BAHAhaha!

Hola!

Writing this from the aeroplane to sunny Spain while nursing my ear ache, partly from the pressure and partly from the annoying child sat behind! Flying was never an issue before SSD, now it's just noisy and unpleasant with a constant struggle of tannoy announcements! Sitting in the right place is essential if you want any conversation at all, hence why I sat my boyfriend on my bad side!

It's situations like these where I wonder if I made the right choice about the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA). The BAHA transfers sound by bone vibration, sending sounds directly to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear. The surgery is a routine 40 minute operation under local anaesthetic whereby a U-shaped or straight incision is made to expose the bone behind the ear. The hole is usually 3-4mm deep depending on the person and is widened (drilled) to fit the titanium implant. 3-6 weeks later (assuming there are no complications) an audiologist will fit the hearing processor which clips on to the implant.

Patients may be offered the BAHA if they are unable to wear a conventional hearing aid or find them ineffective. I was offered mine on the NHS, however costs can reach up to $4000 in the U.S.

I was given one on a headband that pressed against the bone behind my ear. I was to try this for 2 weeks in all working/living situations before deciding on whether to go ahead. I was advised to wear it for 20 minutes at a time at the beginning to help me adjust and then for longer if I could. Like everything, there are good and bad reviews so I was happy to try it for myself.

I tried it at home first but to be honest I didn't notice a great deal of difference from my other hearing aids. The same issues arose in the dance studio and the noisy gym I work in, unless I was in a quiet situation (car, conversation with few people) I found it useless. It didn't help with tinnitus (although mine is only minor), dizziness, balance or nausea and was worse than my cros aids while laying in bed or out in the wind. Positives were that it picked up sounds that I wouldn't normally hear like a clicking pen or the shuffling of some paper. Its also good to know if someone is on your bad side, I spend a lot of time, at work especially, jumping when someone appears on my left side unexpectedly. I dare say that if you work in a quiet office or with few people it would be invaluable but for me personally, I wasn't willing to go through with surgery for very minor improvements that my cros aids already offer.

I would love to hear your thoughts and comment if you have/refused the BAHA. Please feel free to comment below or contact me via my facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/heartodaygonetomorrow/


Until next time...