I find myself considering getting hearing aids. There's a long story behind this that I'll skip, but one of the concerns I have with them is in the shop. I mean I use ear plugs all the time in the shop because the ear muff style of hearing protection isn't comfortable with safety glasses. So do I just leave the hearing aids behind when I head to the shop? I still remember my F-I-L always loosing his because he would take them out and forget where he left them...he did this so many times the VA quit buying them for him. What about wearing them in the shop and just turn them off? is that possible?

Fred, I wear them everywhere but in the shop because of two reasons.  1.  Dust 2. I don’t want to damage them (or my ears) accidentally.  Not a fun sound when you fire a 95 decibel planer up with hearing aids.  Just my opinion.

I do not wear mine in the shop due to a "near miss".  While mowing my lawn with a dust mask on I stopped for a breather and dropped one in the drive way.  Checking for the second one and it was also not in my ear.  Spent about an hour freaking out looking for it before finding it caught up in the elastic band of the dust mask.

Relaying this experience, the lady at the ENT just shrugged and said I probably needn't wear them in the shop, or doing lawn work.  She encourages me to wear them when I watch TV...

Truth be told, I don't wear them much.

Phyl thinks I may need them. But, I don't think so. I have "selective hearing". And a selective memory.

I wear a covid type of mask in the shop and leave my hearing aids in the drawer under the table saw extension cause when I put the mask on and off. I sometimes pull one out and hitting the floor might not be built for that! They might be bounce proof but I doubt it. I do lay a clean hanky over them for the dust might not stay out of that little hole? And when using the hearing muffs when the sears vac is running they have to be put in the drawer.  I do like to keep them close by for when people come in to the shop.

   A number of years  ago I lost one while  mowing the lawn when the tree limbs were too low for the O turn mower and spent a whole afternoon walking from one end of the property to the other which is over an acre but finally found it. And I guess I was lucky it had not been run over with the mower.

  My VA is unhandy for its about 75 miles away but they are great for their help. They notify me ever so often I need to come in for another hearing test and I guess that's when new models have been introduced.

I only needed one when I got out of the army in 1960 for they thought maybe me shooting an M-I, 6 days a week while being on the rifle team and this ear being the closest to the sound might have been the reason only one ear went copute.

I'm no help yet on this topic Fred. I know I suffer over 50% loss in my right ear; not as much in left. Mrs. keeps telling me I need to get fitted for some. I pretend like I can't hear her😜.

 

Anyways, FWIW based on input from a couple friends and as Ron and others stated, I would think not. Dust as main reason both in devices and ear canal, followed by risk for loss/damage. I'd continue wearing hearing protection as you do.

 

Now if you're wanting to listen to music or the like, James Hamilton speaks highly of ISO Tunes, noise cancelling, bluetooth ear buds. Not inexpensive but an option.

I "should" have h-aids (Army artillery), but just haven't.  I DO wear ear protection around equipment, and I like to tune in music or PBS (so I can disagree with them).  I also wear radio-receiver ear muffs in the car (much quieter enviro, older car on the freeway).  I don't use a dust mask.  I do have a non-radio pair of earmuffs that I use with a face shield.  I can't think of any advantage to wearing hearing aids around equipment, so I'd leave them in the house if operating in the gar...er, shop.

I guess I'm the odd ball here (OK @Grandpadave52 I here you laughing ) but I do wear my hearing aids in the shop- behind the ear type. I'm pretty much completely deaf. Without the aids, I cannot hear anything much above 3k hertz. Below that it has to pretty loud for me to hear.

 

While in the shop, I have a pair of earmuffs with built in radio. Since I received Bluetooth aids from the VA, I now use my phone for notification alerts (doorbell, phone, music, etc.). so the radio part of the muffs is not needed. I do not wear the ear muffs all of the time. Always when operating the table saw, planer and air compressor. My prescription lens are also safety rated and are comfortable while wearing the ear protection and there is no feedback from the aids.

 

As for dust, I usually have the VA clean the microphones during checkups, but mine are fairly easy to clean by removing the dust cover.

 

 

28 minutes ago, lew said:

I guess I'm the odd ball here (OK @Grandpadave52 I here you laughing )

So got your aids in now I take it.

29 minutes ago, lew said:

My prescription lens are also safety rated and are comfortable

Same here. Carry over from my former work life where safety glasses and hearing protection were required anytime we were in the factory. Steel toe shoes were also required. I've long since misplaced the side-shields for these frames but lenses are safety rated. I wear these most of the time, but have "street glasses" I wear else where. They're a bit more stylish plus have magnetic attach sun glass lenses.

I am a bit like Lew but my hearing loss is in the high frequency range. Our turning club does demos at the Ag Museum and there are lots of kids. Without the aids I cannot understand most of them. I wear mine all day unless working outside (sweating) and when I get in from the shop about 7 I take them out. I cannot see dust as being a problem But I do go in to audiologist and they clean them. Lately been listing to Podcasts and the aids make it very interesting. But just got a new stereo ($37) and it it works so much better than the old 35 year old monster . It even has bluetooth and will play from thumb drives. In the process of putting most of my 32 Gig music collection on some drives. Oh I forgot I do use hearing protection on all machines except lathe and there wear Trend Airshield.

There's been a few mentions of cleaning the microphones....something I had not considered. a DIY thing or does it need a pro?

1 hour ago, Fred W. Hargis Jr said:

There's been a few mentions of cleaning the microphones....something I had not considered. a DIY thing or does it need a pro?

 

Good question Fred.  I see the ear doc every 6 months and they get cleaned by them on each visit.  Other than brushing off the wax which I do almost every time I wear them.

22 hours ago, Gene Howe said:

Phyl thinks I may need them. But, I don't think so. I have "selective hearing". And a selective memory.

 

Kitza says the same, but also says it probably wouldn't make a difference. 

Fred here is what comes with my VA hearing aid set.

 

 

 

I keep my aids in the box at night and it plugs in to electricity and removes any moisture.

The little black thing with the white tip is what is used to remove the dirty one and the other end installs the new one on the other end. The little green plastic cleans the other hole besides the one with the white plastic and the other thing is a small brush. The yellow thing catches the moisture I guess 

  This is my fourth

set in the 20 years or so since I been going to the VA. Everything is free plus batteries and any repairs if I go to the VA in Abilene or if I send them or ask for more batteries or repairs to Denver. And every time I get a new set its always a big WOW for the new set is always that much better than the last set in improvements..  This last set, one aid turns both sides up and the other side turns them both down or if you want the volume up or down open up the battery door and set one at time. Batteries last about two weeks. 

  You will know when you need to replace the little white thing in the end of either aid for it will not work as if it is turned off. You don't have to replace the battery at that time just the little white plug.

And there is nothing past the little white thing to clean for the little white plug is closed in the end. And I expect nothing should be inserted in that area.

I don't have a lot to add, but... I don't always wear the aids if I know I'm going to be in the shop, but I wear ear protection whether or not I have them in.  I wear them so much, I sometimes forget I even have them on.  The little plugs that go in your ears have never been my favorite.  Years ago, I tried a HF noise reduction system that was supposed to allow for conversation level sound to come through, but shut down sounds that got noisier.  The problem was that it took several seconds so when I started up a tool, it came thru amplified for a few seconds before it kicked in.  Returned them and never tried again.

 

My hearing is getting worse and have an appt with an audiologist after the first of the year.  Hearing in a crowd, or especially a restaurant where there's music blaring and a number of conversations going on, or even people talking over a PA system is really bad for me.

That sounds like the shooting muffs I use by Howard Leight and they work great. 
 

now as to crowds there is a problem and even tho there is a setting for noisy environments it is still a problem. 

This is a great discussion! I'm gonna let Mimi read it because she thinks I am exaggerating about crowds and noisy environments,

 

@Smallpatch, did the VA provide the dryer or did you purchase it? My mom had a similar one that she would replace the yellow "brick".

 

Lew, they provide everything, no charge to me. Also if the VA is some distance from the vet they pay travel

mileage!

 The way they drafted back in my time I was the only guy from my high school graduating class who was drafted. I don't remember how many were in my class maybe 15 guys but I was the only one drafted.....sons from important dads, farmers, ranchers and guys that was going to college and certain health problems and few other reasons were exempted. Only the idiots had to go. Three other guys joined right before draft age which was 22 at that time. A note from mom did not count I was told..   SO I was pissed the hole time. Who do I sue. Oh yea, they didn't do things like they do now for if you look at a person and frown or smile the wrong way, you might get sued in todays world.

   Hey, I also read where if a world war was to start now only 25% will go if they get  drafted and the others will refuse no matter what the consequences would be. 

And I bet if a war was to start and only the elected officials and dictators had to go and fight, there would never be any more wars.