Although I’m aware that most people here do not have hearing loss, due to Meniere’s I lost the hearing in my ‘bad’ ear over 40 years ago. I managed fine with just the left given my lifestyle - until 19th March his year when I woke up almost as deaf in the ‘good’ ear.
Long story short - my lovely newly acquired audiologist, in collaboration with an ENT has gone above and beyond with researching my ‘case’, and it has been determined that this loss is also due to Manere’s, so there is no hope of recovery. I have been given (at considerable cost!) hearing aids in both ears. Unfortunately, I launched into another round of Meniere’s symptoms the day before they were fitted - which complicated matters further. Bottom line…I’m battling to terribly to become accustomed to the one in the bad (left) ear, which only seems to amplify extraneous sounds but not voices. Just wondering if anyone has had any similar experience - as I am very tempted to ‘return’ the one aid - which I believe is possible within a 2 week period. It is a huge cost to be of no practical use! I do understand about the benefits of using both ears etc, etc…but given that I am almost 70, can’t help wondering if a refund would not serve me better!!! Thank you to anyone with input -although I know this is not strictly within the VM area.
The only thing I know about hearing aids comes from a friend who had terrible hearing for years before finally getting the hearing aids. He said that after going so long without being able to hear things correctly, it takes the brain quite a while to “learn” to hear again.
So you may want to discuss that with whoever fitted your aids and see what they say about how long it takes to become accustomed to them (and whether there is a process, or some sort of therapy or lessons, to go through to help re-train the brain).
Thanks for responding, Manatee. Yes, there are exercises and I do understand it is a learning curve…glad to hear there light at the end of the tunnel!!! Having to contend with ‘episodes’ as well is not helping! Also, being Meniere’s, the hearing loss does fluctuate! Damn body - great timing as always!! 
sorry you are going through this Beth. My goodness, so unfair.
We can send a man or woman to the moon, and planning to send some folks to Mars, but we are still unable to come up with a decent solution to this cruel condition.
I hope you get a break from it and your hearing improves again.
Thanks for your concern, James.
Yes, I truly don’t understand how, with all the technological advances since the 70’s - VERY little new has been discovered about the workings…or not! of the ear!
Beth, I’m sorry to be so late to this issue. Did you ever resolve your hearing? I’m thinking a cochlear implant would have been your only solution and was wondering if you looked into that.
Hi TexOkie, to update from my post from 2018… After that post, I did, indeed return the hearing aid in the bad ear, as it was more than I could handle. Although the audiologist was keen to try for cochlear implant, with no medical aid and given my age I did some research and was not interested, and the ENT agreed with me. In actual fact - the hearing in the ‘good’ ear returned of it’s own accord just as suddenly as it left - 6 months later! However, according to the ENT, I am going bi-lateral, and combined with the age factor, I still need the aid in that ear when out and about! Honestly, I seldom wear it at home except for TV. I do stained glass and now have to wear ear muffs when grinding to try and preserve what is left. Then last year I was …talked into? getting a cross fit in the bad ear. Yes, it does amplify sound as I am totally deaf in that ear, but still does not give me directional hearing as they said - after all it transfers all sound to the one ear…??? I also find that in ‘supermarket’ environment, I very quickly get overwhelmed, and have taken to only wearing the one when I am planning any length of time out. As mentioned before, I also have Meniers’, so, although I can hear the voices, I still have trouble hearing the words - especially in our world of masks - and I doubt that will be changing in our neck of the woods any time soon…(like in my remaining lifetime!!).
Bottom line, of course, we are all different (the Menieres mantra!!) and what works for one may well not work for the next person!
They thought that I had Meniere’s right up until two years ago when they finally eliminated it with a VNT test. I too am unable to understand speech on the left side bit is just a jumble of muffled sound. Hearing aids just make it an unbearably loud jumble of muffled sound. I was slated for a CI right up until last week when the surgeon vetoed it. He said 26 years was too long for the brain to go without hearing speech and it would take too long to retrain the brain. I think what he wanted to say was he didn’t think I would live long enough to retrain my brain. I’m now back to looking at CROS aids and have in fact ordered a Phonak Audeo Paradise CROS aid. I’m supposed to pick them up the second week in September. I’m looking forward to not having people repeat themselves and not getting those odd looks when I respond inappropriately because I guessed wrong. I did pretty well up until the masks, but losing lip reading just devastated me.
When you are grinding, what do you use for hearing protection?
Yep, I never realized how much I have relied on ‘lip reading’ these past 40 years till masks!! Good luck with your hearing aids. I also have Phonak…don’t remember the model offhand. When I grind I simply wear ‘earmuffs’ from the hardware store. Also hate wearing them, as they hurt around the bad ear that is sometimes tender…but I am trying to hang onto what I have. I have tried earplugs, but it seems I have very narrow canals and I simply can’t get them to stay put! In the 80’s when my kids were younger, they loved to know what I heard when i asked “what the hell did thay just say in that ‘music’”…usually NOT what the artist was actually saying!!!
You might consider some shooters ear protectors. I’ve got a pair of peltors that are electronic. When I have them on, a microphone ports the sound to the inside speakers, but once it detects sound above a dangerous threshold, the electronics shut off and it becomes a noise cancellation headset. It was about $70 on Amazon.
Oh-My-Word, that sounds way too high tech for my needs! Also, I’m in South Africa, and $70 represents a big chunk of change in my currency!!, but thank you for the information…might pass on to my hubby who also has substantial hearing loss - work related. He was told a looong time ago that he would eventually lose hearing in the ranges of the equipment he uses…but who listens when you are young! Now I fear it’s too little too late!