Hearing Aids

[Ranmic]

I am pretty sure I'm posting this questioning the wrong forum so for that I apologize in advance. 

I have had tinnitus for years and being Service connected I was told I was eligible for VA hearing aids (my hearing sucks too) that may help.  I've been told that the hearing aids they have really do help a lot with the constant ringing.  Does anyone on here currently have any from the VA and do they really work?  It would be nice to get relief sometimes if they actually do work.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Ranmic
typo

[Ranmic]

7 minutes ago, Buck52 said:

Tinnitus can cause bad word discrimination and cause you to miss hear what is being  said...the best way I describe my tinnitus and hearing loss is

say your at a public swimming pool and there's is a lot of kids running around yelling and playing  if you ever have ever duck your head under the water about a foot or so and try to hear what is being said  you can't make out what is being said but you can hear the kids yelling and playing.

I believe this is what tinnitus causes and although you may hear someone but you can't understand what they said. and of course a long with any type hearing loss it compounds your hearing problem.

now its different in the testing booth no sounds what so ever and the amplify the sounds coming into your head phones to your comfort level  so if you still show a hearing loss   they should give you a rating for it.

yeah, I agree with that analogy.  I have a really difficult time hearing my 6 y/o due to her high pitched voice and if she whispers in my ear I pretty much hear nothing other than the noise.  I tell my wife all the time if there is background noise (restaurant, pool....etc) I'm screwed for hearing a full conversation.  My wife is awesome though and she knows that so when we are out in public and someone ask a question she knows when to answer for me.....hahah

[toddt]

I would guess that each person is different.  Hearing aides amplify sound, this amplification helps to "override" my tinnitus so, in a way, they do help.

[Buck52]

yeah my wife was the same way but I always want to answer for myself and usually always if someone ask me something in there normal level voice  I always have to say excuse me say again.....

it gets old but better get use to it  hearing loss only gets worse.

  I got to where my right ear is useless I can't hear anything out of that ear even with the aid in place,,,,  so I stopped using the hearing aid in that ear.

I went in for cochlear implants  and after what this Dr mention I decided agianst it  there is no guarantee they will work  and they literally cut your ears plum off and sew them back on... BS on that.

[Buck52]

If you have a light sound of tinnitus  maybe hearing aids will mask out the tinnitus some?

but full blown  constant tinnitus nothing will help  other than trying to find something to mask out the sounds  but actually what that is doing is tricking your brain  and you hear the mask sounds and not the tinnitus

I use a electric fan at night in my bedroom to help mask out the sounds of tinnitus  but it only helps a little  i still hear the tinnitus sounds.

but my hearing aids are on the night stand.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Buck52

[GBArmy]

Some of what we described can actually result in a MH condition for depression/anxiety. Tinnitus and/or hearing loss can make you not want to socialize and be alone. You can't hear anything at a crowded room or anywhere where there is a lot of people close by. It affects personal relationships. You don't respond to someone and they think you're an odd ball, or, worse yet, you mis-hear what is said and respond wrong. To avoid that stuff, you cut back on interactions with people. A MH disability can definately be secondary to tinnitus and hearing.

[Ranmic]

29 minutes ago, GBArmy said:

Some of what we described can actually result in a MH condition for depression/anxiety. Tinnitus and/or hearing loss can make you not want to socialize and be alone. You can't hear anything at a crowded room or anywhere where there is a lot of people close by. It affects personal relationships. You don't respond to someone and they think you're an odd ball, or, worse yet, you mis-hear what is said and respond wrong. To avoid that stuff, you cut back on interactions with people. A MH disability can definately be secondary to tinnitus and hearing.

Funny you say that because I "check out" in meetings and group conversations some times because of the noise around me and me not being able to hear what is being said.  It does suck and I really don't like it but that's the mentality I have developed over the years.  I do try to listen as best as I can and I try to interact because I don't want to be "that guy" and seem anti-social or a non-team player.

If you don't mind, what is MH?  Sorry it that's a dumb question.