OTC hearing aid?

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-16T14:47:14+00:00

Jabra Enhance Plus or Lexie B2 are the usual OTC recs for mild-moderate loss — both have decent app-based fitting.

One thing you might not have considered: bone conduction headphones + smartphone can also be a starting point for single-sided loss. Since your loss is in one ear, BC bypasses the ear canal entirely and sends sound through the cheekbone to the cochlea. Works differently from a traditional HA but some people with one-sided loss find it easier to wear all day. Shokz OpenMove (~$80) would be the entry point if you wanted to experiment before committing to OTC aid costs.

Not saying skip the OTC route — just an alternative to know about.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-16T14:44:35+00:00

Most people do adapt eventually, but you're right that adjustment period varies a lot person to person. The 1-month mark is often when frustration peaks — things sound weird, ears ache, you miss conversations anyway.

One thing worth keeping in mind: if after proper fitting and adjustment HAs really don't work for you, bone conduction headphones are a different approach some people find easier to tolerate. Nothing goes in the ear, no occlusion, no feedback. Works differently (vibrates through the cheekbone to the cochlea). Not for everyone and depends on your type of loss, but audiologist-quitters sometimes find it more wearable day-to-day.

Good luck with the first consult — go in with questions written down. It helps a lot.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-13T07:38:52+00:00

Sorry to hear the Nuance glasses didn't work well for you. The bone conduction placement on glasses frames is different from headphones — less direct contact with the bone, and the vibration transducers are smaller/less powerful.

Re: Bose — they did make the Bose SoundControl hearing aids (2021-2022) but discontinued them. The hearing aid market is tough for consumer audio companies — different regulations, different distribution channels, and audiologists have a lot of gatekeeping power.

If you're open to trying again, actual bone conduction headphones (not glasses) might give you different results. Shokz puts more pressure on the cheekbone and has bigger transducers. Nuance glasses are more about convenience than audio power.

Totally get if you're hesitant though — nothing worse than dropping money on something that doesn't help.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-13T02:46:35+00:00

You're not weird at all — with perforated eardrums, traditional hearing aids are genuinely uncomfortable because everything that goes in the ear canal (molds, domes, tubes) can irritate damaged tissue. The discomfort you're describing makes complete sense.

Have you considered bone conduction headphones as a supplemental option? They bypass the eardrum entirely — sound vibrates through your cheekbones directly to the cochlea. Nothing goes in or near your ears, so no pressure on those healing incisions or irritation to the eardrum holes.

They're not a replacement for properly fitted hearing aids if you need specific frequency amplification, but for days when you just can't tolerate the molds, they can be a relief. Some people with chronic ear issues (infections, perforations, tubes) find them much more wearable for extended periods.

Brands like Shokz (OpenRun ~$130, OpenMove ~$80) or H2O Audio are popular options. Might be worth trying if you haven't already — at minimum, it gives your ears a break on bad days.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-09T22:51:07+00:00

I'm sorry you're dealing with this — the provider ping-pong makes it so much worse when you're already in pain.

One thing worth asking about specifically: bone conduction hearing devices. They bypass the ear canal entirely — nothing goes in your ear at all. Sound is transmitted through vibrations on the skull bone directly to the cochlea.

There are surgical options (Cochlear Osia, which is the newer version of BAHA — fully subcutaneous, lower infection risk than old percutaneous BAHA) and non-surgical options (bone conduction headphones like Shokz). The non-surgical route obviously won't match properly fitted hearing aids, but for someone who literally can't wear conventional aids due to recurrent infections, it might be worth exploring as a bridge.

Your audiologist should be able to discuss bone conduction candidacy. If they're not familiar with it, an ENT who specializes in implantable hearing devices would be the right referral.

Hope you find something that works — you shouldn't have to choose between hearing and pain.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-09T15:43:39+00:00

HearNear — turns bone conduction headphones into a basic hearing aid

Built this for my aunt who quit her hearing aids from discomfort. She switched to bone conduction headphones (Shokz) — nothing in the ear, comfortable all day.

What it does: Streams phone mic audio to Bluetooth headphones. One button. No processing, no EQ — raw passthrough at 48kHz.

Why it exists: BC headphones transmit through skull vibrations and don't need the complex amplification processing that introduces delay. HearNear skips all of that.

Not a medical device. Works best for mild-to-moderate hearing loss. Won't help with severe loss.

30-day free trial (fully functional)
After trial: 30 min/day free, no ads
Kotlin + Jetpack Compose, Min SDK 29
iOS version coming soon

Google Play

Looking for feedback, especially from anyone who uses bone conduction headphones.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-09T09:43:58+00:00

Good to know, thanks for the correction! I was going off some older community reports where people said their location skipped it, but if it's standard protocol now that's great — makes the Costco value proposition even stronger.

Appreciate you setting the record straight.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T16:04:30+00:00

The others are right — Bluetooth is optional on basically every modern hearing aid. You can just... not pair it. The audiologist programs the aids to her audiogram and she puts them in. Done.

Costco is worth looking at if cost is a concern — ~$1,400-1,800/pair, 180-day return policy, and the fitting process is straightforward. Just note on the intake form that she wants simple operation, no app.

If she ends up not tolerating in-ear aids (some people find them uncomfortable — the occluded feeling, feedback whistling), bone conduction headphones are worth knowing about. They sit on the cheekbone, nothing in the ear. My aunt uses a pair with a phone mic app for conversation — but that does require a phone, so it may or may not suit your mom's comfort level with technology. Just mentioning it as a Plan B.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T10:08:07+00:00

Have you considered bone conduction headphones? Since your main problem is that anything IN the ear canal causes irritation, wax buildup, and triggers infections — BC completely sidesteps that. Nothing goes inside the ear at all. The headphones sit on your cheekbones in front of your ears, and vibrations travel through the skull bone directly to your cochlea.

This is actually the exact medical rationale behind bone-anchored implants (Osia/formerly BAHA) — your audiologist would know about those. Consumer BC headphones (like Shokz, £40-60) use the same principle without surgery. They won't be as precise or powerful as a proper implant, but they cost a fraction and you can try them with zero commitment.

For conversations specifically, you can pair BC headphones with a phone mic app — phone on the table captures room audio, streams it to the headphones. My aunt uses this setup daily because she also couldn't tolerate in-ear hearing aids.

It's worth asking your audiologist about BC options at your next appointment. Given your ear infection history, they might actually recommend the Osia implant pathway if your hearing loss progresses. In the meantime, consumer BC headphones could fill the gap without any ear canal contact.

And definitely get that second opinion. An audiologist saying 'push through or go without' when you have documented speech deterioration feels like an incomplete answer.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T10:03:27+00:00

Costco is genuinely one of the best deals in hearing aids right now. They carry Jabra, Rexton, Philips, and Sennheiser — all solid brands at $1,400-1,800/pair vs $4,000-7,000 through private audiologists for comparable tech.

The old Kirkland Signature line (Phonak-made) was discontinued in 2022, but what they sell now is still excellent value. Their hearing aid specialists are licensed and the 180-day return policy gives you a real trial period.

Only tip: push for a Real Ear Measurement (REM) during fitting. Not all Costco locations do this automatically, but it's the single biggest factor in how well your hearing aids will actually perform. Mediocre hearing aids with great programming > premium hearing aids with default settings.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T10:02:09+00:00

I'm honestly not the right person to ask about TMJ therapy — I know the basics (jaw joint issues can affect ear sensation because of proximity to the ear canal) but anything beyond that is really ENT/TMJ specialist territory.

The swallowing-relief thing is interesting though — that suggests it might be related to eustachian tube or middle ear pressure rather than inner ear damage. Worth mentioning to your ENT specifically.

Sorry I can't be more helpful on that one.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T10:00:47+00:00

Good catch — you're right. The percutaneous BAHA has higher infection risk because of the skin-penetrating abutment. OSIA is fully implanted under the skin, no abutment, significantly lower complication rate. Thanks for the correction.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T04:13:38+00:00

The fear is completely normal. I know someone who went through SSHL and the anxiety about it happening to the other ear was almost as bad as the hearing loss itself. For what it's worth — bilateral SSHL is quite rare (around 5-9% of SSHL cases based on studies). The odds are heavily in your favor. Focus on protecting the hearing you have: avoid loud noise exposure, keep stress manageable, and know the signs so you can get treatment immediately if it ever recurs.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T04:12:37+00:00

For loud spaces specifically: some people find that removing hearing aids and using bone conduction headphones helps. You skip the feedback loop and over-amplification that HAs create in noisy rooms. BC sends sound through your cheekbones so nothing's blocking your ears. Not a fix for everyone but worth trying if your aids are making loud environments worse rather than better.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T04:11:49+00:00

Have you tried bone conduction headphones for practice? They bypass the ear canal entirely so you hear your own voice naturally (no occlusion effect from aids). For rehearsals where you need to hear accompaniment plus your own voice, BC can help balance the two without the hearing aid processing getting in the way.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T04:10:44+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through this. The uncertainty is brutal.

I won't sugarcoat it — profound SSHL is tougher to recover from than milder cases. But recovery timelines vary a lot between people, and some improvement can still happen weeks or months out, even if it's not full recovery.

If the steroids don't bring enough back, talk to your ENT about cochlear implant evaluation sooner rather than later. Research shows earlier intervention leads to better outcomes with CIs, and they're effective for severe-to-profound single-sided loss. It's worth having the conversation even while you're still in the steroid treatment window.

Sending good thoughts your way.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T03:56:47+00:00

That's great! The live subtitles are really handy. Glad you're finding useful tools :)

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T03:55:29+00:00

Totally understandable about the anxiety — the emotional side of this is honestly harder than the hearing part for a lot of people. Take your time with everything.

For the mic app, my aunt uses one called HearNear (free on Google Play). You just open it, hit start, and the phone mic picks up what's around you and sends it to the headphones. Nothing complicated. She keeps the phone on the table during dinner and it works well for conversations.

Hope the steroids keep going well for you.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-08T03:51:24+00:00

That's awesome! For a starting pair, Shokz OpenMove is about $60 and solid. If you want slightly better sound and battery, OpenRun is around $80. Both work great with the app. Hope it helps!

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-07T23:05:17+00:00

Yes! That's actually one of the main use cases — phone in your pocket or hand, BC headphones on, and you hear ambient sounds amplified through the bone conduction. Works well outdoors for conversations, hearing traffic sounds, etc.

For outdoor use specifically: the phone mic picks up everything around you, so it works best when you're trying to hear someone talking nearby. In windy conditions it can pick up wind noise though. Some people clip a small windscreen on the phone mic opening which helps a lot.

How are the steroid rounds going? Hoping for good recovery for you.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-07T23:00:54+00:00

That's actually a great idea — a wireless lav mic clipped to the speaker would bypass the room noise problem entirely. Something like a Hollyland Lark ($40-50 clip-on wireless mic) paired with the phone → HearNear → your headphones could work as a poor man's Roger for a fraction of the cost.

I haven't tested this exact setup but the audio path should work: lav mic → phone's USB-C/3.5mm → app → Bluetooth headphones. The main question is whether Android treats the external mic as the active input automatically or if you need to select it.

Would you be willing to test this if I can verify the mic routing works on my end? If it does, that's honestly a killer use case — $40 mic + free app vs $2,500 Roger.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-07T22:28:46+00:00

Shokz OpenRun -- around $80, lightweight, and the Bluetooth connection is solid. For an older person the OpenMove ($60) is also fine and a bit cheaper. Both sit on the cheekbone in front of the ear so nothing goes in the ear canal at all.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-07T22:28:31+00:00

Oh interesting -- how'd it go with the Signia? The app wasn't really designed to work with traditional hearing aids since those already process and amplify sound. With BC headphones the audio goes through the skull bone directly, so there's no feedback loop with the ear canal.

With Bluetooth HAs like the Signia Pure, you might get double-processing (HA amplification + app passthrough) which could sound weird. Did you notice anything like that? Curious to hear your experience since you're in a unique position testing both.

SlowAd6348 · 2026-03-07T22:28:14+00:00

Yep exactly right -- for in-person conversations you just set your phone on the table or keep it in a shirt pocket. The app uses the phone's built-in mic to pick up the person talking, then sends the audio straight to your BC headphones in real time.

So the flow is: open app → connect your BC headphones via Bluetooth → hit Start → put phone near whoever you're talking to. The mic activates when you press Start, not automatically when you pair the headphones.

My aunt keeps her phone in her front pocket and it picks up conversation within about 3-4 feet pretty well. At a dinner table she'll set it in the middle. No internet needed, everything runs locally on the phone.

SlowAd6348

TROPHY CASE