After months (maybe even years) of waiting, you’ve finally decided to contact us to see if you need hearing aids. Like many, you’ve been resisting this. But the hassle, the lost moments, the missing conversations, they all finally became too hard to ignore.
So when you do finally come in and then you learn that you will still have to wait another couple of weeks before you get your custom fit hearing aids, it can be frustrating.
That’s another two weeks struggling with those lost moments before you can begin getting them back. But you could try a simple little device add on called a hearing aid dome instead.
What are hearing aid domes?
Doesn’t that sound kind of epic? Like hearing aids dueling in some kind of ancient mythological arena. Welcome to the Hearing Aid Dome: Two hearing aids enter…but only one leaves!
Well, it’s a little less exciting than that. But they are pretty neat. Hearing aid domes are like tiny earbuds that you can place at the end of your hearing aid speaker. Usually made of silicone or plastic, they connect to the tubing of your hearing aid and fit around the part that goes into your ear canal. They’re made for both behind-the-ear or inside-the-ear-canal models of hearing aids. And they generally do two things:
- They guarantee that the speaker of the hearing aid is sitting in an ideal position in your ear. And they position the speaker so it won’t move around inside of your ear.
- On occasion, outside sound can impede the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help stop that by controlling the amount of outside sound. When properly used, hearing aid domes give you some extra control and work to improve sound clarity.
Domes for hearing aids look sort of like those bulbs at the end of your earbuds. You will have to select the hearing aid dome that’s ideal for you from a number of types, and we can assist you in doing that.
Different types of hearing aid domes
Most come in open and closed types, each letting in more or less ambient sound.
Hearing aid domes come in different types, including:
Open Domes
With these, more sound is capable of passing through little holes in the dome. This helps your ear process natural sounds along with the advantage of amplification.
Closed Domes
These domes let less external sound in through fewer and smaller holes. For individuals with more severe hearing loss, ambient noise can be quite distracting and this type of dome can help with that.
Power Domes
Power domes have no holes and completely block outside sounds. This means virtually no sound at all can pass into the ear canal. These domes will be ideal for individuals with very severe hearing impairment.
How often should you change your hearing aid domes?
For best results, you should change your hearing aid domes every 2-3 months (your ears are not the dirtiest place, but they aren’t the cleanest, either).
For most individuals, hearing aid domes can be worn right out of the box. In fact, that’s one of their biggest advantages.
What are the benefits of hearing aid domes?
There are a number of reasons why hearing aid domes are prevalent. The most common advantages include the following:
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes are pretty small, especially when they’re tucked into your ear. They’re rather discrete in this way.
- You can hear your own voice: A natural level of sound can get through some types of hearing aid domes. This means you can still hear your own voice as you naturally would. This makes the clarity of sound feel a lot more natural, which means you’re more likely to wear your hearing aids far more often.
- Everything sounds a bit more natural: You can be certain your hearing aids produce a clear, natural sound quality by selecting the right type of hearing aid domes. Most likely, some sound will still get in and that’s the reason for this. Again, this depends on the type of dome, and we can help you with this.
- No fitting time: Not needing to wait is one of the best benefits of hearing aid domes. You can pop them in and use your hearing aid right away. For individuals who don’t want to wait for custom fit hearing aids, it’s the ideal option. It’s also good for individuals who want to try out their hearing aids before they purchase them. For patients who want results faster, hearing aid domes can provide a way to achieve that without sacrificing the quality of your sound clarity.
And, once again, this means many people are more likely to wear those hearing aids more often.
What are the downsides to hearing aid domes?
You’ll want to be aware of some of the downsides and trade-offs that come with hearing aid domes. Among the most prevalent are the following:
- They’re not always comfortable: Some individuals are uncomfortable with the feeling of something filling their ear canal. Hearing specialists call this feeling “occlusion,” and some individuals can find it extremely uncomfortable. Also, your hearing aid dome can get lodged in your ear if you pull it out too quickly or if you don’t keep it clean. You’ll probably need to come in and see us to have it removed if this happens.
- Occasionally, they can cause feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily common, but it can occur. For people who are dealing with high frequency hearing loss, this is especially true.
- Not ideal for all types of hearing loss: For example, if you are suffering from profound hearing loss or high frequency hearing loss, hearing aid domes might not be the best option for you. For people with high-frequency hearing loss, again, it’s the feedback that becomes the issue. For those who have profound hearing loss, it’s really the hearing aid itself that’s the problem: you’ll need something that’s bigger and which has more power than the types commonly associated with hearing aid domes.
Should I use hearing aid domes?
It’s mostly a personal choice whether you use hearing aid domes. We can help but it’s your choice. And we will be able to help you understand all the pros and cons related to your personal hearing health.
Some people may be better off waiting for a custom fitting. For others, the quick results of hearing aids you can use today will build healthy, lifelong hearing habits.
You have options and that’s the good thing.
