Problem with My New Sound Generators?

I got my new sound generators today. VERY excited about them. However, after maybe 3 hours of use, I started to hear crackling. Doc said the sound quality will be reduced when the battery is starting to become drained. But, I just got them today! so, figured it might be faulty. I was FB'ing, figured I would address it later. Then I heard beeping, so I got out my booklet. Said battery life indicator. okaaaay, so maybe a bad battery. I got a new battery out. within a short time, I started hearing crackling again. and within a very short time, I start hearing the beeps.

TWO drained batteries?? I'm finding this doubtful.

Faulty device? easily fixed by audiologist??

 

today, so far, they are working fine. ???

hopefully it was a one-time thing.

 

Did they give you your LDL levels?

How loud did they say to play it? And if you don't mind answering, how much did they cost?

 

LDL levels... is that the loudness test? I don't know the acronym.

The loudness test I tested fairly high. She said to go to the absolute highest where I couldn't take it anymore. That's what I did. It certainly was far from pleasant, but I felt one more higher and I woulda cried. (big baby! lol)

She showed me what she plotted, but I don't know any numbers. She showed me where "normal" readings would be.

She said to have it turned to a comfortable level, where i can hear it but is still pleasant. She said the goal isn't to get the volume all the way, but to focus on hearing the pleasant "shhh" and not react to the external noises in a negative way.

they were an ungodly amount, but I'm getting a bonus from work, so it covered it... $3k for the devices, and a year of support (office visits, calls...) I'd rather have that money in the bank, but if it means relief... no brainer! i've purchased hearing aides for my son, and they weren't covered by insurance (they are now!), but he needed them. Same thing, IMO. I feel bad for those that can benefit but don't have the funds to purchase. hearing aides or sound generators! Not like they are a fashion statement! they are necessary.

 

The audiologist said to try to work up to 8 hours of wearing the SGs. Is 8 hours also a limit? I'm awake about 16 hours out of the day. Even if I take off the shower time and preparing my hair time, it's still like 15 waking hours. Should I be half using SGs and half exposing myself to everyday noises w/o SGs?

I didn't ask audiologist, and it being the weekend, and Christmas week coming up, I don't know if I will get any of my questions answered by her in a timely manner. I just got these Friday, so I'm new to them!

 

I wear my white noise generators all the time I'm able to, that can quickly accumulate to most of the day. The only time I'm not wearing them is when I go to bed, working out or shower. My noise level is set to moderate, so when Im walking in the streets I can barely hear the white noise, it becomes much more prominent when I get home. I always have my white noise level set to under my T levels, but that's not too difficult as my T levels are very high. I'm not sure how long I'm going to wear these things but I've already been to my first threshold test after the initial one and the audiogram shows a slight improvement. It wasn't much so don't know if its just random or not, the H still feels the same. I'm supposed to get new threshold tests done every month or so, my next is in January.

 

Thx for the input.

Audiologist said to set in the morning and leave at that setting. I'm trying, but have been fiddling with them a bit with the volume. I'll try harder not to do that.

How long have you been using them?

 

I got them late November. Some wear them for 5 months, others for 9 months or more. I guess the duration is based on the improvements.

 

I just know I will respond well. Hopeful thinking? perhaps...

 

Yeah, LDL is loudness discomfort levels.

Fairly high is good. That's probably like in the 80s? Were you more than 10 decibels away from normal?

Hey, maybe you could use the generators for some TRT, if your tinnitus is bothering you.

 

The T in my left ear is extremely mild and I would not have sought out any therapy for that. The H is my right ear but I don't know what's part of H and what is considered new T accompanying the H. I've been lumping all the new stuff (all right ear) as H.

Whatever the severity of the H is/was, it has greatly improved... I had spent a month feeling pretty miserable, and now I can enjoy some things again. Sometimes I have to tread lightly, but I'm able to do leave my bedroom, watch a little TV and I just spent the afternoon with a small handful of friends. A month ago, I would not have attempted!

 

Nice. Glad to see you are making progress. You should also be careful of misophonia or phonophobia (I can't remember which one), but essentially it's the fear of certain sounds.

I went to a family get together the other day and it had little kids and it wasn't kind for my ears.

Did the audiologist who gave you the sound generators tell you anything to do or don't do, besides wearing the generators?

 

She really didn't say much except to work my way up to 8 hours. I actually find it easier on the ears to have them in, so that wasn't a problem. My followup is 3 weeks after getting them, so maybe she was figuring I'd still be working my way up??

she also said to set it at a comfortable setting and leave it at that setting. I did fiddle with the settings, but have been much better. She said to give the ears a rest from them if I need to.

What about you?

 

It's weird some days it's good, other days it irritates me. I guess that makes sense since it's also tied into emotional states.

I noticed in the chat you were complaining about pressure.

I found this in one of the books I have...

Last, but not least, misophonia tends to trigger the tensor tympani syndrome (fullness in the ears, pain, feeling of pulsation, vestibular problems, headaches, etc.) [60], which may become a significant, or even a dominant problem.

What's the point? Well, I think your pressure is due to your hyperacusis. The book also states once the hyperacusis or misophonia is alleviated the fullness, pressure, etc. goes away.