21 replies to this topic

[Jistme]

After being tested in Costco, the results were good..no hearing aid required.

The Doctor at the LCS. advised hearing aids for both ears.

Your feedback appreciated.

[Irish Gal]

I would get a third opinion.

[Fox]

After being tested in Costco, the results were good..no hearing aid required.

The Doctor at the LCS. advised hearing aids for both ears.

Your feedback appreciated.

Irish Gal gave good advice. I for one am very Happy with Costco. Your hearing test at LCS, was that in a sound proof room?

Fox

[Marty]

as to the cause I checked with Costco on their testing person's credentials when checking for testing resources for a friend. I was advised that the person who tests your hearing at Costco is a hearing technician, not an audiologist, While they may provide audiology testing in a sound proof room (which is a requirement for all audiology testing) an audiologist must have a doctoral degree in audiology in the US, here I understand that they must have at least two years of college based specialized training.

A technicion on the other hand only needs a high school degree and a brief three month course in operating the machines in the US. Here I understand techniction can train by assisting an audiologist .It is like the difference in getting your eyes tested by an opthmologist (an MD specializing in eye disease and vision problems or an optician, a technician who tests your eyes to make corrective lenses. There are many different types of hearing problems, caused by sigificantly different origins.

Without getting too technical the hearing testing done at both LCS and Costco are really only hearing screenings, although they seem to use testing equipment. These technicians can only determine IF you have a loss and how severe the loss is, NOT the reason for the loss. As mentioned above the type of loss determines the treatment. A hearing aid is not always the right treatment for hearing loss. Your loss can originate from many causes which can only be determined by an audiologist.

To save time and money your first testing should be by an otolaryngologist who is a medical MD specializing in ear problems to determine the type of loss, since the type of loss determines the type of treatment including the type of hearing devices needed, if any. There are several different types of tests depending on the type of loss which can only be determined by an MD. They then will send you to an audiologist to test of determine the type of hearing aid device is needed based on the problem. This is important since some hearing losses can be treated, but can be progressive if not diagnosed early. Getting a hearing aid for hearing loss without getting diagnosed before hand can wind up in having a permanent loss from a condition that could have been treated.

I do not believe the LCS testing person is an audiologist but a technician. But it would be important to ask. It is also important to be tested in a sound proof booth which I do not believe is available at LCS. However, the process at Costco and LCS would be a first step for screening for loss , which should be then followed up with an audiologist, most of whom are located in Guad.

Also the person who fits you for a hearing aid should not be the person to test you; they are hearing aid technicions NOT hearing loss or audiology technitions.They should only fit you with an aid which meets the audiologists RX for your specific type of loss or injury.

Hope this has not been too difficult to follow, but losing your hearing and/or vision is a serious issue which greatly impacts our lives and we should all be as informed as we can be.

[Irish Gal]

Good information Marty. Do you have any recommendations for an otolaryngologist or audiologist in Guadalajara? TIA.

[Fox]

Marty,

Excellent post, lots of valuable information. My hearing problem ( nerve deafness) was discovered at a very young age, so I know what my problem is. You brought up many good points for one not knowing what is actually causing there hearing loss. Thanks for posting.

Fox

[gringal]

They have pretty good hearing aid testing both at Costco and over at LCS. My husband has been wearing almost every type of hearing aid for many, many years and is happiest with the ones he got at LCS. They are so comfortable that he comes close to forgetting to take them out before showering and his hearing ability was significantly improved over the ones he got in the States.

The only problem with using Costco is that there is usually a period where new hearing aids need some tweaking, and all other things being equal.......a trip to Costco is not the most enjoyable way to spend most of the day. But YMMV.

[Jistme]

Thanks for the many excellent responses. Marty gave us plenty to think about, appreciate your taking the time to post this.

Reading the responses, this condition is more complicated that we knew, and we'll make enquiries of our doctor about contacting the appropriate
specialists in Guad.
Gracias.

[maggiesmom]

Having determined my hearing problem and being properly tested by an audiologist I went to the guy at LCS. I was given a hearing aid for each ear to wear for a couple of weeks to try them out. During that time I checked out several places and prices, including Costco. I discovered that the prices I was quoted at LCS were much higher than I could obtain elsewhere. I returned the hearing aids to LCS and have decided to deal with Costco instead.

[Viajero-Tiempo]

Aids are engineered to assist depending on the frequencies lost and degree (db) of loss.
And aids must be configured to provide the best assistance based on loss profile.
And some are somewhat configurable by the user - sometimes by remote.
Anyone purchasing an aid should try them for a week or two in a broad range of environs.
I cannot speak to the quality the aids providede by Costco or Polo (at LCS).
I can say aids for significant losses often cost 2500-4500 USD (in the US).

[Jeanette]

From the US side, I can add that shortly after our return to AZ last October, Jay headed over to Costco for hearing aids. He had purchased a in - ear set some years ago and never adjusted.

Costco fitted him with open ear hearing aids and suggested he 'try them out ' for awhile in the store. Within minutes, I received a call from him on my cellphone saying " I had really forgotten how noisy Costco and its parking lot coukd ve!!!! "

Best $3000 we ever spent.

[Mainecoons]

I did the same thing after pricing the relatively high powered aids here in Mexico. They were like a third more. Plus the fellow at Costco here did not speak English and my Spanish is really not sufficient to discuss medical/heariing matters with someone. So I got new ones on our last routiine trip to Texas.

I was tested by an audiologist at Costco in Texas, fitted, and checked before I came home. There's no sales tax on hearing aids in Texas BTW and there is now a Costco a day's drive north in McAllen, TX.

[Fox]

Another reason I like Costco besides their quality aids, the Warranty is covered in Mexico also. I know if problems arise, they have to send the aid back to the States and that is about a 3 week turn around. BUT, Coscto will do their best to set you up with a loaner,.a behind the ear style to get you through until your aid returns.

One of my aids I am still wearing is a 5 year old aid that was purchased in the Guadalajara Costo. Planning a trip back to the States this coming fall and will purchase two new ones where? Costco of course.

Another feature that some folks may not know about is, that Costco can recondition some of their previous aids, if they are not too old. I have one I have as a backup that they reconditoned for me while in the States about two,three years ago for about $160.00 US.

NO, even though I sound like a Costco Rep, Iam not. LOL Just trying to help some folks if needed.

Goodluck,
Fox

[Betsy]

I bought my dad Digital hearing aids that are tuned to his needs about a year ago and he won't wear them. I have told him to just put them in 20 minutes a day and read out loud for at least 15 minutes every day. My dad has profound hearing loss in both ears . I understand that it is difficult to start hearing all of the sounds that You have been missing and especially difficult to get used to the sound of your own voice. Anyway, he agrees to start using them every time I talk to him which is like 3 times a week but he doesn't, and that really is not like him at all. He complains that they are very hard to get on, he has arthritis in his hands and lives alone for one thing, but mainly I think he just doesn't like them.
Now he is starting to do weird things like ...he will misunderstand what was said and get all mad and start yelling about something no one was even talking about and it is starting to get on people's nerves. I am really afraid that this problem might cause him to become isolated at some point although he is very social at age 83.
Does any one have any suggestions that might help my dad get used to his hearing aids? He was all fired up about them when he was sitting in that little egg chair getting the test and trying them for the first time...it was so amazing what he could hear with them.
I would love to hear any suggestions , advice or tricks that you use.

[Viajero-Tiempo]

First, double check that they are configured correctly. Then, make certain that he has been trained to insert them correctly.

If the problem is due to the arthritis making it difficult, is there someone nearby to assist - paid help could be worth it to get your pop to use them and like them..

Young folks can learn to read lips. Others - not so easily.

[Fox]

Betsy,
I have sent you a pm.

Fox

[Jeanette]

Betsy, are they the molded to fit inside the ear type, or some open ear configuration?

[Marty]

Irish Gal I sent you a pm.

[Marty]

Betsy I sent you a PM

[Betsy]

my dad has 75% loss in one ear , the one that was closest to the rifle he was shooting in Korea and 60% loss in the other ear. I was prepared to go as high as it took in price for the little ones but the place where we bought them in Florida said that he could only use the big clunky ones because of the battery power needed due to the extent of his hearing loss. Later, when I discussed this with my Son´s hearing aid provider, she told me that she could have fitted him with smaller ones...my son´s aids cost about 11, 000.00 U.S. but they do all kinds of wonderful things.
The aids my Dad has are large , hook over the ear and have an ear mold that fits into the ear. They told him to come back in a week just to let them see how he was doing, but I don´t think he even went. They also told him that he could come in every day ( 5 mins from his house) and they would help him put them in, clean them, maintain, adjust whatever he needed , whenever he needed it.
I think his hearing loss bothers the rest of us more that it bothers him. His mind is really sharp although i do know that his age does factor in somehow.
He has more money than he will ever spend but he will NOT even allow us to pay for any personal assistance for him. He has a housekeper 3 days a week, thats it. he is a stubborn old coot.
Thank you all so much for the advice, concern and P.M´s , I have some new insight now...really a lot of thanks, I can use all the help I can get with this.
I think that the next time I go there I will just force him every day for the whole month I am there...but it is hard to parent your parent , especially for me with my dad.