Does BAHA help at large parties?

[newmommyLA]

I just had my first large group experience last weekend when my husband and I attended a big event at our country club.  I have been to many restaurants since becoming SSD, but mostly just with my husband and a few family members who all knew that I could only hear on my left side.  Last Saturday, being SSD hit me hard and I felt like an idiot nodding and pretending to hear when all I really heard was loud BG noise.  It was awful.

I remember asking Dr House about the BAHA and he said it would help me to hear people on my deaf side, but not in a noisy environment. He said the BG noise would still make it very hard to hear people talking to me on my deaf side BAHA or no BAHA.

Can some of you big BAHA fans share your experiences with me?  I'm going to be in my best friend's wedding in Oct. and I'm dreading the rehearsal dinner and reception b/c I'm going to see many folks I haven't seen in years who will want to catch up.  Not so easy to do when you don't hear a damn word they are saying!

I've been so worried about my tinnitus that the SSD thing has been a lesser, more secondary loss for me so far.  However, in a large group you really feel like a ghost!

Thanks for your help!

Amy

[darrensgirl]

My son is deaf on his right side. He just got the BAHA last year. It will be a year in July since the last surgery for the BAHA. He wears it to school, when we go out to eat, at the park.....he wears it every where. I will not let him go without wearing it actually. He knows how to "ignore" people when they are talking to him so I make him wear it all the time. He never complains about it not helping in "loud places". He will complain when he has a single loud sound going into that ear. Other than that he dont complain about it at all.

[leapyrtwins]

Amy -

my old BAHA device (Divino) wasn't good @ large parties (or in noisy/crowded rooms of any type) - but my new device (BP100) is greatly improved.

It actually has a setting (setting #2 to be exact) just for noisy/crowded rooms.  It's not like "normal" hearing, but it's a great improvement over being SSD.

There is just one of the improvements that Cochlear has made in their latest device; it all boils down to having 12 channels as opposed to 1.

Jan

[Denise S]

Hi there Amy 

I would highly recommend trying to find someone who does the BAHA in your area and see about a trial one.  I got to wear one at home for a whole weekend for a trial.   I was amazed and liked it.  Have to say I didn't do a BIG crowd.  But, since you are thinking ahead to the October date, the key thing to keep in mind with the BAHA is that you need to have the abutment surgically implanted, then it takes about 3 months healing time before you can wear the processor part.   Before the surgery even, you have to set up demo appointment and see if insurance will cover, etc.      (I am in a merri-go-round with insurance stuff trying to get a BAHA, ugh!)   

Just an FYI and of course no guarantees, BUT I have actually met with a demo rep from Cochlear and she has heard where some people have a mild relief in tinnitus.   I also had an audiologist in another office (Michigans biggest BAHA clinic) tell me that "some" people have said they notice a difference too.   One of them mentioned that it may just be that having some different sound waves coming in may over process some of the tinnitus sound (I hope that kind of makes sense because I can't remember her exact words...sorry).   

Well, whatever you decide I am wishing you the Best and for sure know where you are coming from!

Take care
Denise (MI)

[leapyrtwins]

I don't suffer from tinnitus, but I was told by my neurotologist (doc who did both my AN and my BAHA surgeries) that a BAHA won't cause tinnitus to start - or get worse - nor will it cause it to go away - or get better.

The demo is definitely the way to go.  I didn't get to take one home - only tried it in the doc's office - but even a 10 minute demo was enough to convince me that it would be a huge improvement over having no type of aid at all.  I was blown away by the demo and couldn't wait for the "real" thing.

Jan

[tenai98]

I dont find that my BP100 helps in a large crowd. Mind yoiu I have the feedback manager turned off. If it was on, I was getting a squealing sound...I go back today to my audiologist for programming.  with the manager turned off, I find very large crowds annoying. I have to turn the device off...Maybe today's programming will correct that.  I love my BAHA...Once I forgot (was in a hurry) and forgot to put it on before I left for work...I sure noticed the difference...I also forgot (as I dont wear it in the house) forgot to attach it when hubby and I went out to dinner...Believe me, it made conversation bad...Kept having to turn my good ear towards him.
JO

[leapyrtwins]

I dont find that my BP100 helps in a large crowd. Mind yoiu I have the feedback manager turned off.

I'm not sure if this matters or not, but my feedback manager is turned on.

Jan

[Paul F]

l wear the Intenso and have to turn it off during any large indoor events.  It seems to pick up and amplify everything and picking out what someone is saying is impossible. Many of us are looking forward to an upgrade of the Intenso, hoping a lot of these problems will be addressed.  I do like the BAHA but it isn't perfect.  I don't have any experience with the BP-100 because have hearing loss on my good side and require the extra power of the Intenso.

Hope you can demo a head band.

[arkansasfarmgirl]

It has been my experience that in a lot of background noise, I can tell when someone is speaking to me on my deaf side, but I can't isolate their voice enough to understand them very well.  My brain might just need more practice though.  I got my BAHA in december, but just now got the programming fixed enough that I'm wearing it daily.  It's awesome in quieter environments though!!

Vonda

[leapyrtwins]

You'll find the more you wear your BAHA device, the more you'll get out of it. 

Even though BAHAs aren't known for giving the wearers directionality, I get it with my BP100 and I also got it with my Divino.

It's not the directionality I had before I became SSD, but I'll take what I can get.

Jan

[Sue Vogel]

I just attended my first wedding reception with my new BAHA.  I couldn't hear a thing due to the loud music.  In restaurants and at school in the classroom, I hear a lot better with my BAHA.  When the amount of noise is overwhelming like at the wedding reception, my BAHA did me no good.  I had to go outside just to test the "noisy mode" beeps because I could not hear them inside the reception hall.  I still would not trade it.

SUE

[teffaz]

I've had my BAHA sound processor for seven months, and am actually quite disappointed.

I still have zero directionality, which is no surprise (I was not expecting improvement with that), but I really thought the BAHA would help in separating out background sound from speech. If I'm in a room with high ceilings and a humidifier running, I have great difficulty understanding the person sitting across from me at a dining room table.

In big crowds, I'm just toast.

Best,
Brenda

P.S. I have my BAHA programmed so that I can choose a noisy environment setting. I haven't found many situations in life that aren't noisy!

[JerseyGirl2]

I don't find my BAHA (Intenso model) very useful in loud, crowded situations (noisy restaurants, big receptions, etc.), and I sometimes just turn it off in those instances.

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)

[tenai98]

I too, dont find theBAHA the greatest in a noisy environment, nor do I wear it when at home. But I sure do miiss it when I forget to hook up to it for work..Mind you, lately wiith nice weather, the BAHA is useless in the car with the windows open...I turn it off...bue in the classroom, it works dandy...
JO

[leapyrtwins]

the BAHA is useless in the car with the windows open...I turn it off...

It's interesting how we all have different experiences.  I use my BAHA in the car all the time with the windows open - my A/C's been on the fritz lately - and I don't have any issues with it.

Jan