Read If You Want To Buy Aids Over The Internet

[xbulder]

For those who wish to buy over the net, HI, this is a must read article


http://www.audiologyonline.com/theHearingJournal/pdfs/hj2008_04_p26-30.pdf

[Sulla]

I think you would have to be crazy to rely on self-made impressions. Some HA manufacturers have specific requirements as to "length from the bend" etc. (e.g. Siemens Nitro CIC 18mm from the bend!)

Self-made impressions should be banned and only a qualified / licensed practioner should be able to do that!

That is why I had my impressions made by an audiologist for my online purchase.

Make your own impressions? Crazy! Crazy! Crazy! Crazy!

Find a local AUDI / HIS to make impressions for you and send the "pro-made" impressions to the online dispenser!

[jay_man2]

When I bought my first BTE aids from America Hears, I had the luxury of driving to their offices north of Philadelphia to have them do a hearing test and impressions. Over a year later they were able to use those same impressions to make ITE aids for me.

I'd never do my own impressions, but for other aging boomers with a loss like mine, with the BTE open-fit technology, it becomes a non-issue. Measuring tube length, (with templates like America Hears will send you or let you print at home on card stock paper and cut out) is trivial.

[xbulder]

for those who are thinking of buying over the net,
word of advice, go to a hearing care prof.
ask them to take the impression and send them to the int. company
even if the cost of an impression is say $50, there is still much to be saved.

Again, im surprise how the FDA allows this to happend

[Sulla]

In Australia I paid AU$30 for deep canal impressions. (Two attempts!)

[Rogue NineCH]

to try making ear impressions. What if you didn't get the canal protection in just right? The damage you could do to your ear would be catastrophic. They train hearing professionals to do these impressions for a reason, they not as easy to do as they look.

[RMinNJ]

Having worn aids for 35 years now and using various professionals (audiologist and dispensers) I must say that there is an art to taking ear molds that only
comes from the professional doing them. After all these years I would be
hard pressed to take an ear mold myself.

[hearnow]

As a professional I would not even take my own impression as you cannot see what you are doing yourself and the risks (i.e pulling out you eardrum and hearing bones) are far too great.

[dreganism]

http://www.rcsullivan.com/www/forum/harris/simitme/simitme.htm

This shows what happens when an impression goes wrong - I am a dispenser and I would never dream of doing my own impressons either - why risk it?

David

[EnglishDispenser]

I usually refuse to do deep impressions for clients ... so doing your own seems crazy to me.

See: http://www.blackminster.co.uk/hearing_cic.shtml

[Hask12]

So you go to an audiologist and pay him for making the molds. You can still buy the aids online.

[ed121]

As a experienced user of aids (38+years) I have made my own impressions.....but I once overfilled and damn near punctured the ear drum. Very painful.

Pay for a professional to make yours. It's worth it. Ed