#36 Hearing Devices

#36 Hearing Devices
Monday, February 3, 2025 by Deb Vellines

Helen Keller once said, “Blindness separates us from things, but deafness separates us from people.”

This is true. We separate from others when we catch only some words. It’s hard work filling in the blanks of what we don’t hear. Actually exhausting work. And, sometimes we begin to shy away from situations we know will be hard.

In an effort to solve my hearing problems, the first product I bought was to amplify the TV. My husband was complaining I played it too loud. But, when he adjusted the volume, I couldn’t hear enough.

https://www.maxiaids.com/5-in-1-wireless-earphone This solved arguments and was enough help at the time.

Next, I purchased a device worn over the ear meant to amplify sound. You can purchase PSAP’s (Personal Sound Amplification Products) without the professional guidance of an audiologist or another specialist. They might help, but they are not for everyone. They are a whole lot cheaper (many are under $50) than hearing aids, BUT the results didn’t satisfy me. I used it on and off for maybe a year but continued to feel frustrated that I was missing too many words.

Even using the phone next to my “good “ ear, I missed too many words. So, I purchased a telephone with closed captioning. I’d suggest you buy such a phone if it can be returned if it doesn’t work for you. This phone left me frustrated, too.

http://www.captel.com/captel/phones/captel-840i/?offer_id=1&aff_id=1021&url_id=101

I knew it was time to research hearing aids.

I quickly found out not all hearing aids work the same. After going to my support group and hearing good things about the bone anchored hearing device, I visited an audiologist and learned the hearing in my “good” ear wasn’t enough for this kind of hearing help. Also, I didn’t really like the idea of surgery to insert a titanium screw anchored in the skull bone behind the deaf ear. A vibrating sound processor is attached externally, which reads sounds and transmits them through the skull bone to the cochlea of the good ear.

Some in my support group love this type of aid. But one member said, “It doesn’t work for me and now I have this screw in my head.” Like all devices and aids, it’s an individual thing: What works for one person might or might not work for another. Here’s a link to the BAHA or bone-anchored hearing aid: http://www.earassociates.com/services-bone-anchored-hearing-aids-san-jose-ca.html

Next, I researched the SoundBite system. Addressing a hearing problem with an aid worn in the mouth might not sound like a logical solution, but that’s what the company Sonitus Medical did with SoundBite – a hearing system that transmits sound to the inner ear via the teeth. It, too, used bone conduction. And like the previous aid, I wasn’t a candidate. This company is no longer in business.

In my next blog, I will talk about the hearing aid that worked for me.

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Readers: What devices have you tried?

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Dear God,

So far, the devices I have tried still leave me frustrated. I know there must be a hearing aid that will work for me. Help me find it. Amen.

Show me the path where I should walk, O Lord; point out the right road for me to follow Psalm 25:4