The effective range of hearing aids

[orgullodemexico]

This question is more for dispensers, if there are any on this forum.

I preface this question by acknowledging that all patients & hearing loss are different and clients may respond differently to identical equipment and situations. I've been wearing hearing aids for 5 years.

How do you advise clients as to the distance at which they can hear speech in both calm and noisy situations?

My left ear threshold is 65db at 250 Hz, right ear is 45 db at 250 Hz and both worsen at 8 Khz. My QuickSIN is 12. Per Dr. Cliff Olson's explanation of the QuickSIN score, speech will have to be 12 db above background noise in order to hear conversation, in my situation.

For clarification, I developed a routine of documenting venue visits by recording background noise using the mobile app DecibelX and documenting hearing aid AutoSense mode using the Phonak app.

In my home where it's 48db background noise, I can hear a hand held police scanner that's 25 feet away. In public I struggled with Phonak Marvel 70s and now Lumity 90s with Phonak molds.

Recently in the waiting area of an optometrist office, where it was 63db and HAs operating in AutoSense 5.0 "Calm Situation" I struggled to hear the receptionist behind the counter who was 5 feet away. You can imagine what it's like for me in noisier situations. I do use a Roger On when needed. I can somewhat understand not being able to talk to someone at the next machine that's 4 feet away when the fitness center background is 80 db (despite the audiologist adjusting the Phonak fitting softwares Noise block and Dynamic Noise Cancellation settings); but being in a quiet retail store where the background is 67db (HAs in calm situation) and not being able to hear the checkout clerk is REALLY frustrating.

This leads to my initial question, as a rule of thumb, what distant do you expect clients to hear speech in both calm and noisy situations?

Am I expecting too much out of my HAs or am I that sensitive to noise that not even the new Phonak Audeo Sphere Infinio help? I acknowledge that I may be a candidate for a cochlear implant. I've had that discussion, and for now it's a firm no. I had Real Ear Measurement performed when I was wearing Marvel 70s. I was not happy with the outcome. REM was never performed on the Lumity 90s as an audiologist who does use it said REM would NOT help me comprehend speech in noisy environments.

I am just trying to get the best out of the equipment I have.

I was advised by other users who have a severe loss to consider the DSL v5.0a fitting formula as it is more robust at all frequencies.

Happy New Year

 

[pvc]

This leads to my initial question, as a rule of thumb, what distant do you expect clients to hear speech in both calm and noisy situations?

Pfft; I dunno! But it's a complicated question, and perhaps the wrong question because there are so many variables?

As per this → Link; The normal intelligible outdoor range of the male human voice in still air is 180 meters (590 ft 6.6 in). But people don't have long distance (600 feet) conversations, and take notice it said male voice. They usually get close up for one-on-one conversations and, several feet (10 or 20 feet) for announcements like "next ticket #782 your order is ready".

So I think maybe you are asking the wrong question. PPL don't normally make conscious decisions about adjusting their speech based on distance. They will usually do it automatically and intuitively. Unfortunately PPL don't compensate for HoH-Community members, unless/maybe for situations like a nurse working at assisted living for older PPL.

A few manufacturers are now claiming to have a new technology that will help with the age-old problem of understanding speech-in-noise. Here's a Link to → New Hearing Aid Technology with (AI DNN/Deep Neural Network). I am wearing a version of this new technology using (Oticon Intent 1's). It is a big improvement from my previous hearing aid models (Oticon More 1's)!

Sorry, for not specifically answering your question about distance.