General Chat

We went for OH six month hearing aid check yesterday and were surprised when the audiologist said you have one of the grommets from the hearing aid down the ear canal . Its very deep so you need to go to A&E to get it removed

He also said you should change them every 4-weeks as they soften and will come off

Now with OH problems and not being allowed in the bathroom when he does his ablutions I have no idea if and when he changes them .,I do ask have you done your eye drops etc but leave the hearing aids to him.

Well we have spent the morning at the hospital, first in A&E then seeing an ENT consultant at 12pm to get the thing taken out of his ear

Parking cost too £4 for the privilege !!!!

Have told OH on the 1st of every month now YOU change the grommets , He said OK but think is another on my check list for him

Not sure what you mean by the grommets Shirley. I have two hearing aids and have the tubes changed about every six months, unless as has happened a couple of times they come off before when I change them myself as they gave me spare. But the tubes don't go into my ear. I have a mould in my ear, the tube is attached to the front of the mould and goes to the ear piece the other end.
Are your OH's different?

OH hearing aids go into his ear with grommet at the end of them The plastic tube comes from the end piece and to the hearing piece behind the ear

They are grey boxes ,from choice to match his hair colour .

He had NHS hearing aids but the plastic they used caused BIG allergic problems for him so his aids were bought privately from Leightons Opticians . COST an enormous £1500 each ear!!

Sorry to hear that you've had yet one more thing to worry about Shirley.
I would imagine that your husband's hearing was very much impaired, if he had that problem and didn't realise.

It's certainly something to check.

I'm surprised that they should need changing so often though.
Only once have I known one to come apart from the tube and that was after many,many months of use.

I heard a nurse in an ENT clinic advising that a patient changed their battery weekly.
They should last alot longer, - and do.
Even if I fall asleep and hearing aid is on all night, it still lasts about 9 days continuous use.

Gwyn

Shirley, I had not realised they were not NHS as mine are.

Gwyn, my batteries last about 10 days. I could never fall asleep with mine on, they would whistles as I put them against the pillow. :-D

Ann
I've been known to do a few 'all-nighters' upright ( ish) on the settee if I'm particularly tired

...no pillow to worry about, but I know what you mean.

...Just remembered what our ENT clinic calls the part that fits in the ear

.....the dome.

Trouble with OH is you never know !!

He has no idea when the dome came off , we argued at the hospital that it was OK the last time he only had a build up of wax that we got syringed out after me putting oil in his ears for a week .

He said it was OK then!! Yes but this time you have the dome/grommet in your ear!!

He does know when the batteries need changing and does do that OK . he takes the aids out every night BUT we do have battles some days with him being awkward and nasty saying he isnt putting em in . All part of his ongoing problems

At least now its out .but another one of the things I need to watch with him

I am new to hearing aids and hadn't realised the domes could detach from the tubes so thanks for the warning Shirley.

Mine are NHS but supplied and fitted by Action for Deafness who provide a wonderful local service so no hospital clinic visits involved.

I started out with private aids but the service was atrocious so I got a refund and then a telling off from my doctor for not having seen him about having NHS ones first off
:-D

Chris

I have NHS hearing aid. I have to have surgery in three weeks on my deaf ear as something has grown very deep down close to my brain .pleased about them finding my brain but so scared of having surgery. I am a wimp and worry so much about anaesthetic. Also panicking because the surgery can cause vertigo. If I dont have it done it can grow into the bone at the back of my ear and/or cause a brain tumour. I know you will all think I am soft but had enough surgeries. :-(

oh, I do so wish we could go to the doctor and get advice on where to go to get hearing aids

but they no longer do that ....................

They will and do examine your ears of course, and provide treatment as necessary plus referrals to specialists, but recommendations on hearing aids is not allowed

it has always been private here, but I'd love to be able to get a reference to a company rather than having to go "eeny meeny miny mo" in the phone book!!