Hi, I'm from Holland and new to Tinnitus Talk, but not to tinnitus. It started 9 years ago, suddenly, after earplugs pushed earwax against my eardrums, causing discomfort and pain. After softening the earwax with oil and gently removing it, the pain subsided. However, a few weeks later, I developed tinnitus.
It was very severe, and at the hospital, they discovered a slight hearing loss in my left ear around 8 kHz. They also tried a hearing aid to see if it would help, and as if by magic, the nasty hiss disappeared, like someone flipped a switch. At that time, being only 48 with a very active lifestyle, I wanted to see if I could manage it without becoming dependent on a device.
I discovered a treatment in Germany called Tinnitracks, which I believe is now known as notching therapy. I did this myself using free iOS apps to determine the frequencies and filter the music. This, combined with a better understanding of tinnitus, allowed me to manage it to an acceptable level for many years. However, loud environments and listening to music remained difficult, as they often triggered my tinnitus in a very bad way.
This year, I suffered a burnout due to a combination of personal, physical, and work-related issues, from which I am still recovering. This barely affected my tinnitus until a long car ride back from our summer vacation (with the AC on and car windows closed). That seems to have triggered a severe spike, and since then, nothing I've tried, including notching therapy, has helped. Since the hearing aid worked so well to completely eliminate my tinnitus 9 years ago, I'm hoping it will still work for me now. The hearing aid I tested was a Siemens Life 301 with a thin tube going into my ear, no plug or bud attached, and it was set to compensate for my hearing loss. I also hope it will prevent noise and music from triggering my tinnitus, which would greatly improve my quality of life.
I have some questions regarding hearing aids. First, I have very narrow ear canals and am concerned that a receiver-in-canal (RIC) device may not fit. The behind-the-ear solution I tested with a thin tube seems to be less popular these days. Additionally, I'd like to be able to adjust the device myself. I'm an engineer with a strong knowledge of sound and acoustics (and a bit of a perfectionist and control freak).
To complicate matters, in Holland, there's a system where 75% of the cost is covered, as long as the device falls within the 1-5 classification based on hearing loss severity and device cost. Hearing aids above class 5 are considered "free market" devices and are never covered, even if you're willing to pay the difference.
Can anyone offer advice on suitable hearing aids? The shops that sell hearing aids typically only carry two brands. The one I've contacted sells Oticon (models Zircon, Exceed, and Ruby) and Bernafon (models Viron, Alpha (XT) 5, and Leox 7). Other models from these manufacturers are also available but are only in the "free market" category, so they are not an option.
Options from other vendors include:
- Phonak (Audio Paradise P50, Sky Marvel M50)
- Widex (Enjoy 330)
- Starkey (Evolve AI 1600)
- Resound (Omnia 560/561/571/577/588)
- Unitron (Moxi B5, Stride M7)
- Audio Service (Mood 8, P 8)
- Interton (Move 661/662/665/670/680/690)
- Coselgi (Mojo M5, Effect E6)
Any help would be greatly appreciated.