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April, you are wise beyond your years, my friend! You are able to describe so perfectly all of the daily challenges that the hard of hearing community faces. Thank you!

It’s in noisy places I have difficulty,any background noise is bad.

Thanks for doing these "hear me out episodes." I am deaf in my left ear with tinnitus and hard of hearing in my right. It's so good to know that I am not alone and others go through the same problems I go through. Thanks for bringing awareness to those with hearing loss.

5:15 I found it strange to hear you say that hearing aids are "a *temporary* fix". I suspect you don't mean that your hearing is going to recover, so what do you mean?

A noisy cafe is a nightmare. Any background noise is so uncomfortable chatting with more than one person is difficult

I'm thankful for the ability to hear better!

Oh .....oops ! You disappeared ! lol ! Anyway ...I love my hearing aid . What wonderful technology ! 🧡

you got cut off

Here’s a tip to adjust your settings instantaneously. Telecoil here I come 😊 Yes the good old telecoil can be used to mute the ‘noise’ straight away with one press of the programme button. Just make sure your audiologist positions it next to your normal everyday programme. Hope that helps.

Indeed,it picks all the sounds around. Your hearing aids are closed domes, right?

I dislike the fact that i am tied to my phone. Even before i needed the app to adjust my hearing aids, i hated the fact that i was tied to my phone. I don’t like the idea that everybody can get in touch with me every single minute of every single day. And internet service is sketchy when i do need to use it. An updated app on my hearing aids has given me inaccurate data on the battery power of my devices and put me into a panic because i thought my hearing aids were broken. I am fortunate to have backup devices but they do sound different because they have different domes and i get a lot more ambient sounds that i am not used to hearing. I am not totally anti technology. I like electricity, microwave ovens, indoor plumbing and the comforts of living in a city with stores and restaurants but i like having a choice not to use the technology available. I don’t even like Siri or any other voice activated devices.

The struggle is real. I've worn hearing aids for 25 years. What frustrates me the most is not being able to remember how loud sounds used to be when I could hear well. For example, when I'm fishing I don't know how loud the stream should sound...

Great concept! How do the prices compare to Costco?

I've been using batteries for the past 6 years or so, and I am getting new hearing aids this year, I was going to go with rechargeable, mainly because I wear my hearing aids 2 days a week, (i work at home 60% and at the office 40%) I never wear them when working at home, since I am usually alone and don't really need to hear anyone lol. I hope switching isn't going to be a mistake :/

I keep switching teams. I have only had my hearing aids for a year and a half. I know it’s not typical but i had the funds to buy both and did so. I primarily use rechargeables but i do a lot of streaming because I like the background noise as i have 24/7 tinnitus. I usually say a few choice words when i get the low battery sound at 5 pm. If i pop them back in the charger for 90 minutes, the charge will carry me until midnight. The rechargeables have a local rechargeable battery replacement option so i would not have to go without when i get my warranty battery replacement at the 3 year point. My understanding that a factory rechargeable battery replacement can take a few weeks and i didn’t want to be without during the replacement process. I know my audiologist has loaners during repairs but wasn’t sure how i felt about that. I also had the issue of dealing without power for a week during the winter. I had three spare power packs and i had dead batteries in my rechargeables. I was truly grateful to have battery powered devices for the 4 additional days. I had planned to spend $10,000 in the first year (United States) for hearing health care and did a deep dive into what I wanted. Hearing aids are something i used 15+ hours a day, 7 days a week. I didn’t want to be without due to problems and only a single pair of devices. I bought one pair with insurance and paid for one pair out of pocket. Not a solution that most could afford. I still see positives on both teams.

I obtained the fitting software for mine. Bought the Noahlink bluetooth device and started exploring features. Not sure about anyone else but hearing my amplified voice is the biggest reason I keep my volume low. If we could eliminate occlusion, aids would be better.

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I am team battery. While there are filters and open fit molds that can only be restocked online with a few days of delivery, they are small and fit in my handbag. If I go to another town or city and forget the charger station it is unlikely I find a store that sells a charging station and if so it will cost quite a lot. And if I do remember to bring it, it is quite bulky and space I could use to bring an assistive mic or just have less weight to carry around when I travel. I also like to be in control and with batteries I am more in control.

I like batteries. I don't want another product that I have to charge every night. Batteries are just easier for me.

Do you use the phone app for your hearing aids? On my app, i can adjust the program for clarity, which is usually my biggest issue with any existing program. I can set the equalizer and a few other tweaks. If i like the way i changed the program, i can save it and name it any my audiologist can save my changes to the existing program and delete the old program that isn’t working for me. I am not very good at doing this and i rarely come up with a better program on my own. I am just not that patient and don’t want to take the time to play around with the controls. I know that i don’t like about the existing program but not what features i need to fix the issue. I don’t know if i want to change the speech focus of the microphone. Also, sound situations change all the time, what i like today, i may hate what i changed tomorrow. I have a few programs i made on my phone but I am pretty sure i will just delete them. I am fairly new to using the app so i haven’t figured out how to delete them yet. 😊

I prefer batteries. A friend has rechargeable and isn’t happy. If they run out of charge halfway through the day, she has no choice other than to take them out to recharge, for at least an hour or so. I can simply take my hearing aids out and within 2 minutes they are up and running again.

I understand and I'm glad that it works for you. That's the main thing is you should go with. Whatever makes you feel comfortable and works for you. I have had both Battery and Rechargeable. Right now. I have rechargeable. I like the fact that these hearing aids have a feature that if one is lost misplaced i can track it on my phone Also if I wish I can set it up so that it can alert someone else's Phone if I should fall. As you said both have their qualities and it's a matter of personal preference. My battery life seems to last quite a while

I know exactly what you mean struggling with the settings in challenging hearing situations. When I'm in a room with a lot of people talking loudly and try to turn up the volume to hear someone nearby, it doesn't sound at all how it should. And sometimes I've felt anxious and the need to just "escape" and go outside.

You’ve got a great video concept here, and your execution is spot-on. However, a few issues might be preventing it from reaching a wider audience. If these can be sorted out, your channel could experience rapid growth.

Its definitely not "the worst" ....

Thanks for the info!

You're absolutely right April, having itchy ears is like torture. Thank you for this tip. I will give it a try.

I had mild hearing loss in my left ear and moderate, but closer to mild, in my right ear. Nowadays, I have moderate loss in both ears, with the right ear worsening more. I started using hearing aids last month because I've always had a lot of difficulty understanding people clearly, and now it's gotten much worse... The thing is, I feel like the hearing aids don't help either. These countless features seem to just get in the way... I tried the Lumity 90, and in the automatic program, it lowers all the background noise when I'm in a crowd, and the speech disappears! I can't understand anything the person is saying... I don't know. And since my hearing loss isn't more than moderate, I totally get what you're saying-the sounds don't seem natural. For example, the sound of my exhaust fan, or when I close the microwave, drag a chair, they sound different from when I hear them without the aids. It's really hard to get used to the processed sound, and I also have anxiety about it.

Yes so very much and it's sometimes trying to figure out okay setting a is good for this but not that or hey this is a perfect time to use my Roger mic instead of trying to change b or c

Firstly you are in a position where you’re very familiar with sounds before sudden hearing loss occurred. That’s like jumping off an aeroplane without a parachute! So the key advice here is to accept that no hearing aid, no matter what claims the manufacturer makes, will return your hearing to its former glories. That is a given. So it’s not surprising that you get yourself into a tizzy! All you can do is accept this and embrace the fact that a hearing aid is exactly that, only an aid to help you exist in this extremely noisy world. Be thankful that there’s an ‘off’/mute switch! As I’ve said before the only way to get as close to your ideal hearing level as possible is to self program the aid yourself at home. That way you learn a lot how to listen with a discerning ear and, more importantly, how to get the settings as close to YOUR ideal as possible. Of course this will take time and a lot of trial and error but it’s so worth it! Good luck.

Same. There are a few factors, the brain memory doesn't recognise the 'alternated sounds' and is trying to match it. The problem is that manfacturer keeps updating the sound due to the latest technology such as processor chip, components. The sound is digital format, not analog. I like analog because it is slightly more accurate when it picks the sounds around the environment and no compression (it allows over the range of soundwave). Digital has various direction (short range, wide/narrow range etc) and is compressed. I wear a new hearing aid (Phonak) since last year, it still has several problems and still struggle (I had Resound before Phonak, long story). So, I suggest you to ask audiologist about omi-directional especially the importance of gains in relationship of frequency and decibel (e.g soft sound, loudness, better high/low pitch, etc) Note that it depends on your hearing level. Furthermore, if you want to hear the real sounds before deafness, there are some analog aid that you could try (they are usually from China and might be ineffective). Hope it helps.

Oh god I thought it said "having aids are cool" Thank god for captions!

Yes im a grammy that would be very concerned having my 8 month old over to sleep. Had my teenage grandsons over all the time before cpap hearing aids and eye pads lol . There should be sleep monitors available though. Talk to the Canadian Hearing Society for assistance they have programs for young and old. Also my grandaughter watches RACHEL on you tube great lessons in sign language for all of us!

It's great to hear a young person's perspective on hearing loss and that you can educate yourself and others re the trials and tribulations of handling children and a family! One came later in life and yes it's a struggle to explain to others that wearing hearing aids is not all that has to endured! Certainly finding the right aids and support is so important! I'm relentless when it comes to my search! Good job! Thanks for sharing!

Hello. I have started cleaning my ears around with astringent and a cotton ball. Letting it dry around the area and then placing my hearing aids in.

Good point! I am a working mom; so I need my batteries.

Yes! I’d love to know which dryer you use. Thx so much!

I don't make videos, but as a viewer... when the auto-captions are nonsensical but you can't hear well enough to know what was actually said.

Thank you for being the advocate you are for hearing loss. I am have been wearing hearing aids for a long time so I am no longer bothered by what people might or might not think about my hearing loss. What I am bothered by is the fact that a lot of people refuse to speak up or try to accommodate my hearing loss. Some folks are very good at making sure they are looking at me or speaking to my better ear, but it seems in meetings or in groups most will not speak up. Hopefully advocates like you can make a difference. Thanks for all you do

hey just wanted to say that your channel is so important to me. i was 23 in 2022 when my hearing loss started, and i really relate to the struggle of not knowing someone your age with hearing loss. For me my life just felt like it was over and it was hard to lose touch with your former self in a way. Im still ashamed of it, and i hope to come to a place like yourself where the strengths in it starts to show. Thank you for inspiring me to be the best version of my self - theiss

💐😊

It is great that you found empowerment. I was born with hearing loss, but it is something I also had to work with myself to be empowered and speak up to get the accommodations that I need so that my life becomes easier. And it never was a one-time battle. Empowerment is renewable and has to be refilled over time.

We need to start a group that pushes back against those kind of people.

Thank you for sharing your feelings and final acceptance regarding your hearing loss. You are so brave! For me, the stigma about wearing hearing aids is overwhelming. The visual image of me having hearing aids behind my ears is something I can not get used to. I am extremely self conscience. It took me a long time to accept wearing glasses when I was in grade school now as an adult, I am struggling with the same emotions. I guess I have to be gentle with myself and take one day at a time. The hearing aids do help me to hear better.

The reason for the technology is to help you hear better, not necessarily louder. My hearing issues are with clarity more than volume. There are certain frequencies i want to hear louder, not all frequencies. When i am not feeling well, lots of sounds are too loud and too many and i have no problem with less wear time on sick days.

I work in a grocery store the music can be epically overwhelming. The other is when they drop a skid at work can sound like an artillery gun :(

I tend to be a people pleaser until I am done with being a people pleaser. I fake it not to rock the boat in a situation. Or i am just too tired to even think about what is going on in the conversation and don’t have the energy to ask for clarification because it’s past the time when i will figure out what is going on.

I just had a stapedectomy on Monday in my left ear. Thanks for posting videos like these to get people’s perspective on the surgery. I had an incus that was a deformed chunk of bone and a missing stapes. He was able to carve out my incus into shape and used a prosthesis for the new stapes. I had around 90% loss in my left ear before surgery. The packing is still in there and I can hear blood rushing through my ear with a bunch of new sounds that I haven’t heard before. This far, the recovery has been easier than I thought it was going to be and I look forward to having significant hearing improvements in a few months when I’m all healed up!

Yes a lot at work especially what direction voices are coming from

My case is much smaller. I have similar items in my kit- wipes , batteries, cleaning brushes, wax guards, a short USB cord and a microfiber cloth. I did not think about carrying tissues which makes a lot of sense. I also have an air tag keychain attached because i have a terrible habit of setting things down and forgetting what i did with them. Air tag is also helpful should my kit fall out my bag and i need to find it.