and offering discounted deals on their newer products. This prompts me to make an appointment with an ENT doc to discuss my troubles. The doctors office wanted me to get another audiology exam prior to the appointment so back to the same audiology group I'd originally employed. Today I had that work done. They asked about the hearing aid and I tell them (again) that it just did not make enough improvement for me to use it, and that I rarely did use it. They checked the appliance again and voila there’s a problem. 2/3rds of the microphones were blocked by something (my guess would be packing material). I asked if I had done something to cause it? -No- How long had it been that way? They could not say.  Well the answer is clear. It was never correct.

 

 It works now and I am stunned at how well it works. Not only was it not working before but when I used it it made my hearing worse because it only partially functioned literally plugging up the ear for most frequencies. I am both pissed off and ecstatic. What a cruel hoax to be subjected to. I thought for sure I was headed to total deafness and the quality of my life was impacted. Every time I went out to a place I needed to hear better I wore that thing expecting ‘better’ and what I got was ‘worse’. Instead of enjoying life I avoided parts of it due to poor hearing. Jeesh people are so incompetent these days.

 

Sitting at home now and it is soooo noisy. The clothes dryer makes such a racket. I hear every word clearly. All the promises made were true - if only they’d done their job correctly. Jerks.

[dtel]

That's sad and good at the same time, glad it doing what is designed for.

 

How is your music listening, did you have to adjust anything besides the volume ?

[ThomasD.]

Heading into my late 50's and have been dealing with worsening 'Tinnitus' for the last few years.  Have heard abundant horror stories regarding dozens of different hearing aid appliances.  Very seldom is there a 'success' story, yours sounds like one of the few I've heard.  Would it be improper to ask the make and model of your appliances?

[oldtimer]

38 minutes ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

Jeesh people are so incompetent these days.

LOL

[Bosco-d-gama]

TrueHearing is the company that made my hearing device. It was purported to be ‘musical’?? 

 

I have not had much time to assess the music system....... other than having to turn it down. I am suffering from sensory overload. Before things were softened, muddled and I could not discern which direction sounds came from. Now that the hearing balance is somewhat returned I can hear birds and know which way to look to see them too.

 

To be clear this is nothing like normal hearing, but it is a ton better than squishy conversations you had to lean into to catch 1/3 of their content. I still plan to see the ENT doc. The same ear suffers from a persistently shut Eustachian tube that perhaps could be treated.

[oldtimer]

Yeah, they stick a straw in there to keep it open.  It used to be pretty common among aviators with persistent blocked ear issues.  I haven't heard (haha) much about it lately.

[MEH Synergy]

Hearing is believing 

[oldtimer]

Only if you believe everything you hear.

[MEH Synergy]

Only when I watch the news.  Otherwise, it's all rubbish except the music 

[oldtimer]

September is deaf awareness month, but not too many people have heard of it.

[Bosco-d-gama]

Something new for Eustachian tube treatment. AERA from the company Acclarent is a balloon style catheter procedure that mechanically dilates blocked Eustachian tubes. The device and the procedure are very recent and there’s not many docs certified to offer the service. The closest to me is 100’s of miles away. 😫😫

[billybob]

1 hour ago, Bosco-d-gama said:

Something new for Eustachian tube treatment. AERA from the company Acclarent is a balloon style catheter procedure that mechanically dilates blocked Eustachian tubes. The device and the procedure are very recent and there’s not many docs certified to offer the service. The closest to me is 100’s of miles away. 😫😫

Sounds like a break through procedure... cool

[Gilbert]

Just over 3 years ago my hearing had become so compromised that I made the leap and had the audiology exams done. As I’d figured there was significant enough loss to warrant hearing aids especially in my left ear. I got appliances for both ears but was so disoriented that I returned the one for my right ear. The other device seemed to work but not too well so I went head and kept it. I went back a few times to have adjustments but it just never helped my hearing much at all. To me the device seemed to be working properly. It ‘jingled’ when started up and would ‘crackle’ with artifact noise when I manipulated my eye glasses so I presumed that the very expensive thing was operating as expected and that it was my hearing that was so bad that it was just not correctable. 
 
So a few weeks ago I get a letter from the device manufacturer advising me that the warranty period was about to expire and offering discounted deals on their newer products. This prompts me to make an appointment with an ENT doc to discuss my troubles. The doctors office wanted me to get another audiology exam prior to the appointment so back to the same audiology group I'd originally employed. Today I had that work done. They asked about the hearing aid and I tell them (again) that it just did not make enough improvement for me to use it, and that I rarely did use it. They checked the appliance again and voila there’s a problem. 2/3rds of the microphones were blocked by something (my guess would be packing material). I asked if I had done something to cause it? -No- How long had it been that way? They could not say.  Well the answer is clear. It was never correct.
 
 It works now and I am stunned at how well it works. Not only was it not working before but when I used it it made my hearing worse because it only partially functioned literally plugging up the ear for most frequencies. I am both pissed off and ecstatic. What a cruel hoax to be subjected to. I thought for sure I was headed to total deafness and the quality of my life was impacted. Every time I went out to a place I needed to hear better I wore that thing expecting ‘better’ and what I got was ‘worse’. Instead of enjoying life I avoided parts of it due to poor hearing. Jeesh people are so incompetent these days.
 
Sitting at home now and it is soooo noisy. The clothes dryer makes such a racket. I hear every word clearly. All the promises made were true - if only they’d done their job correctly. Jerks.

Good to know, I'm headed that way as well. Left fk'ing ear too.

Anyway, count your blessings, dont dwell on the bad. Your good as a new used car now, enjoy.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

[codewritinfool]

Something new for Eustachian tube treatment. AERA from the company Acclarent is a balloon style catheter procedure that mechanically dilates blocked Eustachian tubes. The device and the procedure are very recent and there’s not many docs certified to offer the service. The closest to me is 100’s of miles away. [emoji31][emoji31]

I knew we could get this topic to tubes.

[Bosco-d-gama]

 It has been like Christmas morning every day since having this thing working. I’m probably too enthusiastic because prior to this I thought my hearing future was pretty dismal. So how good is the sound? Nope, it is not natural. At times it seems sibilant. High frequencies on the stereo can be harsh. It can sound artificial, even echoing at times. But it is so much better than ‘not’ having it. Starting to understand why they sell batteries in packs. Used daily this will chew through a battery every 3 days........ but it does announce when it needs a new battery.

 

Is this the best available? Obviously this arena is not my expertise so I cannot say. The company who manufactured my unit claims its current products are ‘new and improved’ - y’know like next years new cars or televisions. I’d think that cutting edge engineering could render some cleaner and more detailed appliances. Getting old sucks. The best advice is to not abuse your hearing when young.

[Seadoc]

For the Veterans in the group.  If you have hearing loss, of any degree, or Tinnitus, go to the VA and get it diagnosed.  There is a wealth of help and if service attributed = free hearing aids and or service disabilities.  I did.  "Pissing off the neighbors since 1946". 

[BigStewMan]

i’d get the audiologist to write a letter stating what they discovered, and then i’d demand that my warranty period start anew.  

[billybob]

On 9/20/2019 at 7:41 PM, Bosco-d-gama said:

the

Maybe they can now tweak out some of the background noise...May just say, you will get used to it...all the best...

[billybob]

On 9/21/2019 at 9:42 AM, Bosco-d-gama said:

Something new for Eustachian tube treatment. AERA from the company Acclarent is a balloon style catheter procedure that mechanically dilates blocked Eustachian tubes. The device and the procedure are very recent and there’s not many docs certified to offer the service. The closest to me is 100’s of miles away. 😫😫

Think it would be interesting to some to learn more about this procedure... thanks

[Dave1290]

On 9/21/2019 at 9:42 AM, Bosco-d-gama said:

Something new for Eustachian tube treatment. AERA from the company Acclarent is a balloon style catheter procedure that mechanically dilates blocked Eustachian tubes. The device and the procedure are very recent and there’s not many docs certified to offer the service. The closest to me is 100’s of miles away. 😫😫

 

17 minutes ago, billybob said:

Think it would be interesting to some to learn more about this procedure... thanks

Being diabetic I've been going thru a little laser blasting on my eyes at the OSU eye clinic in Cbus.  One day there was a guy in there w/a lump under his hair on the top of his head and I noticed he was wearing an aid of some sort of device in his ear on the same side of his head.  He saw me looking at him and it was like he knew my hearing was toast too and just smiled.  NOW I'm wondering if he had this done.  Time to nose I guess.  I DO have to report I saw NO antenna protruding at any time so he wasn't "My Favorite Martain." 

 

Yup, nosed and it's something totally different.  Think I'll ask my eyeblaster what it was since ears fall under eyes or is it eyes fall under ears in the pecking order? Ack, toss "throat" in there somewhere in that pecking order!   Was definitely weird to see this guy though.  Hopefully it's working for him.  Sucks when you can't hear like you used to.