do our own adjustments?

cdmeggers

cdmeggers

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For those of you who have digital hearing aids and have to go to the audiologist's office for adjustments to the hearing aids, don't you ever wish you could just make simple adjustments at home on your own computer? Today I am really wishing this was possible. Just small simple tweaks, like volume changes (the program could have a limit on the volume, so some users don't put too much volume on their hearing aids), changing out programmings for hearing aids that hold maybe 4 programs but have options of more than 4 different programs, etc.

Make it easy on us, and on the audiologists. Then the audies can just focus on the bigger adjustments (more increase in volume if the limit has been maxed out, bass, frequencies, etc.), fixing hearing aids, earmolds,etc., and we wouldn't have to worry about going to the audie every time we notice we need a small quick adjustment.

What do you think?
 
I would love that for my CI.. But won't happen unless you are doctor, get trained/certified for specific device, and pay tons of $$$ into equipment (that will never pay itself if you are only client yourself.. :) )

Alot of restrictions are due to FDA, I believe.
 
I would love to have such oppurtunity . I think I can make more accurate adjustments if I can use the software myself
 
I think I have told my husband that it was too bad he wasn't a CI audiologist otherwise he could have just done all my mapping himself or teach me how to. He works with computers for a living so he'd learn fast on how to do it. And it'd save us gas $ on driving 45 mins each ways to the hospital and back.

Just look at this: I'm going to the hospital tomorrow for my 1 week post op appt. I get a week off from going to the hospital then May 28th I go back for my activation for my left ear. My audiologist won't let me wear my current CI so she's not gonna bother doing my 1 year mapping until June 4th, the day I go back to get my 2 wks map for the left ear [she's doing it a week early for me 'cause my family and I have plans to go up north with my oldest' girl scouts troop] and she'll do my 1 yr mapping on my current CI that day also. My audi is awesome to work around my schedule. :)
 
RichardDeaf.... right.. the FDA won't allow us mere consumers to do our own tweaking for various reasons lol.. It would be really coool if we could just tweak our own CI from our computers. Digi hearing aids I can understand not allowing us mere consumers to tweak it due to the fact some of us will blow up the precious hair cells... CI bypass the hair cells and stimultates the auditory nerve.. Hard to blow up the auditory nerve...
 
It does sound like a good idea, but that would likely void your warranty.

Also, if a person (who is not certified) makes it worse... then it costs more money to fix it.

That's why it should be left in the hands of a certified person to do the adjustments. :)
 
but the programming that we did would have limits, so that we wouldn't blast our own ears off and such. Just small volume increases (there could be a limit on the max volume), not huge. And changing the programmings of the hearing aid (like change from FM to FM+Mic, etc.). Just very small simple adjustments.
 
Doing your own adjustments sounds like a good idea, but I would think that's giving the people a little too much control over what they want to hear. For me, I probably would change it every week, but not adjusting it myself forces me to put up with the map for a while until my brain adjusts to it. Same goes for hearing aids. If you're so picky with sound, tell your audiologist about it. If she/he doesn't "get it", then go see some one else until you're happy. My audiologist is wonderful, and she will tweak to what I want/need. However, she has told me that it takes time for your ears and brain to adjust to the new map/program. She's right.
 
cdmeggers said:
but the programming that we did would have limits, so that we wouldn't blast our own ears off and such. Just small volume increases (there could be a limit on the max volume), not huge. And changing the programmings of the hearing aid (like change from FM to FM+Mic, etc.). Just very small simple adjustments.
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Doesn't your hearing aid have its own volume adjustment?

I have a digital hearing aid and it has volume control.
 
the volume on my hearing aid is fine now, but earlier though (when I first got it), it was too quiet. And the volume on my hearing aid doesn't go up or down much, just very little difference.
 
Just a data point: I have heard of an adult CI recipient who purchased some hardware and was able to do some of his own T and C levels and such at home. Those of us who have been doing this for years know the process like the back of our hands - I know there are many people who do at least some portion of their own loudness growth checking, if nothing else.

Then again, maybe this is just incidental/anecdotal to my implant center - they've been doing implants for a long time, and have a few people who have stayed with them for years and years - I'm not even close to the longest-running patient continuously there, and I've been going there for 18 years now! I'm told there are safeties built into the programs - indeed, into the processor - but you never know...
 
I can do my own adjustments since 6 years!

About six years ago I had (two) Phonak Claro BTE. After a replacement (technical malfunction), the audiologist could not restore exactly the old fitting. We started to talk about programming the device and what components are needed to do it. At the end, I could buy the Hi-Pro box (the device between the computer and the HA), and I have got cables and fitting software for free (Phonak). After a specific training and some warnings, I could start with my own experiments.

It was not easy! Several times I ended up in a completely unusable fitting and I had to restart from scratch. After a long period of try and error experiments, I have now a good knowledge of some Phonak HA's and the software.

In the last six years I changed the HA every two years (more or less). I followed the Phonak line and had Perseo and Savia. Since tree months, I have Exélia SP. I still like to make some changes without "running" to the audiologist, but a good contact with "my" professional is mandatory.

Following my own experience, every one who is willing to acquire some basic knowledge (and invests some money), can do adjustments himself. The benefit is a perfect fine tuning and a better understanding of the whole fitting process.
 
Yes, I have thought about adjusting my HA, which only has 4 bands. So, it doesn't look complicated at all, especially since it is software driven.

I even asked my audiologist what she thought if I brought my HA from the US and adjusted it myself. She simply stated that I wouldn't get customer service if I brought them from the US... But, I feel I don't get customer service even when buying HA's from Australia, because I have to pay a lot of money for minor services, such as adjusting the volume, which isn't hard to do if you know how to move a volume slider. I think the audiologist uses scare tactics.

The other reason why I prefer to adjust it myself, is because I hate going into that sound box to have my hearing tested, which confuses me whether I am actually hearing sound from my ears or inside my head that drives me crazy. Last time I had my hearing tested, I just became frustrated and stopped pressing the button, which I explained to my audiologist.

If I had my way of adjusting my HA, I wouldn't make it sound so loud anyway, so I don't see how I could risk damaging my ears further.
 
Maybe we can have self help hearing aid/ processor adjustment booths in the malls. hmm lemme see if that is a biz worth looking into..

In the USofA if a person buy a hearing aid through mail order or online, many HA dispensers nor audiologists will touch it. They want to make the big profit from selling the devices as well . Too bad the FDA wont't allow us to adjust our own devices at home. Which will be time and money saving .
 
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