Searching For Clarity With Hearing Loss
Conversation for people with sensorineural hearing loss can feel like a never-ending game of hangman or charades. The clues are there, but the most critical letters (sounds) are missing, so you wind up playing an internal guessing game. We find ourselves replaying a frustrating loop of “guess the word.” Sometimes Gary can make a reasonably close guess if he understands the context of what I’m trying to say. More often it’s five wrong tries, and I’m forced to substitute a different word or entire sentence.
In the past, modern hearing aids have done a fantastic job of increasing sound. Those with SNHL loss know louder is not the answer. When Gary’s audiologist told us about a new model of hearing aids with technology designed to help people who have a profound sensorineural hearing lossOverview In approximately 95% of superficial siderosis patie... it was welcome news.
The audiologist fitted Gary four days ago with the newest ReSound LiNX 3D hearing aids and custom ear molds. A month earlier Gary had begun using ear molds in place of standard tulip style domes. He found they offered some improvement by helping to filter out some of the background noise.
Gary noted an improvement in clarity immediately, but since there is always a difference between the quiet setting of an office and the real world he deferred giving an opinion. He hadn’t felt well for a few days, so we returned to the main room waiting to be called for a walk-in. A large waiting area is a noisy place. Television is always loudly playing, and people are chatting. A very non-friendly conversation area for the hearing impaired.
Surprisingly he could pick-up and understand bits of conversations. Even though we were sitting with his back to the television, he was able to understand some of that too. Gary hasn’t been able to understand anything on TV for several years. The last few days have been exciting. Gary doesn’t catch all the dialog while watching TV but he does understand more and can use close-captioning to fill in the gaps. He can even look away from the screen, still able to semi-follow. The clarity is outstanding.
There is a noticeable difference in our conversations too. There are still individual sounds or letters that cause trouble, but it’s a definite improvement. We attended the funeral of a close friend a few months back. Gary was unable to hear anything. Today we were at a wedding. The same sized room and acoustics. He was able to follow and understand almost everything. What a change.
Road noise is still a problem. We’re hoping to experiment with the phone app to find a custom filter setting so we can talk comfortably in the car. We know Gary’s hearing will never improve. We’ll always be forced to play a few rounds of “guess the word” but until the time comes for the next evolution on his hearing journey this new technology has provided some much-needed relief.
Hi, I was just wondering about the resound hearing aids.What percentage of hearing loss does Gary have? My husband is basically deaf since the 5 year diagnosis. I have mad an appointment at Cleveland Clinic to be tested. He has not had a hearing evaluation since his diagnosis 5 years ago. Any info would be appreciated.
This is a link to Gary’s latest audiogram 2018 Audiogram
I’m not sure how to translate these levels into a percentage number. Gary hits the bottom edged of normal hearing at the 250hz level and moderate hearing at the 500hz level. His hearing drops after the 500hz level down to the severe/profound level. He can stand with his back to the stove and not hear the stove timer beep or a very loud tea kettle whistle even though they are directly behind him. He can’t hear his phone ring. He can’t hear a smoke detector. He is completely deaf in these tones. If he doesn’t have his hearing aids in he can’t understand a television or someone on the phone. He can tell there is sound going on but he won’t understand anything.If the radio is on he can hear a bass beat but not a melody or lyrics. You might be able to compare his audiogram to your husbands and see if they are close to the same level of loss. There is one additional model from ReSound, the ENZO 3D, that is even more powerful than the LiNX 3D. Both the LiNX and the ENZO are engineered to work in concert with a cochlear implant when the time comes.