After months (possibly even years) of waiting, you’ve finally resolved to contact us to find out if you need hearing aids. You have been resisting this like so many other people. But the inconvenience, the lost moments, the missing interactions, they all finally became too hard to ignore.
So it’s a bit disheartening when you’re at the hearing specialist’s office and you find out that you’re going to have to wait another couple of weeks for custom fit hearing aids.
That means that you will be losing some of life’s precious moments for two more weeks. But you could try a basic little device add on known as 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. Only one hearing aid can come forth victorious from the hearing aid dome.
Well, it’s a bit less exciting than that. They are pretty cool though. Hearing aid domes go on the end of your hearing aid speakers like little earbuds. Usually made out of silicone or plastic, they connect to the tubing of your hearing aid and fit on the part that goes in your ear canal. They’re made for both behind-the-ear or inside-the-ear-canal models of hearing aids. Here are the two general functions:
- They guarantee that the speaker of the hearing aid is sitting in an optimal position in your ear. And they secure the speaker so it won’t jiggle around in your ear.
- Sometimes, external sound can impede the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help avoid that by controlling the amount of outside sound. When used correctly, hearing aid domes give you a bit of extra control and work to enhance sound quality.
Domes for hearing aids look sort of like those bulbs at the end of your earbuds. You will have to choose the hearing aid dome that’s best for you from several kinds, and we can assist you in doing that.
Different types of hearing aid domes
Open types and closed types each let in different amounts of background sound.
Hearing aid dome models include:
Open Domes
These have openings in the dome that allow more natural sound to get through and into your ears. This helps your ear process ambient sounds while still getting the benefit of amplification.
Closed Domes
As the name suggests, these domes have fewer holes and stop more ambient sound than open domes can. These are better for more advanced hearing loss where background noise can be a distraction.
Power Domes
Power domes completely block the ear canal and have no venting. With these, nearly no external sound can get in. These are most effective for very severe hearing loss.
Do hearing aid domes need to be changed?
Every two to three months will be the ideal schedule for changing your hearing aid domes (your ears are not the dirtiest place, but they aren’t the cleanest, either).
For most individuals, hearing aid domes can be used right out of the box. As a matter of fact, that’s one of their primary benefits.
How will I benefit by wearing hearing aid buds?
There are a number of reasons why hearing aid domes are prevalent. The most common benefits include the following:
- No fitting time: Not needing to wait is one of the greatest advantages of hearing aid domes. You can un-box them, pop them on your hearing aid and you’re good to go. For individuals who don’t want to wait for custom fit hearing aids, it’s the best solution. And if you want to demo a hearing aid before you buy it, they’re great for that too. For patients who want faster results, hearing aid domes can provide a way to accomplish that without compromising the quality of your sound clarity.
- You’re able to hear your own voice: Some hearing aid domes are created to let a natural level of sound get through. So you will still be capable of hearing your own voice. This makes the clarity of sound feel much more natural, which means you’re more likely to wear your hearing a great deal more often.
- The external world sounds more clear and natural: By finding the correct hearing aid dome type, you can be certain that your hearing aids produce a natural overall sound and improved sound clarity. 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.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes aren’t that big, particularly when they’re in your ear. They’re pretty discrete in this way.
And, again, this means many people are more likely to use those hearing aids more often.
Are there downsides to hearing aid domes?
As with any hearing device or medical procedure, there are some downsides and trade-offs to hearing aid domes, trade=offs you’ll want to think about before deciding. Among the most prevalent are the following:
- They’re not always comfortable: Some people don’t like the feeling of something blocking their ear canal. Hearing specialists call this feeling “occlusion,” and some individuals can find it extremely uncomfortable. In addition, if you take your hearing aid dome out too quickly (or don’t clean it frequently enough), there’s the possibility that it may separate from the tubing and get stuck in your ear canal. You’ll probably need to come in and see us to get it removed if this happens.
- Occasionally, they can cause feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily typical, but it does occur. This is particularly true for those who have high-frequency hearing loss.
- Some types of hearing loss aren’t suitable for hearing aid domes: As an illustration, hearing aid domes won’t be the best choice if you have high frequency hearing loss or profound hearing loss. Again, the feedback can become a problem with high frequency hearing loss. It’s the hearing aid itself that’s an issue with profound hearing loss: you’ll need something that’s larger and which is more powerful than the types commonly associated with hearing aid domes.
Should I get hearing aid domes?
Ultimately, the choice of whether you should use hearing aid domes or not is mostly a personal one. We can help but it’s your choice. And we will look at your specific needs and help advise you on the pros and cons.
Some individuals 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’ve got options and that’s the good thing.
