Anybody here experience hearing loss?

[CTyankee]

I have suddenly lost a lot of hearing in my left ear. My husband has had a Miracle Ear for several years but says there is a newer technology in hearing aids I should probably try. I think it works with a smart phone, which I don't have and don't want. He does OK with his Miracle Ear...

[vapor2]

1. Yes, and tried my dad's hearing aids after he passed but absolutely hate them.

[riversedge]

2. I do not mean to offend but have you checked with a professional to see if just pluggged?

[CTyankee]

3. No. How could it be plugged? The other ear isn't...

If so, are there treatments, medicine, therapy etc for such a problem?

[Timewas]

10. Yes

I had the same thing happen and it turned out o be plugged badly, It took Dr. about 3 mins to figure it out and clear it up.Have it looked at.,

[Maru Kitteh]

15. My husband also had "sudden hearing loss" I took one look in there (I'm an RN)

and said “nope, I’m not doing this one” and off to urgent care we went. Destroyed the whole day we had planned After we finally got in, his hearing was restored in about 12 minutes.

That’s probably what you are looking at. Either way you need to have it looked at to make sure you don’t have some other foreign object, an infection or some other cause of sudden loss. If it’s wax buildup, (and it most likely is) there are drops you can use on occasion, like debrox, to prevent the issue.

[CTyankee]

19. I'm going over to the doc's office as soon as hubby gets back with the car.

my problem with the ER is that they are always busy with serious life threatening issues and I feel like I shouldn't be there, taking up their time. We'll take it from there.

[Hope22]

26. If it's plugged

The doc should be able to help! Good luck!🥰

[Maru Kitteh]

28. Your primary care probably has an urgent care. Most do now. It's for things just

like this. Things you really don’t want to schedule 3-11weeks from now, but likely not a true “emergency” either.

The sudden loss of any of your senses is NOT something that should wait however.

[Rebl2]

20. My

husband had that years ago, went to a nurse practitioner and it was wax buildup. It was removed and from then on he has used debrox.

[Mossfern]

4. Yes

I went to an audiologist and got evaluated. I now wear hearing aids that are tested and adjusted 3 times a year. They're fancy though- blue tooth, can listen to music on your phone and can be connected to your phone.
I found those features annoying.
They were very expensive but worth the evaluations and adjustments for me.

[CTyankee]

5. did you medical insurance pay for anything?

[Mossfern]

8. No!

Dammit.
I think maybe the initial visit, but not for the hearing aids.

Hearing loss can lead to dementia - my mom had Alzheimer's so I'm doing everything I can to avoid that.
It's worth the money for me -even if I have to give up other things. Most places have programs where you can pay over time.

[CTyankee]

11. Just when I think I'm getting ahead on paying my bills....I shoulda known something bad could very well pop up...

I'm paying off my bills regularly each month. I stagger them for first of month, mid month, and end of month. I pay attention to the calendar each day of each month to see what bill is due, so I don't pay a late fee on anything. Anything interest bearing gets paid first (after mortgage payments and monthly bills for heat, electricity, water, etc). Twice monthly I have home help with laundry and regular cleaning. I'm not on Medicaid so I can't expect help from home health agencies that get payments through that program.

It seems I am caught between inflation and our income. We make just enough to cover bills now and are trying hard to figure out ways to pay bills going forward. We expect that his kids and my kids will work together to settle any debt we leave unpaid.

[Mossfern]

12. I hear you!

We thought we had it all planned out - that we could relax and enjoy some extra pleasures in our retirement.
Fortunately, so far, we can pay our bills without too much concern - but I hate feeling super guilty if I want a pedicure - or even a haircut!

We could sell our house and downsize with some minimal savings as we have no mortgage, but it would break my heart. We raised 4 children here and each and every room has such fond memories.

[CTyankee]

14. Yep, we love our house, too. And you are right about haircuts and pedicures!

I might just try doing my own pedicure but the haircut is different. Hubby goes to a barber but she doesn't do women's hair. My hair salon charges $55 for a basic cut and with a decent tip it's up to at least $65. I've just let my hair grow and it looks scary. He doesn't worry as he doesn't have too much hair left!

[enough]

23. If you're old enough for Medicare, Medicare covers most of it.

[Lulu KC]

35. Medicare pays for the exam

Not for hearing aids. Nor does our particular supplemental. Costco is the highly recommended and reasonably priced source--about $1200-1500.

[Freddie]

27. Waiting for my hearing aids to come in May 19

Had to be done. Got the kind that can get Bluetooth too. Paid about $2300 and that’s with the discount I get from a retired teachers association.

[Wonder Why]

6. See your doctor asap before self treatment. You have a medical issue.

[CTyankee]

7. Thank you. Fortunately, he is very close by my house.

[CanonRay]

9. I got hearing aids at Costco

Very satisfied.

[Mossfern]

13. Yes,I've heard good things about that.

But I would visit a doctor first to make sure.

[CanonRay]

16. Costco did a very comprehensive hearing test

My wife passed and didn't need hearing aids, so they're not just trying to sell you shit. I failed in both ears.

[Mossfern]

17. Did they put you in that cool little soundproof booth?

I love that- so peaceful.
My audiologist also does cognitive testing because hearing loss can affect cognition. It's on a special computerized thingy.

[babylonsister]

18. Yes, for several years.

I now buy Philips hearing aids from Costco, also bought a neat little adapter that allows me to crank up the volume in my ears while muting outside noise so I don't drive bf crazy.

You can get a comprehensive test from Costco; no one makes a commission so I am convinced they're honest, and wax can be dense and deafening.

[peggysue2]

21. I had a very sudden hearing loss in my right ear

About 12 years ago. Came out of the pool and thought I had water in my ear. Unfortunately, the hearing loss and sense of fullness in my ear did not go away. Had my ears checked out and was put on an antibiotic for a possible ear infection. Didn't help. Finally went to an ENT specialist who ordered an MRI to rule out a tumor. No tumor but significant scar tissue behind both ears.

I've had oodles of hearing tests all indicating the same thing--a profound hearing loss in my right ear and moderate loss in my left.

I fought the idea of hearing aides for a half-dozen years. More vanity than anything else.

Finally, I stopped being dumb and explored what aides were on the market. I did not want to pay $5000+ for appliances, so I went to the myriad list of online options. My first set were Eargos, in-the-ear devices. I liked them a lot and was amazed at the difference they made.

Turns out the world is a very noisy place.

The Eargos lasted three years before the internal batteries died.

I'm now wearing Jabra, a small behind-the-ear appliance. I wanted to try something different. The sound quality is very good and the Jabra offers Bluetooth. I can use the aides for my phone and listening to podcasts on my walks. No need to switch over to AirPods.

There's lots of choice out there with at a variety of costs.

I would recommend making an appointment with an ENT doctor and getting a full auditory test before buying anything.

It's a journey but worth getting the help you need.

Good luck, yankee!

[CTyankee]

22. Yep. I'm going to my doc's office as soon as hubby gets home with the car.

I'll probably get a referral to an ENT, which is fine. Also, he'll tell me whether I am going to die in the next couple of days before I can get an appointment.

I am, as I often say, not dead yet.

[Prairie_Seagull]

24. You won't be surprised just how great rock-n-roll sounds when one can hear.

This alone would be reason enough for me

As I recall there are also insects that can take up residence.

Let us know how it goes CTyank.

[dlilafae]

25. Hubby has it.

He got a pair that went for 18K retail, but he bought a sample pair for a couple grand. Nuance has hearing assist eyewear technology. Around 1,500.

[elocs]

29. There many old duffers here. A better title would be Who "else" is experiencing hearing loss?

Last edited Wed May 7, 2025, 08:21 AM - Edit history (1)

I have tinnitus and my doctor asked how I deal with it? I said, I ignore it.

[Raine]

38. I have tinnitus too. I do what you do ... I ignore it.

It's worst when I first wake up. After that I guess I get used it and don't much attention to it. I had a bad ear infection in high school and was left with constant humming in my left ear.

[elocs]

39. I've had tinnitus for as long as I can remember. It's like the sound of a high wire power line,

modulating some but at about the same volume. I really don't notice it unless I think about it and even then it's not annoying.

[Croney]

30. I hope it's as simple as wax build-up. Some people get it and some don't.

When my husband seems to be ignoring my conversation, I tell him it's time for the ear drops! (I like to think that's always the reason, ha.). He does get significant build-up and I never do. I get the eye problems.

[mvd]

31. I have severe hearing loss

My hearing aids broke and can’t afford others. I once tried Audien heating and while they were not like prescription hearing aids, they did help. They wore out and can’t even buy those again yet.

[Nittersing]

32. My mom's first pair were paid for by Medicare.

She told me that Medicare will pay for one pair and one pair only. (I never verified)

[Lulu KC]

36. Not anymore, I'm afraid

I just checked a month ago. Bummer.

[Quakerfriend]

33. As others have said, best to be evaluated by an ENT doc.

If you are taking any pain meds- even aspirin, this can sometimes cause a sudden & temporary loss of hearing- feels as though a ‘wall is up’.

I have seen this happen many times in hospital patients.

[womanofthehills]

34. My doc said to avoid wax build up

Let warm water run in your ears when you take a shower. Often they remove wax with a jet spray of water.

[LAS14]

37. I would highly recommend Costco. Way cheaper than most, and ....

...the testing equipment doesn't seem to require a lot of nuance. Both hubby and I have used their hearing aids for years.

[Brainfodder]

40. Definitely have ear eye throat pro give you a look, talking about hearing, please make haste, too important!