My son’s rechargeable batteries last about a day; usually crap out around 8 PM. Disposables last several days. But his system is really a power-hog - bionic ear implant.
We use the rechargeables day-to-day and set him up with disposables for back-up and overnight trips, etc.
I use Resound Brand and love them. They are bluetoothed with my cell phone.
If you are a veteran, go to VA for assitanance. Will save you a lot of $$. I have aids for both ears. Cost approx $5000. Save sales receipt you may qualify for a relief on you annual income tax.
Good luck.
The top companies for hearing aids right now are ReSound, Phonak, & Oticon, with Signia and Widex close behind (they are owned by the same parent company now). Starkey used to be good, but my personal opinion is that they are faltering. Most of the other brands of hearing aids on the market today are actually owned by the above companies, or owned by the same parent company (similar to GMC/Chevrolet/Buick/etc.).
You will want rechargeable if you are home every night. If you are camping or traveling or don't have access to a charging port every night, you will want the disposable battery. A rechargeable should give you up to 20 hours of use, and a disposable about a week, give or take. It does vary depending on Bluetooth streaming that you do.
Direct Bluetooth connectivity is pretty universal now as well, but some hearing aids work better than others. If you have an iphone, you use the apple protocol to connect through your menu. Most of the hearing aid companies that have BT connectivity will connect with the iphone, but you still have to talk into the phone so the other person can hear you. If you use an Android phone, with the exception of Phonak, you will have to use a remote control to connect into the hearing aid. The remote control will then pick up your voice when you speak. If you get the Phonak Marvel line, it uses straight BT to connect to both iphone and android phone, and the hearing aid is the microphone and works just like any other BT headset.
For pricing, expect to pay anywhere from $2000-6000 for a set of hearing aids. You can get them much cheaper in places, but what you are paying for is the device plus all the professional services such as proper fitting and verification, adjustments, cleaning, followups, troubleshooting, etc. As mentioned, if you are a veteran, check with the VA first. For a long time, you had to be service-connected for hearing loss to receive hearing aids, but that isn't necessarily the case now. It's worth a phone call to potentially save the $$$. As a side note, the VA only contracts to get the top-line or most advanced technology, so you do get the best hearing aid if you go through them.
Because I have hearing loss, the hearing aid companies are more than happy to send me their product to use, as they know that I will recommend them if I like them. The truth is, when I wear the ReSound, or Oticon, or Phonak, while they all have a slightly different sound to them, I can hear equally well with each of them. But, since I use an Android phone, I keep going back to the Phonak. I really really like the bluetooth in the Phonak.
If you have any questions, or if I missed something, or if you are in Rapid City, SD, let me know.
Kurt
I order my batteries on eBay. My batteries last 2.5- 3.5 days.
I also have a dehumidifier that helps keep moisture ( rain, fog moisture, sweat) out of batteries. A great assessory.
But, usually once you have tinnitus it is going to be a constant companion, especially if it is due to noise exposure. Speaking generically, without providing a specific treatment plan of course, there are things that can make the tinnitus more noticeable or louder- high blood pressure, stress, fatigue, noise exposure, medications, nicotine, caffeine, or people talking about you.
The American Tinnitus Association is a great resource for education on tinnitus. ata.org is their website. They are consumer driven, not commercially driven, and have lots of good information about current treatments and what can be done for it. But, what works for one person may not work for the next person. Often times a person has to try several different things to find out what, if anything, will work for them. Because tinnitus is not a life-threatening condition for the vast majority of people, it doesn't receive much research funding, so knowledge about the specific physiological causes and therefore treatment is limited.
Above all, use those earplugs to prevent hearing loss and tinnitus in the first place.
The dehumidifer came with my ReSound hearing aids. I take the batteries out at night and put aids in the machine and hit “on.” The next morning the machine is off and the aids are moisture free. I don’t know how it works- I only know that it does work.
Two additional things you may want to consider? Phonak has a model that passes some of the “water proof” testing. I required this as I spend a lot of time on the water, out doors, or in wet environments. They claim they are safe for short submersions. I happen to have lost mine in the pool this summer and they sat on the bottom (13’)for just under an hour. I was sure it was going to be a $4000 mistake. Recovered them placed them in a container of rice for 24 hours and they are working fine. Had them checked out by the tech and they test 100%.
A Second feature you may find of value is the ability to select from two programs available in the software. The doc can adjust the units for different environments or activities. After the first yr hunting with them I wanted to enhance the sound/frequency of a deer walking through leaves etc... They created a “Hunting” profile that was more sensitive in those areas and it helped tremendously. I just click over to the program once in the tree.
Good luck
Barbara001's Link
My new ones are Starkey and I've had them lass than a year. They're waterproof (one was eating batteries after running in humid weather and was replaced for free), use replaceable batteries, have different programs and are bluetooth with my iPhone. They cost $5,500, 0% interest for a year. They say that hearing aids are a 5-year investment. At that point technology improves so much you will benefit from new ones. I agree. The bluetooth is a great feature that I love. I can listen to podcasts/music while running or biking. Batteries are supposed to last 5 days, but mine never do. But, I get free batteries so I don't care and always carry a small case in my pocket with 2 spares. There is a Thrive app on my phone that I can use to check battery strength and make adjustments. On a recent elk hunt I ran the volume at 100%. I could hear some bugles, but only about 30% of what my son could hear. 30% is better than nothing!
They help block loud noises, but do not provide shut down & protection like Walkers Ears digital muffs do. Sometimes when I shoot F Class 300 yard rifles I remove the hearing aid, insert a foam plug then put on muffs with the volume turned off. Need to protect what little I have left! And due to the proximity to the bow release, my Hoyt Carbon Defiant sounds loud! :)
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