For CI users who also wear a HA

t does sound like you'll qualify right off the bat since you're getting very minimal benifit from CI.
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HAHAAAHHAH....sorry I mistyped.
I meant from your HA. Actually since you're only getting a tiny bit of volume I would go ahead and get the second CI.
You have pretty much maxed out on virtually all the HAs out there right? Go for it, before you're not eligible for a second one any more.
You are the perfect canidate!
 
Lissa said:
I am having a bit of debate with myself about keeping my hearing aid in and using it. I think I am hearing better without my hearing aid, mostly when I wear my hearing aid with my Cochlear Implant, my right side- which is the ear that my HA is in, the sound is usually very quiet and I dislike this because I can like feel that it is very quiet. I know I hear no speech with my HA but it does give me a tiny bit more volume and stimulates my ear but I don't know if it is worth it keeping my aid in.
Has anybody been in this situation or can they give me any advice??
From day 1 when I got my CI, I have always worn my hearing aid with my CI

Thanks!!
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Keep up the work with the hearing aid. At the very least it'll keep that side stimulated and reduce the rate of degeneration. Your HA may also provide you with other advantages (improved localisaton, pitch perception, speech understanding in noise, music perception) depending on the extent of your hearing loss. Visit the NAL website, they've got more information at the bottom of this page under the heading "hearing aids with cochlear implants."

The authors of some of the documents there also put together a protocol for balancing the volume of your hearing aid with your CI that you should get your audiologist to go through with you. It is available on request from Cochlear Ltd. or you could contact Teresa Ching at NAL. Getting the devices to work together can often make the difference between no and considerable benefits for bimodal (CI+HA aka electric + acoustic / two mode) hearing.
 
Also Lissa, I would try and maximise your performance using your HA before considering a second CI. At present, research indicates that outcomes for a second CI are, on average, much poorer than for the first CI if the gap between the two is more than 6 years.
 
Lissa,
I use a HA in the left ear and have the implant on the right. I do find that in some situations I hear better with the HA off and in others the HA turned on. I talked to my audi about this and what other people do and she told me it's up to the individuals. (She hasn't run into a patient who prefered the HA over the CI though) "Do whatever helps you hear best" is what she told me.

JC
 
I use a hearing aid on one ear and the CI on the other ear. I need both ears working if I was going to hear music. If I had a major change in the maps I will also change the hearing aid programing to match with the CI. I have not found a situation where turning the hearing aid off is better.
 
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