Digital hearing Aid? - Hearing Disorders Message Board

Carol T · 02-14-2001, 08:32 AM

I posted a question before but it never went on the board. I suffered tinnitus for 25 years, no known reason. Along with it came a gradual hearing loss. Traditional hearing aids do not work, they suggested I go for the new digital aid. I am totally deaf now to the higher pitches. I only use the orginal princess AT&T phone because it has a different ring to it. Like a bell ring. All the new phones today I can't hear. Trying to find a cordless phone with the same ring as the AT&T but can't. Anyone have the digital aid and just how can it make you hear sounds that you are deaf to? I miss hearing birds in the morning. Thank you all
My Best
Carol

zonker · 07-01-2003, 06:19 PM

First let me say that I'm no doctor but I do wear a digital hearing aid. The idea behind digital over analog is that analog basically amplifies sounds universally - it just turns up the volume on everything - whereas a digital hearing aid can be adjusted to boost different frequencies differently. In other words, the high frequencies that you are currently missing can be boosted or amplified more than the lower frequencies. In my case I guess I'm not missing higher frequencies as much as you but I have more trouble understanding a woman's voice that a man's because my hearing loss is in the high frequency range. I also have been suffering with tinnitus (sp?) for over 30 years (ringing right now

)

The thing to remember though, is that a hearing aid is an aid but it'll never bring back natural hearing.

Hope this helps your understanding though.

Cheers.

Jake_s0 · 07-22-2003, 02:33 PM

I have high frequency loss and have recently been fitted with bte digitals. My loss did not allow me to wear anything other than bte. Because of the shape of my audiogram, digitals (one with many channels) was really the only way for me to go. Analog would not benefit me as much. I love the digitals. I know exactly what you mean by not being able to hear the phone ring on newer phones. i have one and if i stand right next to it while it is ringing, i hear nothing in my left ear (which is my worse ear). Typically one of those newer phones will ring at about 2000hz and around 60dB (if you are standing in the room).

I dont know what you meant by "total" in your last message. I would assume that your loss is similar to mine in that you can hear high frequency sounds if amplified enough. If you can't, then i am not sure if hearing aids will help. Remember, hearing aids can only work if there is some usable hearing left.