Hearing Aids

Minnesota allows you to try a hearing aid for a period (30 days, I think) within which you can return the device at no charge for any reason. Check if your area has anything like that before you start your search.

I have hyperacusis and very low word recognition. For these reasons, none of the hearing aids I tried fit me. Fortunately, as a resident of Minnesota, thankfully it didn't cost me anything out of pocket to find that out.

Most hearing aids didn't work for me because of the low word recognition. However, I think CROS hearing aids can be beneficial if you have unilateral hearing loss and would use the device on a frequent basis. They have a mic in the bad ear that sends signals wirelessly to a device in the good ear so that all sound i picked up, But they don't help with locating sounds. They didn't work for me because I live alone and was rarely in a situation where they would provide more benefit than hassle. If I had family members with me, I would give the CROS aids another chance.

Costco has a pretty good hearing aid dispensary at reasonable prices, and it might be good to start there.

Good luck!

 

Definitely check to see what the trial period offered is for each. Near me it is a minimum 30 days as well so no major risk. Personally I would go with the local/lower cost option to get started. In my opinion you can always upgrade later but would think that if there would be any help you would get some even with the lower option.

When I got my first hearing aid it surprised me that having something to make me hear "better" actually minimized some of the tones/sounds that used to bother me. I thought they would get worse. Prior to getting my HA even though I had bad hearing in the one ear I always carried ear plugs because certain situations/tones would bother me so I would insert them.

I think it is also important to determine what the reason/primary goal for the HA is because if it is "hearing" than perhaps in some instances where word recognition/distortion is advanced then the more "entry level" aids may not provide the service you desire. If your primary goal is to manage the hyperacusis with hearing being secondary that may be different. I do believe that having a good audiologist that will listen, tweek the adjustments/etc is key to success.

Good luck

 

My doctor encouraged me to try an aid for at least a year, maybe two, before I finally backed down and released my stubbornness/pride and did it. My loss level was similar to yours, 50-60, and I had intermittent hyperacusis and no major distortion at the time. It was a godsend and to this day I kick myself for not trying it sooner. It would have relieved a lot of tension in the house (“what did you say? Huh? Please say that again” gets old after a while for all and especially out and about in restaurants and other noisy places. I have kids who are involved in very loud activities (think marching band and competitive dance) and it would have made those events much more comfortable.

I did get a higher end model, Widex, that had all sorts of fancy functions that the audiologist set up and adjusted as needed. I was very lucky that insurance covered it after a small deductible so I didn’t start with a modest model but if that’s necessary I think it’s worth a try.

Not only did the aid immensely help my hearing and alleviate hyperacusis, it greatly reduced the severe feeling of fullness and reduced tinnitus. I was so happy with it for about 9 months. Unfortunately my vertigo returned relentlessly at that point with multiple attacks per day for weeks and in addition to losing more hearing - down to 70-80 - I gained extreme distortion which never cleared up after the attacks and left the aid not as helpful.