After months (maybe even years) of waiting, you’ve finally decided to give us a call 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 conversations, they all finally became too much.
So when you do finally come in and then you find out that you will still have to wait another two weeks before you obtain your custom fit hearing aids, it can be frustrating.
That means that you will be losing some of life’s treasured moments for two more weeks. However, there is another option: a deceptively simple device add-on, called hearing aid domes.
What are hearing aid domes?
Doesn’t that sound kind of epic? Like some type of arena where hearing aids duel in ancient, mythical combat. 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 rather neat. Hearing aid domes are like little earbuds that you can put at the end of your hearing aid speaker. Typically made of plastic or silicone, they fit over that little bit that goes in your ear canal, connecting to the tubing of your hearing aid. You can use them with both behind-the-ear and in-ear models. Here are the two general functions:
- They situate the hearing aid speaker (the bit that you listen to) in an ideal position within your ear canal. And they position the speaker so it won’t jiggle around inside of your ear.
- They can help limit the amount of outside sound you hear, particularly when that external sound can interfere with the function of your hearing aid. When used correctly, hearing aid domes offer you a bit of extra control and work to enhance sound clarity.
Those little bulbs at the end of earbuds are similar to hearing aid domes. There are several hearing aid dome styles, so we will help you select the one that’s best for your needs.
Different types of hearing aid domes
Open types and closed types each let in different levels of background sound.
Hearing aid dome types include:
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 benefit of amplification.
Closed Domes
These domes let less external sound in through fewer and smaller holes. These are better for more pronounced hearing loss where background noise can be distracting.
Power Domes
Power domes don’t have any holes and completely block outside sounds. With these, nearly no external sound can get in. These domes will be ideal for people with very severe hearing impairment.
How frequently should you change your hearing aid domes?
For best effect, you should change your hearing aid domes every 2-3 months (your ears can be a bit unclean in there).
Hearing aid domes can usually be used right out of the box. That’s one of the greatest things about them.
What are the benefits of hearing aid domes?
There are numerous reasons why hearing aid domes are popular. Here are some common benefits:
- 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 ready to go. For people who don’t want to wait for custom fit hearing aids, it’s the best option. And if you want to try out a hearing aid before you purchase it, they’re good for that too. With hearing aid domes, you don’t need to sacrifice sound clarity to get faster results.
- Everything sounds a bit more natural: You can be certain your hearing aids create a clear, natural sound quality by choosing the right type of hearing aid domes. That’s because some sound will still (probably) get in. We can help you identify the type that’s best for you.
- 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.
- You’re able to hear your own voice: A natural amount of sound can get through some types of hearing aid domes. This means you can still hear your own voice as you naturally would. You’ll most likely use your hearing aids more often if they sound clear and natural.
And again, this will mean you’re not as likely to leave your hearing aid sitting on your nightstand.
Are there drawbacks to hearing aid domes?
You’ll want to be aware of some of the drawbacks and trade-offs that come with hearing aid domes. Among the most common are the following:
- They can at times be uncomfortable: Some individuals don’t like the feeling of something filling their ear canal. Some people find this feeling, called “occlusion” by hearing specialist, extremely uncomfortable. In addition, if you take your hearing aid dome out too fast (or don’t clean it often 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 have it removed if this happens.
- Occasionally, they can cause feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily typical, but it can happen. This is especially true for individuals who are dealing with high-frequency hearing loss.
- Some forms of hearing loss aren’t suited for hearing aid domes: For instance, if you are suffering from profound hearing loss or high frequency hearing loss, hearing aid domes may not be the preferred option for you. For people with high-frequency hearing loss, once again, it’s the feedback that becomes the problem. For those who have profound hearing loss, it’s really the hearing aid itself that’s the issue: you’ll require something that’s larger and which has more power than the styles commonly associated with hearing aid domes.
Should I use hearing aid domes?
It’s mostly a personal decision whether you use hearing aid domes. It’s up to you but we can help. And we will be able to walk you through all the pros and cons pertaining to your personal hearing health.
For some people, it might be worth waiting the extra couple of weeks for a custom-fit device. For others, the quick results of hearing aids you can use today will create healthy, lifelong hearing habits.
The nice thing is that you have options.
