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Hearing Aid Purchase USA vs Mexico


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16 hours ago, 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.

Some of us with hearing loss can't afford to buy hearing aids, so we just have to struggle as best we can.  If you think that you're irritated by this, how do you think those of us with hearing loss feel?  I'm sure that I'm even more irritated than you could possibly imagine.

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I have a number of customers who need help with their hearing. My first question is always "volume or bass"? A couple are very loathe to put the aids in, and I have to tell you, giving technical descriptions can be pretty interesting... Sometimes, I just put my hand on their shoulder and lean right into their ears. Space invading, yes, but it so accomplishes things.

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8 hours ago, suegarn said:

Some of us with hearing loss can't afford to buy hearing aids, so we just have to struggle as best we can.  If you think that you're irritated by this, how do you think those of us with hearing loss feel?  I'm sure that I'm even more irritated than you could possibly imagine.

I am sure loss of hearing is very frustrating and isolating.  I really should have said that it's hard for me to understand why those who can afford hearing aids don't get them and why those who have them don't use them, especially in social situations, like meeting with friends.  I know they are not perfect.  As I do not have a hearing loss I'm sure there is a lot I don't understand about hearing loss and hearing aids, but it is frustrating to me to be with somebody who has hearing aids but doesn't use them.  Do they not want to converse with me even though we have agreed to meet?  Is that rude and/or anti-social?  Passive-aggressive?  Vanity?  Why would someone plan to go to a concert and then wait until they're there to try to change the batteries in their hearing aids? These are the types of things I find irritating.  No need to reply as I know this is off topic.  Just needed to vent.

I do believe that everybody had a right to the best hearing possible just as they have a right to the best vision possible.  But I also understand that glasses are a lot cheaper than hearing aids.

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I have been wearing hearing aids for about 15 years. I have had very expensive hearing aids that my insurance paid for years ago. I have since had to replace them. I now have digital hearing aids that are inexpensive and work just as well for me as the expensive ones. I paid about $650 U.S. for two and have been wearing them for three years.

Here is the website where I purchased my last pair. This my not be for everyone, I am just saying that they work for me and I wear them from morning to night. https://www.mdhearingaid.com/

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3 hours ago, Confused said:

I have been wearing hearing aids for about 15 years. I have had very expensive hearing aids that my insurance paid for years ago. I have since had to replace them. I now have digital hearing aids that are inexpensive and work just as well for me as the expensive ones. I paid about $650 U.S. for two and have been wearing them for three years.

Here is the website where I purchased my last pair. This my not be for everyone, I am just saying that they work for me and I wear them from morning to night. https://www.mdhearingaid.com/

These look like they might be the solution for me.  Do you know if they ship to Mexico?  I couldn't find the answer to that on the website.

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When I looked at the site with the inexpensive aids, I naturally asked WHY there was such a huge difference between the prices of these and other brands.  I wish that a knowledgeable audiologist could explain this to us. 

I also am wondering how a hearing aid could work when the buyer would be ordering it without a hearing test?

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Hearing aids these days are much more than just amplifiers.  They are tuned to the precise frequencies of your impairment; different for each ear, and may also include programs for Bluetooth TV reception, forward or omni-directional reception, etc., etc.  Those settings can be changed by the audiologist, with his computer, and with changes in your hearing over time.

On changing batteries at inconvenient times:  You only know when it is time to change batteries when the hearing aid gives you a certain tone signal.  It continues to signal every couple of minutes until you replace the battery.  The person is not being rude.

Even these modern aids are not perfect.  I find them good for certain TV watching; female voices, whispering, background noise, etc.; but, I do not like them for normal conversation with another person who speaks in normal volume.  In a restaurant or cine, they would drive me nuts.

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6 hours ago, RVGRINGO said:

Hearing aids these days are much more than just amplifiers.  They are tuned to the precise frequencies of your impairment; different for each ear, and may also include programs for Bluetooth TV reception, forward or omni-directional reception, etc., etc.  Those settings can be changed by the audiologist, with his computer, and with changes in your hearing over time.

On changing batteries at inconvenient times:  You only know when it is time to change batteries when the hearing aid gives you a certain tone signal.  It continues to signal every couple of minutes until you replace the battery.  The person is not being rude.

Even these modern aids are not perfect.  I find them good for certain TV watching; female voices, whispering, background noise, etc.; but, I do not like them for normal conversation with another person who speaks in normal volume.  In a restaurant or cine, they would drive me nuts.

In my particular concert scenario the hearing aid user did not wear the device until arriving at the concert when they took it out of the case and started to try changing the batteries.  So no being alerted by the hearing aid that the batteries needed changing before or even at the concert in this case.  

 

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OK,have to chime in here.I have no hearing in my right ear since a teenager.Living on the south side of the lake starting noticing my hearing was starting to get bad in my left ear.Thought it might just be wax buildup.Tried a warm saline solution,didn't work so tried hydrogen peroxzide same result.After a few different doctor visits no relief.Finally was able to see a visiting ENT that came to Tizapan.After scoping inside the ear said I have some creature in there.After a friend and another doctor holding me down he was able to needle and forsep a ear wig off my eardrum.Was almost in tears from the pain from all the scrapping on my ear drum.After all that I pretty much had no hearing left.I was able to get a hearing amplifier sent here and did help.After it went bad no luck on getting any kind of hearing devise sent to Mexico.They all require a medical license or health certificate.We have since moved to the coast and I was able to find a ENT and Audiologist.Hearing test showed how severe my hearing loss was.They recommended a hearing aid from Sharkey.This was in Puerto Vallarta,company called OYEME.Bought a good behind the ear one for 16,000 pesos.Has been a lifesaver for me for 2 years now.Of course being here on the coast had to buy a dehumidifier case for it when not in use because of the high humidity.You could do a search and see if they have Sharkey distributor in Guadalajara

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I'm not recommending this but I have a friend who says the cheapest way is to buy one on eBay. Used. Then find an audiologist who will work with you and tune it for your particular hearing loss. Could be your recently deceased uncle and you inherited it. Wink wink.

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  • 1 year later...
On 4/11/2017 at 11:12 AM, Kiko said:

The Costco gang in Texas told me that if I bought hearing aids from Costco in Mexico, then only Costco in Mexico will adjust and service the hearing aids.  Same product on both sides of the border but no after the sale help from Costco NOB.  In my search about hearing aids I did come up on a study that purports that people who are hard of hearing and do not use hearing aids will have more rapid cognitive decline than others because their brain is working overtime trying to process for their lack of hearing/comprehension.

There is a cognitive decline. Not because of “overworking” the brain, but because of Auditory deprivation. Your brain is like a muscle and needs constant stimulus to exercise. With an untreated hearing loss, you are depriving your brain of that stimulus and it starts to break down. You will loose your ability to comprehend speech sounds in the frequency range of your hearing loss. Generally speaking, vowel sounds are in the low frequencies, consonants are in the highs. The longer the loss remains untreated, the worse comprehension becomes. It has been linked to Alzheimer’s and dementia.

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Whether that's the case or not, here's the deal about getting the aids at Costco: Both my husband and I have worn them for years, so this is coming from experience. At first, they usually need "tweaking" as well as down the line as your hearing changes.  That's a trip to Costco.  If there something in need of serious repair...they send it to the manufacturer and you're hearing impaired until it's back.

So........here;s what we did, instead.  We went to Polo Gonzalez who comes to LCS once or twice a week.  He is a certified audiologist but was first trained as a hearing aid repair person and we've found he can fix anything without sending it away, so far.  He has all the testing equipment and carries many brands.  Reasonable prices and he seldom charges for tweaking and/repairs.  I'd recommend going to Polo.  Also, very nice bilingual man.

For hearing aid batteries, order from Costco.  Good prices.

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19 minutes ago, AngusMactavish said:

Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Please post a link to back up your statement.

Not very difficult to Google "hearing loss and dementia" and find a great amount of information on the subject. 

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4 minutes ago, rckrckr said:

Not very difficult to Google "hearing loss and dementia" and find a great amount of information on the subject. 

And it is "Not very difficult" to include the links to the "great amount of information"  in your posting. 

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5 minutes ago, Hearing Guy said:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/news/media/releases/hearing_loss_linked_to_accelerated_brain_tissue_loss_

 

Just a quick google search brought this up, but there have been studies dating back to the 70s

Thanks for the link. I am thankful that I wear aides because I can take them out. What carnival?

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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.

Did you ever stop to think that some of us who need hearing aids can't afford to get them?  I'd love to be able to hear conversations clearly!

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