A journey to hearing by a musician
Phil Collins admits he is deaf and has tinnitus
Three months ago I started looking for a pair of hearing aids. Finding an audiologist and picking HAs has not been easy.
“Your audiologist is like a combination of your family doctor and a salesman at Best Buy,” wrote Karen McGrane on her blog.
“They’re going to evaluate your hearing, but they’re also trying to sell you a piece of technology,” she said in an article on how to buy hearing aids.
Since that’s the first step in getting new hearing aids, I’ll start my story with the audiologist search. In hindsight, what I should have done more homework with Google.
Like many people my age and younger, music is so central to my existence. A lack of music scares me. Sound familiar?
I’m a musician, lifetime music listener, music critic and songwriter.
I don’t carry an iPod or iPhone with music because my head is already full of melodies and lyrics that come to mind all day long.
Many musicians are deaf or losing their hearing. Amplified music can damage hearing. While there are aids to reduce the damage, many musicians are too macho to wear plugs.
I can still hear all the music I want but I can’t easily hear people talk. To make up for it, I Iip read but that doesn’t work all the time. Besides, your supposed to stare into a woman’s eyes not her lips.
Seven years ago I bought a hearing aid after a bad experience with an audiologist. I rarely used it because it didn’t help. Consumers Reports said that 75% of hearing aid purchases resulted in complaints and 40% never work and sit in a drawer.
This time I hoped to get off to a better start.
The Audiologist
Audiologists have education and training to help people with hearing problems.
Audiologists “treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists…They determine whether someone can hear within the normal range, and if not, which portions of hearing (high, middle, or low frequencies) are affected and to what degree.” Wikipedia
Typical high frequency slope loss Pure Tone Audiogram - note frequency is only 250Hz to 8KHz, the first sign a musician is in trouble at an audiologist since music covers from 40 Hz to 12 KHz
If medical treatment is needed, audiologists send you to a doctor.
If not, the audiologist will try to prescribe an appropriate hearing aid.
Here is where the difference lies with a doctor. If a doctor prescribes a brace or medication he doesn’t sell it to you.
Audiologists are going to make money from their prescription.
Finding the right audiologist for you takes research, time and patience. I’ll pass on my experiences with audiologists. The experiences seem to be common from reading posts on the web.
The patronizing brusque audiologist
These audiologists adopt a superior attitude and start suggesting hearing aids right away. Generally they are sold by good, better, best models based on how much money you can afford.
My first encounter with an audiologist was this type of person who dissed everything I said.
When I explained I had tinnitus – a steady ringing in the ears – she dismissed it as hopeless. “I’ve had that for 40 years. Nothing you can do about it,” she replied officiously .
That’s not true. There are several techniques for masking the sound including therapy and aids that produce a noise cancelling sound.
Next came a hearing test which consisted of listening to pure tones at several frequencies to produce an audiogram of your hearing loss. It is supposed to be done carefully in a sound proof booth. She had the booth but didn’t bother to close the door and rushed through the test, hardly building my confidence.
When I said the PEI DSP would fund the aids, she gave me her “40 years” speech again. “I’ve worked with them for 40 years. They won’t help.”
I tried to explain the funding was approved, but she jumped up and left the room talking to me as she went. Since I am partially deaf and lip read, how did she expect me to hear her words of wisdom?
I left her office rather dejected.
Next – Salesmanship versus professional assistance
Resources
Hearing Review – articles about hearing loss for musicians
Digital Recordings – computer based hearing test that you can do on your own
Musicians’ Clinics of Canada – special clinic for musicians
Island parent
Your story scares me. I have a daughter with a hearing loss and have been dealing with the delightful and trustworthy Provincial Audiologist, Pat Ellis, for the last seventeen years. My daughter will “age out” soon and have to deal with the commercial system. It’s not a switch I look forward to with pleasure.
Tisha
First off I LOVE Mr. Collins…every since I can listen to music. I was born deaf, been wearing hearing aids since I was 2yrs. Its a shame Mr.Collins didnt do some research first…the internet would have been a great place to start and then look for different audiologist. Its like when you go apply for car insurance….they tend to start you off with giving you good or higher rates. Then slowly increase the monthly premiums.
When looking for hearing aids its sort of the same thing. You need to have an idea of what YOU want! What are some of the features you want on your hearing aids and how often would you be using it (would you need for both ears or one, color, etc.) You have a right to inquiry about the funding available to you and there suppose to provide the paperwork and inquiry it for you if worst comes to worst. If you feel dissatisfied look elsewhere. I believe you have I 3mths test and trail period (inquiry because it varies with different offices). My ears are very sensitive so If they decide to muck it up more then by all means I think I deserve better service.
Hope Mr.Collins was able to work it out! Great article