Why Hearing Aids Suck

aNormally I love my hearing aids and how they help me hear, but despite all the benefits, sometimes hearing aids just kind of suck. Don’t get me wrong- technology is great and I have no intention of stopping wearing them. It’s just cathartic to talk about how annoying they can be.

1. Earmolds get sweaty

It’s true. Whether you’re wearing acrylic or silicone or some other material, earmolds get sweaty and gross, and this leads to chronic ear infections.
2. Hearing aids + Glasses hurt 

I wear both hearing aids and glasses, and most people will tell you that they’re uncomfortable when wearing both. There’s just not very much room up there! Especially when you wear BTE hearing aids with traditional tubing. 

3. They’re extremely loud

Of course they’re going to be loud- they’re hearing aids! But no one tells you that the amplification is loud enough to hurt your poor ears, primarily stuff like traffic or vacuums or sirens. For the most part, my hearing aids are around 90 decibels, and most stuff doesn’t bother me. I work in retail though, and some stuff is uncomfortably loud, like tapping on the counter. 
4. Hearing aids are expensive 

The average hearing aid goes for about $1,200, sometimes more depending on the model and brand, and most insurances don’t cover them. However, there are programs to help pay for them, such as Starkey’s Hear Now program, which I have written about previously on this blog. Vocational rehab often helps, too, but even so, most people can’t afford hearing aids, so something like 70% of people who could benefit from hearing aids don’t wear them.
5. Feedback 

When hearing aids are loud enough, most of them give feedback- you know, that loud, high pitched squealing noise you hear from microphones? Yeah. Directly in your ear, too. Modern hearing aids have gotten better at preventing it, though!

That’s all I’ve got for now on why hearing aids suck, haha! Follow me on Twitter at @autisticiolite or Instagram at @deafectiveiolite! :3

Starkey Hear Now: Complete!

Hey! So, as I’ve posted about before, I applied to Starkey’s Hear Now program, and I was approved! I picked up my hearing aids yesterday, May 19th, and let me tell ya, it’s a huge difference in sound from my previous ones.
My last hearing aids were from Phonak, and while they were nice, these Starkey HAs are very different,and I would even call them better than the Phonak Naidas. They need some adjustments, obviously, but I’ve been wearing them for two days now, and I greatly prefer the sound of Starkey’s i110 to Phonak Naida Q50 UP. The volume is a bit louder than my Naidas, and I’m getting used to the new sound, but it’s going good so far!

Starkey Hear Now: Update 2

So! I received a letter in the mail informing me that I have been approved for hearing aid assistance! This won’t be a long post.
The letter said I needed to make an appointment with my audiologist to fit the hearing aids, which I’ve done, and it’s scheduled for next week. It’s been pretty simple. 
Like I said, short post! I’ll update again after the fitting.

Starkey Hear Now: Update 1

So, in my last post, I explained what’s required for the program. I did learn, however, that you don’t need to get an audiogram from a Hear Now provider- you only need an audiogram that’s less then 9 months old, and you can take it to the Hear Now provider, and have them sign off on it, on the HN paperwork. This saved me a great deal of time. I got my most recent audiogram from my usual audiologist, brought them to the Hear Now provider, and he signed off on it right then and there (well, mostly- he had to check with someone). He also checked the boxes for the model of hearing aid and color, both of which were my choice. Keep in mind, however, that you can not choose fun colors like purple or blue. 
Next, when I get paid on Monday, I will be getting a $250 money order to send in with my application. After that, it’s time to wait.
We’ll see how it goes!

Starkey Hear Now

So, my hearing aids are starting to really give up the ghost. They get about 4-6 hours out of fresh batteries, and to top it off, my hearing has changed significantly. My right ear seems to only be able to hear rushing and rumbling through hearing aids, and my left ear is sounding different. It’s time for new hearing aids.
Starkey runs a program called Hear Now that provides top of the line hearing aids to those financially incapable of funding their own or with insurance that doesn’t cover them. I’m applying this coming April- it requires several things, including a fee of $125 for one aid, $250 for two. I’m applying for two hearing aids, with some of my SSDI money, since that’s when I have the ability to do so monetarily. 
I’ve done some Googling in an attempt to see what people think about the program, how it went and how it helped them, but I haven’t seen any anecdotes about the process, so I’ll document it here. 
To apply, you must meet an income bracket (in other words, make only so much a month), including the income of yourself and anyone you live with. You must print out and submit the last 6 statements from all bank accounts, and any proof of other assets or accounts. You must have a hearing test that is no more than 9 months old (you can either get a hearing test done from a provider that participates in Hear Now, or you must have an audio gram that a Hear Now provider will sign off on and agree to). 
So far, I’ve got almost everything. I just need the hearing test, which I’m having done this coming Thursday. After that, I just stuff it all in a big envelope and send it off (maybe a small box? I dunno). They say to allow 3 weeks before calling to check up on your application, so assuming they don’t get back to me before then, I will be calling in the first week of April for an update. Until then…we’ll see.