My Audiology appt today..questions about HA's and CI's

[redmachchick]

I went to the Audiologist on base today for my hearing test...

Did the testing, and it came back that in my "good ear" (as I call it) I hear pretty normal but I have hearing loss in the higher range sounds...as she put it meaning that I am deaf or have trouble hearing in noisy situations and background noise...yep I knew that...and my other ear yep, totally deaf. I have been deaf in my R ear since I was born...nerve damage.

I am now being sent to a outside provider (as we are military), another Audiologist to get HA's. I was told this provider had way more info and technology to choose from that what they had on base. I asked her about CI's and she looked at me like I grew two heads...but said she didn't think I was a candidate for one. I got the impression she wasn't sure so I want to make sure to find out if she is right or not. I have been researching on the military side of things and know that they provide military and dependents with CI's and military medicine has done lots of research in this area but I'm not sure whom to talk to about it. I have heard that supposedly military doctors clamor for cases such as mine...but I have not found any info or actual professionals to back that statement up. My audiologist didn't seem to know much, nor did she offer to send me to a ENT.

So I really have no clue how the process goes for HA's either. Or what kinds of technology is out there for me. But I'm sure HA's have come way FAR technologically since I was 9 and had them. I just worry that its not going to help me since they really didn't when I wore them as a child.

Is there anyone out there that has a hearing loss/deafness similar to mine and wear HA's? If so how has it improved your hearing? What kind of HA do you have and why do you like it and how does it compare to others you have worn?

Sorry for all the questions I am just a newb and I really want to learn as much as I can so I can make a informed decision and hopefully make the right one in the next few weeks.

Thanks!

 

[Bottesini]

I have profound deafness in both ears, so not similar to you, but the answer is easy. You probably need bi-cross aids which is a system that will send sounds on your bad ear side to your good ear so you get everything.

If you have one almost normal ear, it isn't surprising, although it may have seemed rude that the audi gave you an odd look. Standards for CI implantation are not that lax.

You would have to have your good ear with very, very low speech comprehension to quailify.

CI is for people who have bilateral deafness. Unilateral does not need that technology.

 

[thanx2gezus]

Hi Redmachchick!
I'm a first year audiology student (so know I don't know everything). When you say 'nerve damage' what do you mean? I ask because if the nerve damage is at a certain point in your ear/hearing, a cochlear implant wouldn't work because the signal wouldn't get to your brain. And since they would implant the 'deaf' ear, that would make it impossible. Feel free to ask the second audiologist that you are going to see (to get clarification), they shouldn't look at you like you have two heads (I apologize for her, that wasn't right).
Secondly, hearing aids have changed a lot. In fact they change yearly. You and your audiologist should be able to find a type that fits your lifestyle and needs and helps you. The nice thing is that there is almost always a trial period so you can see if you like it (if they help) and if not you don't have to get them.
I hope I helped. Good luck!

 

[redmachchick]

Hi Redmachchick!
I'm a first year audiology student (so know I don't know everything). When you say 'nerve damage' what do you mean? I ask because if the nerve damage is at a certain point in your ear/hearing, a cochlear implant wouldn't work because the signal wouldn't get to your brain. And since they would implant the 'deaf' ear, that would make it impossible. Feel free to ask the second audiologist that you are going to see (to get clarification), they shouldn't look at you like you have two heads (I apologize for her, that wasn't right).
Secondly, hearing aids have changed a lot. In fact they change yearly. You and your audiologist should be able to find a type that fits your lifestyle and needs and helps you. The nice thing is that there is almost always a trial period so you can see if you like it (if they help) and if not you don't have to get them.
I hope I helped. Good luck!

I know when I was a child I had my hearing extensively checked..unfortunately I do not have the paperwork and I really wish I did just to have though it seems like the drs and audiologists then could not pinpoint WHY I don't hear out of that ear. We think its either from forceps delivery or toxo-plasmosis....the reason is because on top of my hearing I am partially paralyzed on the right side of my face and I also have a decent sized scar in my retina of the R eye...enough to cause some blindness in my vision. Great huh?

So one or the other...dunno...no one knows...it was explained to me as nerve deafness. My ear doesn't work! I CAN hear thanks to my "good" ear, but I have lots of trouble communicating in social situations especially those that are loud and have noisy backgrounds. I can only concentrate on one person at a time and I have to be directly looking at someone to figure it out at times(or not figure it out! hehe). I have lots of trouble finding out the sources of sounds and the direction they are coming from and at times its been dangerous for me as I've almost been hit by cars (along with my young children! ) because I don't hear them. I also had to have speech therapy when I was 4 and 5 and again later in my life around 9. I talk normally (with a southern accent lol) but I do have trouble pronouncing certain words like world, literary...stuff like that. It seems to be getting worse in that dept.

Its kinda pathetic on my part because I've never taken a proactive stand to find out the what and why in regards to my hearing, or learn about my particular hearing loss. I pretty much gave up on it as a child as I felt like the resources were not available to me and because my I felt like my hearing aids were not working the way they should...and I kept complaining about it....so the audiologists and my therapy person got together and basically said I was lying about the hearing aid. At 9 years old when I heard that I took my hearing aids off and threw it at them...and never looked back...and have just dealt with it in my own way since then. I'm afraid of dealing with all this again because I"m afraid I will just end up getting disappointed again.

This Audiologist today seemed really quick and vague and didn't let me explain my hearing troubles throughly with her. My DH rolled his eyes and said its pretty normal since I had it done at my local Military TC and they ALWAYS refer out if there is a problem so hopefully the hospital they are sending me to will be better.

One thing I hope that hearing aids can do now is make me have more directional hearing...if that makes sense...to help me tell where the sound is coming from. People will call my name and if I'm not looking at them I can NEVER tell where the sound is coming from and I always feel dumb. :roll: There have been times I think I've lost my son when actually right behind me but I don't HEAR him! Kinda funny, but not....Also hoping to be able to hear in loud/noisy situations what it is I'm actually SUPPOSED to hear instead of the background as I had a hard time with my old HA's. I would have to turn them off since it was better off than on a lot of the times. :roll::roll:

I'm sure there are more questions to ask but this is all I can think of right now. Sorry I wrote a book! But thanks for all your replies!

 

[deafdude1]

Hi, can you scan and post your audiogram that you got from your audiologist? Even with today's lax CI standards, a CI won't come close to what you hear unaided in your good ear. Also if your auditory nerve is damaged, a CI won't do much, if anything in your dead ear. Youll need stem cells to repair everything. This is what me and Phi4sius are waiting for. What would work for you is bicros HAs or a BAHA.

 

[redmachchick]

Hi, can you scan and post your audiogram that you got from your audiologist? Even with today's lax CI standards, a CI won't come close to what you hear unaided in your good ear. Also if your auditory nerve is damaged, a CI won't do much, if anything in your dead ear. Youll need stem cells to repair everything. This is what me and Phi4sius are waiting for. What would work for you is bicros HAs or a BAHA.

Wow! Stem cells?! How far off is this? Years? Enlighten me please! If that would be available in my lifetime...and work...wow! Wonder if that would help my mouth too, the paralysis there. Very cool!

I will look into the HA brands thanks for that.

Will post my audiogram in a sec...kiddos gotta go to bed first!

 

[redmachchick]

Here ya go!

 

[somedeafdudefromPNW]

Based on that audiogram, you don't qualify for a CI. Your hearing loss only dip down to 60dB. To qualify for a CI, it needs to be much much lower with more frequency losses-- think losing all of your speech banana. You're still within the speech banana.

Be careful with the stem cells though. It's all theoretical, and tested in lab rats. We might or might not even see them for hearing losses within the next century for human trials;it depends on how the technology will prove itself out. And even if stem cells can be used to treat hearing losses, it's only a minor improvement (in that it doesn't restore full hearing, not to mention all the rehabs that will have to go with it.)

Yes, people will point to results, but they are coming from countries that are well-known for medical frauds.

 

[set2]

It is never to late to be proactive, hopefully the doctor you are being referred to can give you some answers.

Good Luck!

 

[sallylou]

Here's a link to a chart that shows the speech zone to which souggy referred.

Colorado H&V

If you look at your audiogram, you'll see that you have hearing in most of the speech zone. From your results, I looks like you cannot hear f,s,th. Is that correct?

Your audiologist should have explained the speech zone and how much speech you can hear. Have you discussed this with your audiologist and asked about hearing aid options? I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.

 

[overthepond]

As per your Audiogram, you have Unilateral loss, A dead ear and a mild hearing loss in the high freqenices. This is not an ideal candicate for Cochlear Implant as you would need to be Profoundly deaf in both ears with very little or no benefit from Hearing Aids. Also to have CI you need functioning Auditory Nerve. Unless you haven't had this doneTo find this out (for your dead ear) is Scans (CT and/or MRI) and/or Auditory Brainstem Response test, this to test your brain responses to sounds, harmless and all you need to is have a nap!! to find out whenther you do have a nerve or not. it could not be the nerve....it could be damaged cochlea or other stuff... how do audi know right of bat that it's the nerve if they haven't looked inside your head!

Don't feel dampened about this, there is options out there, technology keeps improving all the time. There will be something out there for all sorts of deafness.

 

[inmate23]

you are in the armed forces but are Deaf?

WAY COOL

If I was an ABLE BODIED I would. But dreams are free

 

[redmachchick]

Here's a link to a chart that shows the speech zone to which souggy referred.

Colorado H&V

If you look at your audiogram, you'll see that you have hearing in most of the speech zone. From your results, I looks like you cannot hear f,s,th. Is that correct?

Your audiologist should have explained the speech zone and how much speech you can hear. Have you discussed this with your audiologist and asked about hearing aid options? I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.

I had to laugh...the first time I read over your post I thought what the letters stood for was you said it looks like I can't hear for sh!$ abbreviated... I had to read it again...I understand what you wrote. And yes, when I think about it I have trouble hearing this..but then I have trouble hearing everything especially people speak if there is background noise. Background noise SUCKS! Its my enemy...

My audiologist didn't explain much and didn't spend much time with me. My hubby said that its normal because its just a hub to get everyone tested...thats a lot of military getting tested every day...and then they refer out...we will see...

As per your Audiogram, you have Unilateral loss, A dead ear and a mild hearing loss in the high freqenices. This is not an ideal candicate for Cochlear Implant as you would need to be Profoundly deaf in both ears with very little or no benefit from Hearing Aids. Also to have CI you need functioning Auditory Nerve. Unless you haven't had this doneTo find this out (for your dead ear) is Scans (CT and/or MRI) and/or Auditory Brainstem Response test, this to test your brain responses to sounds, harmless and all you need to is have a nap!! to find out whenther you do have a nerve or not. it could not be the nerve....it could be damaged cochlea or other stuff... how do audi know right of bat that it's the nerve if they haven't looked inside your head!

Don't feel dampened about this, there is options out there, technology keeps improving all the time. There will be something out there for all sorts of deafness.

I am getting referred out to a branch of L&M Hospital here in CT...supposedly its pretty decent. I ultimately realize now I need to get my ear tested to find out what it really wrong with it. No, I havent had any CT or MRI regarding my ears, I did go to several ENT as a child though and had hearing screenings. Its been a long time and I don't remember, so I have no clue if they do that at the audiologist/hospital I am going to. I feel slightly overwhelmed because I really don't know what they will do for me or what is normal protocol for audiology. I understand the military have better facilities in other states and I'm not sure how that works to be seen at some of those facilities at are dedicated to hearing loss..but I'm going to find out!

you are in the armed forces but are Deaf?

WAY COOL

If I was an ABLE BODIED I would. But dreams are free

I only wish!! I tried to get into the AF after high school but was turned down because of my hearing. I tried!

My hubby is in the military so I get the medical benefits!


BTW thanks everyone for your information its really helped me out and has got me thinking on what I need to be asking my doctor and future audiologist.

 

[deafdude1]

Wow! Stem cells?! How far off is this? Years? Enlighten me please! If that would be available in my lifetime...and work...wow! Wonder if that would help my mouth too, the paralysis there. Very cool!

I will look into the HA brands thanks for that.

Will post my audiogram in a sec...kiddos gotta go to bed first!

All your stem cell answers can be found in other stem cell threads and in my blog(click the audiogram in my sig) If you still have more questions, leave a comment in my blog. The short answer is stem cells is available now! Yes it works for most people and only improving. In my sig, youll notice that im getting stem cells myself in the near future.

I saw your audiogram and your good ear has excellent hearing! You basically hear at 5db in most frequencies and even at 4000Hz you still hear at 20db which is normal! You hear better than anyone with CI, no wonder you aren't a CI candidate in even the dead ear! Your hearing(in the good ear of course) is better than my parents and friends hearing, I kid you not! that could be why HA(s) don't work for you, your good ear is too good and your bad ear is too bad!

It's normal to have a hard time hearing in background noise, even hearing people experience this problem! Being able to hear with only one ear might cause a little difficulty, however people with only one CI still do fine and understand as much as 80% speech! How much speech can you understand without lipreading and how good of a lipreader are you?

You could try bicros HAs and if those don't work, get an evaluation for a BAHA. Google BAHA and read up on it and see if this interests you. There's no hearing in your dead ear to save so your chances for stem cells won't be affected. Stem cells can do alot more than give you some hearing in the dead ear, it can improve your vision and other conditions.

Based on that audiogram, you don't qualify for a CI. Your hearing loss only dip down to 60dB. To qualify for a CI, it needs to be much much lower with more frequency losses-- think losing all of your speech banana. You're still within the speech banana.

She has more access to sounds and speech than anyone with a CI. At 8000Hz, HAs and CI can't really reach this high. My HAs go up to 5000Hz but that doesn't matter as only 10% of speech takes place above 2000Hz. My dad's hearing loss puts him at the bottom or outside the speech banana starting at 3000Hz, yet he understands 90% speech and can hear "S" and "F" unaided with much worse hearing than the OP.

Be careful with the stem cells though. It's all theoretical, and tested in lab rats. We might or might not even see them for hearing losses within the next century for human trials;it depends on how the technology will prove itself out.

Anyone who checks out my blog(link in sig) will notice that stem cells is being used today to treat people A 4 year old experienced a 30db improvement in his hearing in some frequencies. Stem cells has been proven to improve hearing in animals and now it's been proven to work in humans as well. In the next century? Human trials has already begun! In America they are testing 500 babies using their own umbilical cord which contains stem cells!

And even if stem cells can be used to treat hearing losses, it's only a minor improvement (in that it doesn't restore full hearing, not to mention all the rehabs that will have to go with it.)

Today's stem cell technology can give an average of 20db improvement. I am getting stem cells in around 3 years and by then, it's reasonable ill achieve 30db improvement. You are correct that today's stem cells isn't a cure for anything, not even blindness and other conditions but it can offer improvements. I do not expect to become hearing with stem cells for at least 15 years. My goal now is to improve my hearing where I hear equal or better with HAs than those hear with CI with all the advantages of stem cells(which are discussed in my blog)

Yes, people will point to results, but they are coming from countries that are well-known for medical frauds.

Stem cells isn't a fraud. There's many blogs of people getting stem cells for blindness and other conditions.

Here's a link to a chart that shows the speech zone to which souggy referred.

60% of speech takes place between 200Hz and 600Hz. This is why I can understand half of what my dad says without reading lips. If stem cells improved only my low frequency, my speech scores will still go up because ill have more IHC which would improve the quality! I know people who have no residual hearing at 1000Hz and above(cochlear dead regions) but have so much hearing(such as only 10-20db loss at 125Hz and 250Hz) in the low frequencies that they hear with HAs(possibly with transposition?) almost as well as those hear with CI! They can even understand alot on phones, something less than 10% of those with CI can!

If you look at your audiogram, you'll see that you have hearing in most of the speech zone. From your results, I looks like you cannot hear f,s,th. Is that correct?

If you can hear at 25db or better at 2000Hz, you can hear all the consonents. My dad has a 25db loss at 2000Hz and 50db loss at 4000Hz, yet he hears f,s,th. That's because letters such as "S" simply have an energy peak at 4000Hz but it's not a puretone and the "S" has harmonics as high as 10KHz and as low as 250Hz! See this graph for an idea:

Notice that when the word "Flice University" was said, most of the speech energy takes place between 100Hz and 800Hz. Only 10% of that energy is above 2000Hz so my dad hears 90% of speech with his degree of hearing loss.

Your audiologist should have explained the speech zone and how much speech you can hear. Have you discussed this with your audiologist and asked about hearing aid options? I understand your frustration. Unfortunately, there is no quick fix.

No HA will improve her good ear or help her dead ear. My dad with worse hearing already understands 90% speech and he tried a HA which gave zero improvement. It just overamplified his lows and mids and he heard a constant humming noise, known as "internal circuit noise" this is why audiologists shouldn't fit anyone with better than 25db hearing(pure tone average) Hope my long post helps everyone!

 

[sallylou]

redmachchick, I can't hear sh*t either. LOL! Background noise is hard. You get a hearing test in a sound proof booth and then you're thrown into the cold, cruel world of background noise, mumblers, heavy accents and people who turn away while they talk. Hang in there and keep searching for options.

 

[thanx2gezus]

Redmachchick, HA's have improved a lot... they now have directional feature that you can adjust by hand ( or not depending on what you want), automatic background noise filters, and a lot of other features. As the others said, there are BAHAs and hearing aids that can give you auditory information from your right side (put it in your right ear). You CAN get benefit in your 6000 and above region with the newer HAs.
A typical Audiological evaluation will include: a history (tell that what you've gone through in the past so they know how to help you best), otoscopy (looking at your outer ear and ear drum), tympanometry (looking at the movement of your ear drum and middle ear bones), tone testing (by ear phones and bone conductor), and you can ask for further testing to see the cause of your right ear hearing loss (ABR, MRI, OAEs, etc.). Ethically and professionally, an audiologist is there for YOU. If they don't give you the best you can get, they've failed.
Realistically, you will not hear 'normally' and there will be an adjustment time (most-likely including some 'counseling' on how to use the HAs most efficiently). The audiologists should also be able to help you improve your location skills, etc. The ultimate goal is to improve your quality of life... if it helps, great! If not, there's other ways.... The audiologist (not military, but the others) are there for YOU, take advantage of it. Let me know if there's anyway I can help.

 

[redmachchick]

Hey DeafDude thanks for all the info! I am going to research on stem cells since I know next to nothing about it...I know that it could possibly help me but I'll bet its expensive!

I saw your audiogram and your good ear has excellent hearing! You basically hear at 5db in most frequencies and even at 4000Hz you still hear at 20db which is normal! You hear better than anyone with CI, no wonder you aren't a CI candidate in even the dead ear! Your hearing(in the good ear of course) is better than my parents and friends hearing, I kid you not! that could be why HA(s) don't work for you, your good ear is too good and your bad ear is too bad!

It's normal to have a hard time hearing in background noise, even hearing people experience this problem! Being able to hear with only one ear might cause a little difficulty, however people with only one CI still do fine and understand as much as 80% speech! How much speech can you understand without lipreading and how good of a lipreader are you?

You could try bicros HAs and if those don't work, get an evaluation for a BAHA. Google BAHA and read up on it and see if this interests you. There's no hearing in your dead ear to save so your chances for stem cells won't be affected. Stem cells can do alot more than give you some hearing in the dead ear, it can improve your vision and other conditions.

I know you make me feel bad that I'm complaining about my hearing, when a lot of you here have it way worse than I do. I'm sorry if I offended anyone for complaining!

Luckily I have my good ear to compensate for my lack of hearing in the other ear. If it is QUIET I hear just fine...as long as who I am speaking to is facing towards me or my good ear and speaking in a normal clear tone. Towards my bad ear...forget it! Any kind of background noise, even if the TV is on and not up too high...forget it! I just don't think thats too normal.

I know my audiogram says I can hear speech and I can but, speech is a biggie for me in noisy situations or many people conversating at once situations. Also if someone is sitting on my dead ear side..it can be noisy, or quiet and I won't understand it. I usually just sit back and try to concentrate on one person to talk to and if that doesn't work just nod my head and try to gleam what I can out of the conversation to act like I know what someone is talking about or I just sit quietly and I let people talk over me quite a bit. I can lipread certain people/certain words but not very good and sometimes I think I may make some people uncomfortable because I tend to give a lot of facial and eye contact because thats how I hear them the best.

I did check into the BAHA's and it looks interesting, I will ask my audiologist about it when I go. I think I want to try out a HA first and see how it works for me. If HA's have changed a lot since I was a kid that sounds promising!

 

[deafdude1]

You are welcome! Id like to discuss this further on AIM instant messenger, you may post your screename and comments in my blog. Have you seen my blog yet? Lots to learn there and lots of facts about hearing loss and stem cells.

You could try a HA in your dead ear, maybe you have a bit of residual hearing left. Let us know if you hear anything in that ear. A HA in your good ear won't help your dead ear nor even help your good ear as your hearing already is normal but in only one ear. Ask your audiologist about bicros HAs and about a BAHA for your dead ear.

I am great at reading lips, I can understand 80% speech that way. My speech understanding is often zero in noisy situations so I relay entirely on reading lips. I don't expect stem cells plus the best HAs to give me normal hearing like you have in your good ear. Actually I may still be deaf with stem cells, ill just be less deaf. I am expecting to get 80% speech(not 100% like hearing people) and am expecting to hear down to 0-10db in the lows, 20db in the mids, 30db in the highs with HAs after stem cells. This is still much better than CI.

 

[redmachchick]

You are welcome! Id like to discuss this further on AIM instant messenger, you may post your screename and comments in my blog. Have you seen my blog yet? Lots to learn there and lots of facts about hearing loss and stem cells.

You could try a HA in your dead ear, maybe you have a bit of residual hearing left. Let us know if you hear anything in that ear. A HA in your good ear won't help your dead ear nor even help your good ear as your hearing already is normal but in only one ear. Ask your audiologist about bicros HAs and about a BAHA for your dead ear.

I am great at reading lips, I can understand 80% speech that way. My speech understanding is often zero in noisy situations so I relay entirely on reading lips. I don't expect stem cells plus the best HAs to give me normal hearing like you have in your good ear. Actually I may still be deaf with stem cells, ill just be less deaf. I am expecting to get 80% speech(not 100% like hearing people) and am expecting to hear down to 0-10db in the lows, 20db in the mids, 30db in the highs with HAs after stem cells. This is still much better than CI.

My dead ear is deader than dead...I don't hear anything...

I will go check your blog out...but its naptime for the kiddos right now...

 

[LuciaDisturbed]

Hi, can you scan and post your audiogram that you got from your audiologist? Even with today's lax CI standards, a CI won't come close to what you hear unaided in your good ear. Also if your auditory nerve is damaged, a CI won't do much, if anything in your dead ear. Youll need stem cells to repair everything. This is what me and Phi4sius are waiting for. What would work for you is bicros HAs or a BAHA.

You are not an audiologist therefore you are not qualified to give out such advice. Only his audiologists can advise him on what to do or what to get, not you or me.