How do you tell if you need a custom dome?

[Pman]

I have a high freq loss, but find I'm increasingly sensitive to loud noises. If you are wearing an open fit HA, it let's the loud sounds come through, doesn't it? Even with so- called sudden noise or loud sound protection & compression, etc., don't the loud sounds still come through?

How do you know if you need something like a closed-type of dome to protect you from loud sounds, or is that really what they are for (I thought they are really for individuals with more loss in the lower frequency)?

[bherring1964]

Your audi should let you know if you need a custom dome. It is usually dependent on the severity of your hearing loss.

[Genome]

Custom earmolds made a world of difference for me. The quality of sound improved 100%.

[hamjor]

I'm getting my first pair of custom molds tomorrow. I have mild-to-moderate loss, as you can see from my curve. Really the bigger issue for me is that the open fit BTE's, even with large-size domes, keep slipping and falling off my ear. So far, it's only happened at home, no harm, no foul, but it's just a matter of time before I lose a $2,000 aid for good in the wild.

I have no idea how it's going to change the sound or the comfort for me (I'll let you know when I've made up my mind), but it's only costing me $85 per ear to find out. OK, not exactly peanuts, but in the context of new high-end aids, pretty much and worth the risk IMO.

[TRACEY JOHNSTON]

Originally Posted by hamjor

I'm getting my first pair of custom molds tomorrow. I have mild-to-moderate loss, as you can see from my curve. Really the bigger issue for me is that the open fit BTE's, even with large-size domes, keep slipping and falling off my ear. So far, it's only happened at home, no harm, no foul, but it's just a matter of time before I lose a $2,000 aid for good in the wild.

I have no idea how it's going to change the sound or the comfort for me (I'll let you know when I've made up my mind), but it's only costing me $85 to find out. OK, not exactly peanuts, but in the context of new high-end aids, pretty much and worth the risk IMO.

and i have had 2 x in past few days the aid has come off--and like u-thank goodness at home otherwise 2,000.00 plus gone,just like that.
Moving around/doing my hair/taking off a jacket---can send the aid ooopps and away!
Maybe i will get used to it and perhaps glue it to behind my ear

Just thinking earlier today the ease of movement more with CIC.More head movement allowed;but would not get sound quality i understand.So confusion.I am meant to be travelling this week and make a decision on aids but feel pressure on making decision as of now.Not completely happy as yet.

[bigbeck]

Originally Posted by hamjor

Really the bigger issue for me is that the open fit BTE's, even with large-size domes, keep slipping and falling off my ear. So far, it's only happened at home, no harm, no foul, but it's just a matter of time before I lose a $2,000 aid for good in the wild.

I

Maybe the tube is not the correct size for your ears?

I've been wearing open fits for 5 months and have not had one fall off yet. Even while mountain biking in rough terrain or using my reading glasses many times per day. Maybe I just have grippy ears.

Don

[Um bongo]

Originally Posted by Renovator

The dome I believe is where the speaker (aka RECEIVER) is located in the ear canal.

An open dome has openings kind of like a badminton shuttle, which allows low to lower-midrange sounds come through, unamplified. The upper to high tones are amplified and reproduced through the tiny speaker on the end of the wire (for behind-the-ear fits).

Any noises loud enough to cause damage to hearing could possibly make it by the solid domes and I'm sure the loud sounds would definately make it through the open dome.

I have hardly any loss at all in my low-range and I have Oticon Open Domes on the receiver in my ear. I shoot quite a bit, and I would not consider shooting, even a small .22 rimfire, without hearing protection - with or without my HA's!

I think hearing protection is separate from hearing aids, however I do not know for sure, and I am sure the higher-cost aids may actually help to block dangerously-loud noises. In order to do that, the noises cannot enter the ear canal past the dome, so anything less than a mold may not actually stop severely-loud noises!

Please feel free to correct me on this, anyone.

Most hearing aids will have much lower peak output than anything you are shooting. All will cut out at very high in/out levels. The level of protection from a device will vary proportionately with the degree of seal obtained in the ear canal; most open fittings are entirely transparent in noise terms, while full shell moulds will afford some degree of protection.

In all cases proper hearing protection needs to be worn either instead of or preferably in conjunction with the hearing system. (Not always possible, I know)

[Pman]

Originally Posted by Renovator

The dome I believe is where the speaker (aka RECEIVER) is located in the ear canal.

An open dome has openings kind of like a badminton shuttle, which allows low to lower-midrange sounds come through, unamplified. The upper to high tones are amplified and reproduced through the tiny speaker on the end of the wire (for behind-the-ear fits).

Any noises loud enough to cause damage to hearing could possibly make it by the solid domes and I'm sure the loud sounds would definately make it through the open dome.

I have hardly any loss at all in my low-range and I have Oticon Open Domes on the receiver in my ear. I shoot quite a bit, and I would not consider shooting, even a small .22 rimfire, without hearing protection - with or without my HA's!

I think hearing protection is separate from hearing aids, however I do not know for sure, and I am sure the higher-cost aids may actually help to block dangerously-loud noises. In order to do that, the noises cannot enter the ear canal past the dome, so anything less than a mold may not actually stop severely-loud noises!

Please feel free to correct me on this, anyone.

I agree that protection is another issue, but if everyday loud sounds cause discomfort, surely is a way to treat both that and the hearing loss. Being normal in the lows though, I don't see how to do it. I don't see how you can deal with it unless you wear your HA's and also Hear-O's or something at the same time.

I'm not in HA's yet due to my own issues about the way they are sold and prices, but I wear Hear-O's when I'm driving and have thought about wearing them around the house at times when it gets to be too much.

[hamjor]

Originally Posted by bigbeck

Maybe the tube is not the correct size for your ears?

I've been wearing open fits for 5 months and have not had one fall off yet. Even while mountain biking in rough terrain or using my reading glasses many times per day. Maybe I just have grippy ears.

Don

No, the tube gave a good fit, lying flush against the auricle (outer part of the ear). It just wouldn't stay put.

Another thing I was going to try (and still will if the custom domes don't work out for whatever reason) to keep BTE aids in and on the ear is applying two-sided sticky fashion tape to part of the battery case--give a little grip to the top of the ear and a pulling sensation if it's coming out. Theater people use this stuff for makeup such as fake beards. You can get it at amazon.com or fabric stores.

As to the other comments about hearing protection, when I'm in a high-noise environment (power machinery, race cars, rock concerts), I take the aids off and put protection in. I know my loss is related to exposure to loud noises and I don't want to accelerate my hearing loss any further. I keep earplugs with me on my keychain. Works great except for the wedding reception last summer where I'd handed my keychain off to a valet parker. D'oh!

[MinnesotaHIS]

In really simple terms, most hearing aids are designed to make soft sounds much louder, medium sounds a little louder, and not amplify loud sounds at all. Again, this is a gross oversimplification, but answers your question without going into what can become complex subject matter.

No open-fit hearing aid offers effective protection against loud noises. There actually are some hearing aids that do serve as both hearing protection (from loud noises) and offer amplification to help you hear better. Asking about hearing aids for hunters should get you started in your investigation. Like standard hearing aids, prices are all over the board and most of the cheaper ones are great for hunters, but aren't suitable for someone with an actual hearing loss. Even with top models most wearers are still going to run into occlusion issues (feel like you're talking in a barrel) and wouldn't want to wear them as an everyday hearing aid.