Getting the right adjustment

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sappstter

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How do you go about getting your hearing aids adjusted properly? I'm having trouble figuring out what needs adjusting so I can hear speech clearly. Its not a volume issue... I feel like speech isn't clear, like I'm missing certain parts. It's hard for me to distinguish changes the audiologist makes while I'm sitting in the office. I've had a recent hearing test, part of the problem maybe that I can hear his voice really well.

I've thought about trying to listen to recorded messages and pick out the parts of words that I'm missing. Right now it's really hard for me to make sense of what is being said unless I'm looking right at the person speaking. I don't really want to give up, but it's pretty discouraging.

Any advice or suggestions?
 
Speech discrimination tests should help. The ones I've had use both men and women's voices.
 
Sappstter,

Don't give up;keep trying.

I was fitted with new hearing aids this year and have had 3 adjustments already.

The hearing aid specialist put a probe around my neck which connected to a computer. The computer was able to calculate usage statistics (I have 3 channels) and adjust my frequencies and volume levels.

I have 3 channels: channel 1 is for general use.channel 2 has the telecoil,
and channel 3 is for watching tv and for other controlled environments. They're also biaural;if I adjust one,it adjusts the other,also.

I'm doing so well with channel 1 that I've started singing in my church choir.

Only drawback I'm having is excessive battery drain. One day this week,I
put 4 batteries in my aids in one day! I'll have to send them out for repair in
January.

Hope you get the proper adjustments.
 
Oh yes REM will also help get the right adjustments. That's what Roca is talking about. LoveBlue who posts here has had the REM as well. I had the REM on me, earlier this year as well and helped LOADS.
 
I think the audiologist should have a small TV or radio for people to listen when their HA is getting program . My audiologist has me listen to his voice to see if I hear OK , but that is only one voice or sound and does not seen like enough to go by. Maybe you should try calling a friend when are at your
audiologist's office the next time and use your friend's voice to see what kind of adjustment your HA needs.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
I think the audiologist should have a small TV or radio for people to listen when their HA is getting program . My audiologist has me listen to his voice to see if I hear OK , but that is only one voice or sound and does not seen like enough to go by. Maybe you should try calling a friend when are at your
audiologist's office the next time and use your friend's voice to see what kind of adjustment your HA needs.
Click to expand...

Bring one in with you. Bring a Ipad, tablet, cell phone, etc.

Honestly, I never got the "right" HA adjustment. It only got worse as my hearing got worse. They just aren't the right equipment for some people and they can only do so much.
 
HOH-ME said:
Bring one in with you. Bring a Ipad, tablet, cell phone, etc.

Honestly, I never got the "right" HA adjustment. It only got worse as my hearing got worse. They just aren't the right equipment for some people and they can only do so much.
Click to expand...

I agree , HA can only do so much and they do not work for everyone.
 
sappstter said:
How do you go about getting your hearing aids adjusted properly? I'm having trouble figuring out what needs adjusting so I can hear speech clearly. Its not a volume issue...
Click to expand...

With digital hearing aids it may be an issue you're having with compression. If necessary, it can be turned off to make the hearing aids more like analog. You also might need the aids put on a different setting. I find I hear better when the setting is on "music." Not only am I all set when I play the radio in the car, but I hear people speaking better overall.

Laura
 
NaidaUP said:
Oh yes REM will also help get the right adjustments. That's what Roca is talking about. LoveBlue who posts here has had the REM as well. I had the REM on me, earlier this year as well and helped LOADS.
Click to expand...

Yep, I had REM done and it showed that I was getting too much bass (I have kinda a reverse cookie bite). Audi adjusted accordingly and that went away.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice! I should have mentioned that I have a remote and 5 programs loaded onto the HA. I mostly cycle through the modes when I'm having trouble, typically in meetings. I have 1 custom program that boosts the mid range, I haven't found that it really makes a whole lot of difference. I may try out a high frequency boost as I'm told that typically helps with speech and boosting lower frequencies tends to block out speech. I do find the music program to be very helpful if the HA is filtering unwanted sounds.

I have some voice mail messages on my phone I'll go through those on speaker phone and see if there is something I can use with my Audiologist to test the adjustments.

I ground my hearing test I'll scan and post that tomorrow if I get a chance. My next adjustment is scheduled for the 8th so any suggestions based on my hearing tests would be appreciated!

FYI, I'm using Phonak Audeo Q90 I believe it is with a bi-cross. I had meant to demo some other brands before committing, however I got busy with work and missed the end date.
 
Roca said:
Sappstter,

Don't give up;keep trying.

I was fitted with new hearing aids this year and have had 3 adjustments already.

The hearing aid specialist put a probe around my neck which connected to a computer. The computer was able to calculate usage statistics (I have 3 channels) and adjust my frequencies and volume levels.

I have 3 channels: channel 1 is for general use.channel 2 has the telecoil,
and channel 3 is for watching tv and for other controlled environments. They're also biaural;if I adjust one,it adjusts the other,also.

I'm doing so well with channel 1 that I've started singing in my church choir.

Only drawback I'm having is excessive battery drain. One day this week,I
put 4 batteries in my aids in one day! I'll have to send them out for repair in
January.

Hope you get the proper adjustments.
Click to expand...

I consistently go through batteries every 48 hours, the bicross sucks battery life. Nowhere near what you're doing though!
 
NaidaUP said:
Oh yes REM will also help get the right adjustments. That's what Roca is talking about. LoveBlue who posts here has had the REM as well. I had the REM on me, earlier this year as well and helped LOADS.
Click to expand...

I can't remember what it's called, but the audiologist does have a machine that I sit in front of that has one mic in the ear and one out while comparing the sounds of the two. Is this what you're referring to?

I'm scheduled to do this again since I just switched to a hard mold ear insert from the soft rubber one.
 
Hearing_Test.jpg
Here is what I believe is my last test:

 
sappstter said:
I can't remember what it's called, but the audiologist does have a machine that I sit in front of that has one mic in the ear and one out while comparing the sounds of the two. Is this what you're referring to?

I'm scheduled to do this again since I just switched to a hard mold ear insert from the soft rubber one.
Click to expand...

I couldn't be 100% sure.

Here's a picture of what the rem looks like. The picture is doing it without hearing aids on but you can do it, with and without.
 

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NaidaUP said:
As you use a BI CROS aid, are you deaf in your right ear?
Click to expand...

Yes, I'm completely deaf in my right ear. I have LVAS which is the cause of my recent hearing loss in my left and I believe to by why I lost my hearing due to a head injury when I was 3. I didn't know I had LVAS until a couple of years ago.
 
sappstter said:
Hearing_Test.jpg
Here is what I believe is my last test:

Click to expand...
Ah geesh. Can I have your hearing but keep the bone conduction I have? Sorry you're having so many adjustment problems. Analogs were not as pure as digital but they sure were a lot simpler. Pop off the back and change the settings with an eyeglass frame screwdriver.

I had one test in my last ditch effort to get earmolds made. They did an audiogram (it was at a good place owned by a smart gal who went to Northwestern). I wanted them to go louder and their faces got smushed and said they couldn't because they could hear the sound out of the booth.

My partner suffered through her one and only partial hearing test with me prior to the implant. She wanted to scream because of the loudness. I uh didn't think about that part (nothing is noisy).
 
Sorry to hear, my previous audi never figured out why I hear a constant static noise, kind of like running water and it drives me crazy.
 
sappstter said:
How do you go about getting your hearing aids adjusted properly? I'm having trouble figuring out what needs adjusting so I can hear speech clearly. Its not a volume issue... I feel like speech isn't clear, like I'm missing certain parts. It's hard for me to distinguish changes the audiologist makes while I'm sitting in the office. I've had a recent hearing test, part of the problem maybe that I can hear his voice really well.

I've thought about trying to listen to recorded messages and pick out the parts of words that I'm missing. Right now it's really hard for me to make sense of what is being said unless I'm looking right at the person speaking. I don't really want to give up, but it's pretty discouraging.

Any advice or suggestions?
Click to expand...
I have had the same issues. Usually when I am getting adjustments because of a hearing change or new aid, I schedule weekly appt's with the audiologist until we stop finding things to adjust, then making it a month out.

This is something I really dislike about HA's today. You would think that with today's technology they would put more control in the hands of the users. I would love to be able to continually be able to make tweaks to my HA's as I am experiencing different environments. It's nearly impossible to do from sitting in a quiet office with 1 person.
 
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