Does anyone have a BAHA for single sided deafness?
This is a total shot in the dark, but does anyone have experience with Bone-Anchored Hearing devices for single sided deafness (SSD)?
I have NF2, and have been deaf in my left ear since 19, and now in my early 30s, a new hearing doctor suggested a BAHA as a potential option, since at my most recent hearing test, I was able to “hear” sounds from the left in my right ear if it was transmitted through my skull.
I am researching them like crazy, watching Youtube reviews, finding old forum posts in medical groups, etc. to get as much info as possible, but I figured I might see if anyone had any current experience with one and wouldn’t mind letting me pick their brain a little bit. Here's my (super oddly specific) questions:
-Do you have any problems resting the area with the abutment on someone? Any pain/pressure? This is (again) oddly specific, but when I curl up with my husband, I rest the ‘bad’ side of my head on his shoulder so my ‘good’ side is up, and I can hear him/room noise.
-Can you feel/sense the abutment on your head? Not with hands/fingers, but just - sitting, is there a sensation of something there?
-What is the difference in sounds between normal hearing and that coming through the device? Is it mechanical or computerized sounding? Can you tell the difference in sound coming through natural hearing and that coming through the device?
-Do you have any improvement in figuring out the direction of sound with the BAHA?
-Does it give you any pain or general discomfort overall?
-Has it caused any pain or discomfort in your ‘good’ ear?
-When the device isn’t attached, is there any feedback/sound/whatever through just the abutment? Say if it’s brushing against clothes collars, etc.
-I know they don’t generally improve loud settings, but does it help you at all say in restaurants? I’m sure that’s very situational, but just in general.
-Do you feel like it was a worthwhile improvement in your life overall? (That sounds silly maybe, I know, but I’ve been SSD for so long that I’m mostly adjusted, and just deal with the oddness that happens, so I’m wondering if you feel like it was worth the surgery/any discomfort, etc.)
Posted Feb 17, 2017, 2:41 AM UTC