BAHA/balance

[james e]

On July 14 I will have my BAHA surgery done. My wife and neighbor think it will improve my balance. I tell them it has nothing to do with balance. If you have a BAHA, please settle this dispute...I am sure there will be some official betting going on here and I want to have some first hand information.

James

[leapyrtwins]

James -

a BAHA won't affect your balance at all.  Won't make it better; won't make it worse.

It only helps you to hear better - nothing else that I know of.

Jan

[Kencutus]

I have a balancing problem once in a while and I can tell you Baha is not the cause of it.  It doesn't make it go away either.  I have  Treacher's Collins Syndrome that affects my balance problem.  It's not that bad.   

[Jim Scott]

James ~

O.K., I don't have a BAHA - but if there's strength in numbers, I'll add to yours and affirm Jan's unequivocal statement that the use of a BAHA will not affect your balance.  It simply transmits sound from your 'deaf side' to your hearing ear, via a tiny transmitter unit.  It does not 'fix' the damage to the nerve, hence, your balance (for better or worse) will not be affected.   

Jim

[james e]

Well, I win! Sometimes you just can't get other people to understand.

[saralynn143]

James, they may have been just hanging onto the hope that it would help your balance as well as your hearing. We all want the best for our loved ones.

Sara

[JerseyGirl2]

I have a BAHA and agree with all the other posters who state that there's no connection whatsoever between a BAHA and any balance issues you may have. But the BAHA will certainly give your hearing a boost!

Catherine (JerseyGirl 2)

[james e]

I know that they all care, and I knew it did not have anything to do with balance. Just trying to prove a point. Thanks to all of you!

[leapyrtwins]

I was waiting for my partner in crime, Lori, to weigh in on this issue (pun intended) - but she's MIA, so apparently it's up to me to post the "wiseguy" response.

Perhaps your family and friends think the rod and abutment that will be implanted into your skull are made of some heavy metal, and as a result will cause that side of your body to lean a little bit more than the other side - thus helping you with your balance   

Groan . . .

Jan

[james e]

I think they have to spin you on a balance machine at the tire store first.

[Sue Vogel]

I am amazed at the people who assume that because I had another surgery to help my hearing that my balance should improve as well.  They also assume that I can tell where sound is originating since I had BAHA surgery.  Sometimes, it is no fun being the one with all the right answers to the questions.  But the way I figure it - at least I can HEAR the questions.   

SUE

[leapyrtwins]

Tire balancing.  Funny   

James -  forgot to tell you to PM me your mailing address so that Lori and I can send you one of our famous Official BAHA Recovery Kits.  It's free of charge and I guarantee you'll like it.

Sue -  you may find that in time you gain some directionality with your BAHA.  I gained some after I'd worn mine for about a year.  While I still can't fully pinpoint exactly where a sound is coming from, I can tell generally where it's originating.

Jan