hearing aid shock

[northernjohn]

I have a set of Phonak hearing aids. They set the volume with the computer when you buy them. They do have a little button on one that will increase them and one on the other to decrease them.

As it turns out the one for my right ear is not really loud enough and if I raise the volume it raises it in both ears and the sound gets distorted. All I could find in Chiang Mai was shops that did not work on mine. I know there is one in Bangkok but it is not that big an inconvenience so I E Mailed the company and asked them where the nearest shop was that could adjust the volume.

The surprise was that they said they could do it if I had access to the internet. I am tech challenged and it has not been that big of a problem to me so I am going to be visiting the family next month in Canada and am going to go into the shop where I purchased them and get them to run me through the procedures. I do not know the price for them as I get them free curtsey of Workers Compensation Board in B C Canada.

I just post this in case others have hearing aids and are not aware of some of the things technology allows them to do today. Or are considering purchasing a new pair.

[KhonKaenKowboy]

My dad replaced his Belltone (3500 usd) with one he bought from Amazon for 55 USD. He now hears me better, for one. The high end ones filter out the background noise, and that makes them more sophisticated. He said he actually likes the background noise, and he took his car for a drive, and heard things he never knew existed. He also made a very valid point, that all other hi-fi, wi-fi, technolgy stuff gets dramatically less expensive over time, but not hearing aids...he's calling "racket." Based on our conversation on VOIP; I would agree.

[uptheos]

Thanks for posting this personal experience regarding hearing aids. If you could post the names and contact numbers of any shops you have dealt with in Chiang Mai or other places in Thailand it might help people.

I'm surprised it's not a topic that comes up more often, given that there are many elderly people in Chiang Mai. We seem to see a lot of posts regarding eyes, who to see, where to go etc, but there's not much information regarding hearing and hearing aids in particular.

I know there's a Siemens hearing aid shop in Panthip Plaza, but I'm not sure if they service other brands except Siemens, if anyone has spoken to them it would be useful to know. I would imagine there would be a number of hearing aid places in Bangkok.

Also, there must be a place in Chiang Mai, otherwise an ear doctor wouldn't say " according to your hearing test you might soon need hearing aids", so maybe speaking to someone like Dr Chalermpong at RAM would help people get more information where to go.

Some people do find the aids that KKK mentions are satisfactory and I think it would be a good resource if people share any information they have.

Edited June 20, 2016 by uptheos

[FolkGuitar]

I got tired of paying for the audiologist's new car each year so I bought some hearing aids from "HearSource," over the Internet. $999.00 each for the same thing that Beltone, Siemens, and Starkey sell for $3,000... PLUS... the company gave me the computer program and interface so I could adjust them myself every six months if I wanted to. (I want to. Hearing changes...) It's hardly more difficult to make the adjustments than fiddling with a stero system's graphic equilizer, only you get a few more settings to filter out or filter in sounds as you hear them. No more trying to tell the audiologist "Gee, that sounds a little tinny...NOOOO now it's too dull..... NOOO now it's too tinny again... I wear the hearing aids while I adjust them myself, so I can dial them in exactly to my liking! Takes me about 15 minutes to do both ears.

Each ear is independently adjustable, with four separate programs; directional mics or omni mics, program for listening to music, listening to the TV, not listening to my wife...You set up what ever programs you need for daily wear. Programs are push-button controlled. Each aid also has its own volume control.

If there is a problem, and I need repair, the company will fix ANY brand of hearing aid for $100. Flat rate regardless of the problem. If they have to replace all the innards, it's still $100. As most of these companies all buy their innards from the same place, the quality is up there, without paying for the brand name. I've been wearing mine now for about 8 years, and see no reason to pay more... Having an audiologist in town is nice, but paying them three times the price to buy the aids, then being forced back to them and pay more to adjust them each year isn't so nice.

[evenstevens]

Also, there must be a place in Chiang Mai, otherwise an ear doctor wouldn't say " according to your hearing test you might soon need hearing aids", so maybe speaking to someone like Dr Chalermpong at RAM would help people get more information where to go.

have been a very grateful patient,under Ram.s Doc Chalermpong,for the past 7 yrs or so,, have never met a more caring Doc then this gentleman,and thats taking into consideration, that he ia a very staunch Liverpool supporter and thats saying something

always remember my first visit to him, both ears were fluffed, i said to myself . time for those hearing aids E/S, to much Group One racing. , its caught up with you

hop onto the table he said, let me take a Captain Cook (look)

7 yrs on, no fluffing hearing aids, just a monthly visit to do the work necessary for E/S and a fair dinkum Yak about the E.P.L. , Doc Chalermpong , is a Bloody Ripa,

no one will get a better ear specialist, in c/mai ,or in my case , the whole world

gosh E/S , is hearing and perving,on Tina Turner,s Video right now as posting

fluff what a great set of Pins, and a Super Performer, to boot

its a Tina Turner, good nite, to all my readers

[northernjohn]

I got tired of paying for the audiologist's new car each year so I bought some hearing aids from "HearSource," over the Internet. $999.00 each for the same thing that Beltone, Siemens, and Starkey sell for $3,000... PLUS... the company gave me the computer program and interface so I could adjust them myself every six months if I wanted to. (I want to. Hearing changes...) It's hardly more difficult to make the adjustments than fiddling with a stero system's graphic equilizer, only you get a few more settings to filter out or filter in sounds as you hear them. No more trying to tell the audiologist "Gee, that sounds a little tinny...NOOOO now it's too dull..... NOOO now it's too tinny again... I wear the hearing aids while I adjust them myself, so I can dial them in exactly to my liking! Takes me about 15 minutes to do both ears.

Each ear is independently adjustable, with four separate programs; directional mics or omni mics, program for listening to music, listening to the TV, not listening to my wife...You set up what ever programs you need for daily wear. Programs are push-button controlled. Each aid also has its own volume control.

If there is a problem, and I need repair, the company will fix ANY brand of hearing aid for $100. Flat rate regardless of the problem. If they have to replace all the innards, it's still $100. As most of these companies all buy their innards from the same place, the quality is up there, without paying for the brand name. I've been wearing mine now for about 8 years, and see no reason to pay more... Having an audiologist in town is nice, but paying them three times the price to buy the aids, then being forced back to them and pay more to adjust them each year isn't so nice.

Well it sounds good. How long have you had that pair and is it possible for them to keep up with Technology. I know I have had 3 pair of them over the last 15 years now and this is the first pair that I wear regularly as there is no fiddling around to do after the initial adjustment which I for one reason or another missed the volume on one ear.

Even at that it is still far better than the pair I got 5 years ago. Not sure of what the other brands were. When I got this pair I mentioned that maybe wait one more year and get both of them free. I am allowed a free pair every 5 years by Workers Compensation. He said he would apply for permission to replace both this year. Party of my reasoning was that I was doing reasonably well with the pair I had that had a remote to change all kinds of sounds. I said if I wait the year they will have improved the technology, He informed me that they would not improve the technology in one year these were the latest tech for them. Brand new. It takes more than a year to go from this tech to brand new improved tech in one year. I don't know about other brands.

I am glad that you had mentioned the fact that they gave you a program to change them your selves. In the 15 years I have owned them I was never aware that Technology was that advanced. good to know. Here in Chiang Mai their is the one place in Pantip and another by Nimmanhemin that one handles Intimex. That is where the Rajavej hospital sends their patients when they need hearing aids.

As for the cheap ones I am more interested in hearing what people have to say than background noises. I believe that after a while your brain just turns back ground noises off.

[FolkGuitar]

I got tired of paying for the audiologist's new car each year so I bought some hearing aids from "HearSource," over the Internet. $999.00 each for the same thing that Beltone, Siemens, and Starkey sell for $3,000... PLUS... the company gave me the computer program and interface so I could adjust them myself every six months if I wanted to. (I want to. Hearing changes...) It's hardly more difficult to make the adjustments than fiddling with a stero system's graphic equilizer, only you get a few more settings to filter out or filter in sounds as you hear them. No more trying to tell the audiologist "Gee, that sounds a little tinny...NOOOO now it's too dull..... NOOO now it's too tinny again... I wear the hearing aids while I adjust them myself, so I can dial them in exactly to my liking! Takes me about 15 minutes to do both ears.

Each ear is independently adjustable, with four separate programs; directional mics or omni mics, program for listening to music, listening to the TV, not listening to my wife...You set up what ever programs you need for daily wear. Programs are push-button controlled. Each aid also has its own volume control.

If there is a problem, and I need repair, the company will fix ANY brand of hearing aid for $100. Flat rate regardless of the problem. If they have to replace all the innards, it's still $100. As most of these companies all buy their innards from the same place, the quality is up there, without paying for the brand name. I've been wearing mine now for about 8 years, and see no reason to pay more... Having an audiologist in town is nice, but paying them three times the price to buy the aids, then being forced back to them and pay more to adjust them each year isn't so nice.

Well it sounds good. How long have you had that pair and is it possible for them to keep up with Technology. I know I have had 3 pair of them over the last 15 years now and this is the first pair that I wear regularly as there is no fiddling around to do after the initial adjustment which I for one reason or another missed the volume on one ear.

.

I've had them 8 years.. I think. Might be 9 years... When there is an upgrade, the company sends me notice. In some settings I want to be able to hear EVERYTHING. But in a crowded restaurant I might only want to hear the person across the table from me. One program with a directional mic removes the noise from the tables the the sides and rear, reduce the highs and lows, leaving mostly the vocal range, enabling me to focus on my dinner companion's speech. Another program I set up gives me a better range of frequencies with a different mic for listening to a concert. Yet another program is set up for playing guitar, reproducing the guitar's sound just the way I like it.. When you can do your own adjusting, and do it easily, the possibilities are endless. I can change the program's parameters quickly.

[northernjohn]

I've had them 8 years.. I think. Might be 9 years... When there is an upgrade, the company sends me notice. In some settings I want to be able to hear EVERYTHING. But in a crowded restaurant I might only want to hear the person across the table from me. One program with a directional mic removes the noise from the tables the the sides and rear, reduce the highs and lows, leaving mostly the vocal range, enabling me to focus on my dinner companion's speech. Another program I set up gives me a better range of frequencies with a different mic for listening to a concert. Yet another program is set up for playing guitar, reproducing the guitar's sound just the way I like it.. When you can do your own adjusting, and do it easily, the possibilities are endless. I can change the program's parameters quickly.

sounds like the last pair I had. came with a little control you could easily carry around with you. Even had a setting on it for phones. Could change the settings any time. Still not equal to what I got this time. But as I said I get them free. The technology is much better now and that is why they told me it would take more than a year to improve them. $900 8 years ago would come close to comparing them to todays prices. I noticed on the internet the ones I have cost more than they did buying them from the clinic.

Regardless the technology today makes it worth while getting a new pair regardless of the cost as they will do things far better and as you have said they are upgradable. I did not realize this until now. It is certainly a great point to consider when your hearing gets bad.

[uptheos]

I got tired of paying for the audiologist's new car each year so I bought some hearing aids from "HearSource," over the Internet. $999.00 each for the same thing that Beltone, Siemens, and Starkey sell for $3,000... PLUS... the company gave me the computer program and interface so I could adjust them myself every six months if I wanted to. (I want to. Hearing changes...) It's hardly more difficult to make the adjustments than fiddling with a stero system's graphic equilizer, only you get a few more settings to filter out or filter in sounds as you hear them. No more trying to tell the audiologist "Gee, that sounds a little tinny...NOOOO now it's too dull..... NOOO now it's too tinny again... I wear the hearing aids while I adjust them myself, so I can dial them in exactly to my liking! Takes me about 15 minutes to do both ears.

Each ear is independently adjustable, with four separate programs; directional mics or omni mics, program for listening to music, listening to the TV, not listening to my wife...You set up what ever programs you need for daily wear. Programs are push-button controlled. Each aid also has its own volume control.

If there is a problem, and I need repair, the company will fix ANY brand of hearing aid for $100. Flat rate regardless of the problem. If they have to replace all the innards, it's still $100. As most of these companies all buy their innards from the same place, the quality is up there, without paying for the brand name. I've been wearing mine now for about 8 years, and see no reason to pay more... Having an audiologist in town is nice, but paying them three times the price to buy the aids, then being forced back to them and pay more to adjust them each year isn't so nice.

Must say that I agree with your sentiments.

When you order these over the Internet, may I ask what kind of ear piece they have?

[uptheos]

NJ - Maybe a thread about hearing aids might get more mileage in the General Topic section, where more people might read it as it pops uo.

What do you think? You could always ask a mod to move it.

[FolkGuitar]

I got tired of paying for the audiologist's new car each year so I bought some hearing aids from "HearSource," over the Internet. $999.00 each for the same thing that Beltone, Siemens, and Starkey sell for $3,000... PLUS... the company gave me the computer program and interface so I could adjust them myself every six months if I wanted to. (I want to. Hearing changes...) It's hardly more difficult to make the adjustments than fiddling with a stero system's graphic equilizer, only you get a few more settings to filter out or filter in sounds as you hear them. No more trying to tell the audiologist "Gee, that sounds a little tinny...NOOOO now it's too dull..... NOOO now it's too tinny again... I wear the hearing aids while I adjust them myself, so I can dial them in exactly to my liking! Takes me about 15 minutes to do both ears.

Each ear is independently adjustable, with four separate programs; directional mics or omni mics, program for listening to music, listening to the TV, not listening to my wife...You set up what ever programs you need for daily wear. Programs are push-button controlled. Each aid also has its own volume control.

If there is a problem, and I need repair, the company will fix ANY brand of hearing aid for $100. Flat rate regardless of the problem. If they have to replace all the innards, it's still $100. As most of these companies all buy their innards from the same place, the quality is up there, without paying for the brand name. I've been wearing mine now for about 8 years, and see no reason to pay more... Having an audiologist in town is nice, but paying them three times the price to buy the aids, then being forced back to them and pay more to adjust them each year isn't so nice.

Must say that I agree with your sentiments.

When you order these over the Internet, may I ask what kind of ear piece they have?

While you have several choices, it really is dependent upon the style of hearing aid. Some are 'in the canal,' others 'in the ear,' while still others are 'behind the ear,' depending upon needs and wants. Obviously, the 'in the canal' and 'in the ear' models require a mold be taken to fit them correctly. The 'behind the ear' models offer the greatest variety of ear pieces. I've tried three different styles; soft molded silicon, hard molded silicon, and a product called 'Snap-tips.' These are compressible foam that come in various sizes and shapes, and need to be changed every 5-7 days. I used these for about 6 months before switching to the soft-molded silicon. I find my hearing to be better with that, and the retention much better during active sports. The Snap-tips go completely inside the ear canal, so are more discrete and less noticeable. All that can be seen is the thin clear tube leading to them. Frankly, I don't particularly care who sees my hearing aids. These days EVERYONE is walking around with something in their ears... and hearing loss isn't something to be embarrassed about anyway, so I'm very comfortable using the larger silicon ear pieces.

If you go with the molded ear pieces and order over the net, you can get the molds taken at the shop in Panthip Plaza. If I recall correctly, I think they quoted me 250 baht per ear to take the impression. Then you can send the molds to a hearing aid company and they make the actual earpieces.

[northernjohn]

NJ - Maybe a thread about hearing aids might get more mileage in the General Topic section, where more people might read it as it pops uo.

What do you think? You could always ask a mod to move it.

Good idea. I was concerned about the people here in Chiang Mai but as one can see it is not a well known subject here in Chiang Mai,. I hope some people got information out of it. I know it is not some thing people like to talk about but there are many who could use them.

Moderator can you move this post over to general forum so more people in Thailand can at least learn a little bit about them.