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Hearing Aid Purchase USA vs Mexico


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On 4/13/2017 at 10:50 PM, bdlngton said:

Add friends to that list of those irritated.  While I am sympathetic to those with hearing loss I do not understand why those who need hearing aids don't get them or why those who have them don't wear them.  If you know you have a hearing loss and can improve it (and afford to do so,) why wouldn't you?  And if you have hearing aids, why would you choose to not wear them in a social situation like having lunch with a friend or going to a concert?  To me it makes no sense and could even be interpreted as rude, but maybe I'm not understanding something about the use of hearing aids.

Sorry to go off topic a little but the above is based on several personal situations I have experienced and am trying to understand.

As a person with hearing loss, I am glad I read this.  If you've followed the comments here, you know that many people can't afford the kind of hearing aids that will really help them, and the cheap ones just amplify sound and won't help at all while having lunch out, since the background noises will increase also and your voice won't be more distinct.  Even expensive ones (like mine) don't help that much in these situations. 

I think it would be helpful to your friends to ask them what you can do to help them hear you better. - if you are willing to be part of the solution.  I have told my husband many times that he needs to speak more distinctly, a little more slowly, and a little louder.  For some reason it's hard for him to do this.  He also persists in speaking to me when he's facing away and over loud background noises, without raising his voice. Five years after he first pointed out my hearing loss, he has finally realized that he uses an extra soft voice when talking to me, when he needs to use the same voice and way of speaking that he would use in a group or when making a presentation - because I can hear him fine if he does that.

It can be hard to raise your voice without sounding like you're shouting, but it can be done with some practice.  Your comments (and you're hardly alone or atypical) made me think about our expectations of people with different abilities.  I don't expect friends in wheelchairs to meet me in places with lots of stairs - we choose places that are accessible.  That's an adaptation I make to have them as friends.  But with the hearing impaired, there seems to be  lot of anger on both sides  It's hard to talk about, but it can be done.

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When we lose a function we're used to, such as hearing, we can't help but be pissed at Mother Nature and whatever else was the cause.  However, at this point, we can either be fools or we can DEAL WITH IT!

My own moment of truth came years ago when I was teaching a class and realized that I had very little idea what those ladies with higher pitched voices were saying.  That was about the time I remembered that my dad was stone deaf before the age of 70. Bad luck for me.  However, I'm in the school of thought that says "DEAL WITH IT" and since then, I've worn hearing aids.  They are expensive and a PITA to get used to, but do you want to have a life or don't you?  If false pride and the notion that it "ages" you are getting in the way......that's just dumb.  What "ages" us is attitude, not our appliances.

There are many brands made in the U.S.A. to choose from which are carried by Costco and by our local audiologist at LCS.   I like going to Polo at LCS since he can usually fix any problems on the spot....and he's here.

 

 

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I stumbled upon this thread while looking for local bus schedules 😊. My two cents: yes, hearing aids (HA) are outrageously expensive; however, to say "I can get them cheaper at XXX store" is useless advice. The type of HA determines (in part) the cost; the type, in turn, is determined by what kind and how profound one's hearing loss is. I'm congenitally deaf; have ~ 5% hearing in each ear. I am forced to wear behind-the-ear aids for bone conduction. These are extremely expensive--five or so years ago my sister bought me two at $7000+USD each. The life expectancy of this sort of HA is about five years; in the meantime one must have tubes and molds replaced and cleaning done. (Humid climates encourage accumulation of moisture within the tubes, which drastically affects hearing. Moisture-resistant tubing is available NOB but I have yet to find it here.) Some people can use in -the-ear aids, which are way cheaper. Although I've seen Dr. Carlos at Maskaras Clinic in San Antonio Tlay for mold replacement, I will probably go to Costco when I must get new aids. (Which I anticipate will be soon. Ulp.)

The analogy between the price of HA and medications is quite apt--if you need it to survive you can expect to pay through the nose. That is the how the corrupt, incestuous system of "democratic" capitalism works. 

AND... Not all Hep C is caused by IV use. I lost a friend a couple of years ago who acquired it by blood transfusion in the days before screening...which isn't failproof, either.

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On 3/12/2019 at 11:52 AM, gringal said:

When we lose a function we're used to, such as hearing, we can't help but be pissed at Mother Nature and whatever else was the cause.  However, at this point, we can either be fools or we can DEAL WITH IT!

My own moment of truth came years ago when I was teaching a class and realized that I had very little idea what those ladies with higher pitched voices were saying.  That was about the time I remembered that my dad was stone deaf before the age of 70. Bad luck for me.  However, I'm in the school of thought that says "DEAL WITH IT" and since then, I've worn hearing aids.  They are expensive and a PITA to get used to, but do you want to have a life or don't you?  If false pride and the notion that it "ages" you are getting in the way......that's just dumb.  What "ages" us is attitude, not our appliances.

There are many brands made in the U.S.A. to choose from which are carried by Costco and by our local audiologist at LCS.   I like going to Polo at LCS since he can usually fix any problems on the spot....and he's here.

 

 

It's not a matter of 'false pride' or the notion that it 'ages' you for many people like myself.  It's a matter of not being able to afford decent hearing aids, plain and simple.  If I could find a hearing aid that I could afford, and it actually worked, I'd be wearing it with pride!

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1 hour ago, suegarn said:

It's not a matter of 'false pride' or the notion that it 'ages' you for many people like myself.  It's a matter of not being able to afford decent hearing aids, plain and simple.  If I could find a hearing aid that I could afford, and it actually worked, I'd be wearing it with pride!

I understand what you are saying.  Sometimes there are options for paying on the installment plan, and some hearing aids are less expensive.  I was referring to the people who CAN afford to buy hearing aids, and don't for reasons of pride.

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It really is quite complicated, and variable.  In my case, I can get some benefit from my VA provided tunable/programable Siemens hearing aids, when watching TV. However, if someone speaks, a doorbell rings, or another unexpected sound is heard, it will jolt me out of my chair. In a public setting, in a noisy room, they are a nuisance.  In a kitchen or a restaurant, the sounds of utensils and glassware are unbearable and the background noise is disturbing, no matter if turned 'down and forward'.  Mostly, I keep mine in a drawer except for rare TV programming, like a movie with low voices but not too much background music or sudden volume changes.

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2 minutes ago, RVGRINGO said:

It really is quite complicated, and variable.  In my case, I can get some benefit from my VA provided tunable/programable Siemens hearing aids, when watching TV. However, if someone speaks, a doorbell rings, or another unexpected sound is heard, it will jolt me out of my chair. In a public setting, in a noisy room, they are a nuisance.  In a kitchen or a restaurant, the sounds of utensils and glassware are unbearable and the background noise is disturbing, no matter if turned 'down and forward'.  Mostly, I keep mine in a drawer except for rare TV programming, like a movie with low voices but not too much background music or sudden volume changes.

Some of the newer versions have a complicated accessory, IPOD-like, that allows for fine tuning based on the situation.  Mine has a setting for "normal" with volume control for each ear and a setting for "restaurant" that dulls the sounds from surrounding tables but the immediate vicinity remains clear. The aids were from Starkey and cost way more than I think that they should, but  I can't function without them. Simple.  I understand that some people who have hearing loss go into a state of semi-reclusiveness  and cease to socialize much.  Understandable.

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I should have mentioned that mine have a bluetooth capability with a TV connected transmitter, and a receiver that I can wear around my neck, with volume controls just for my hearing aids. It does work well, but is still a nuisance for anything but a long movie, etc.

I have achieved some TV improvement by adding a 'sound bar and woofer' to my TV. It is most appreciated when listening to music channels; especially classical/orchestral, etc.

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  • 3 weeks later...

My 2 cents from the cold of New Jersey (I hope soon I’ll be able to join you all in Chapala).
I'm 47 years old and I’m using hearing aids since 5 years ago (I guess I started pretty young), at the beginning I was avoiding them for the simple fact that I believe is a robbery having to pay thousands for something (based on today’s technological standards) “so simple”.

I tried a couple of those sounds amplifiers and I have to admit that for my case (medium to severe hearing lost), were absolutely useless.

 

Was when I started having performance issues in the office when I realized I had to do something, so after visiting a lot of crappy places that I find out about Audicus. I know I might sound like a vendor here, but believe me, I’m not (I’m an IT manager on a transportation company). I was so frustrated that I said, why not, I will give them a try. I sent them the audiometry I had from Costco (was a requirement, you have to send them one to properly calibrate the devices). The thing is, 1 week after putting my order, I received a pair of Hansaton devices (Paid $1200 for the pair), I believe Hansaton is a german company.

 

5 years later I’m still using them. Aren’t probably the most technologically advance devices (no Bluetooth on them for example), but are helping my life since then and I’m absolutely happy for not spending the additional $1800 Costco was asking me for a pair.

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43 minutes ago, DeborahM said:

Just sayin'...this is a post from TWO YEARS AGO...what are you asking for?

 

More than half the posts in this thread are less than a month old. I would imagine that people are still going deaf and need help.

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Some info from those folks looking to buy hearing aids.

a. Polo at LCS will sell the same model Costco sells at the same price.

b. Costco sold hearing aids have a code that only allows Costco to adjust them... Something I didn't know. All brands other than Costco's can be adjusted locally by Polo...

c. Costco does not carry a vendor's full line but only those models that sell... Which makes sense, but doesn't give the customer a full range of options...

d. Ear molds are a thing of the past... A digital camera now takes a picture of the inner ear and the mold is 3d constructed... A big advance...

e. I have to agree that hearing aids are expensive but they can be purchased on credit which raises the cost but does provide an option...

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2 hours ago, ibbocat said:

Polo at LCS had the spares to fix my Costco devices when Costco did not.

 

The great advantage of Polo is that he is trained to repair hearing aids, so that if repairs are needed, one need not be deprived of them while they are sent "somewhere". He makes adjustments when needed while you wait.

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