After months (possibly even years) of waiting, you’ve finally resolved to contact us to see if you should get hearing aids. Like many, you’ve been resisting this. But the inconvenience, the lost moments, the missing interactions, they all finally became too much.
So when you do finally come in and then you find out that you will still need to wait another two weeks before you get your custom fit hearing aids, it can be discouraging.
That’s another two weeks dealing with those lost moments before you can begin getting them back. Of course, there is another alternative: a deceptively simple device add-on, called hearing aid domes.
What exactly is a hearing aid dome?
Doesn’t that sound kind of epic? Like hearing aids fighting in some kind of ancient mythical arena. Only one hearing aid can come forth victorious from the hearing aid dome.
It’s not really that exciting. But they are pretty neat. 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 around the part that goes inside of your ear canal. They’re made for behind-the-ear or inside-the-ear-canal style hearing aids. And they basically do two things:
- They situate the hearing aid speaker (the part that you listen to) in an ideal position inside of your ear canal. And they help secure the speaker in place. That way it’s not moving around.
- Sometimes, external sound can impede the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help stop that by controlling the amount of outside sound. Hearing aid domes work to improve the sound clarity and offer an extra bit of control when used correctly.
Those small bulbs at the end of earbuds are similar to hearing aid domes. 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
Most come in open and closed styles, each letting in more or less ambient sound.
Hearing aid dome models include:
Open Domes
With these, more sound is capable of passing through little holes in the dome. This helps your ear process ambient sounds along with the benefit 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 very distracting and this kind of dome can help with that.
Power Domes
Power domes don’t have any holes and totally block external sounds. This means very little to no sound at all can pass into the ear canal. These domes will be ideal for people with extremely severe hearing impairment.
Do hearing aid domes need to be swapped out?
Every two to three months will be the ideal schedule for changing your hearing aid domes (your ears can be a bit dirty in there).
Hearing aid domes can usually be used right out of the box. In fact, that’s one of their primary advantages.
How will I benefit by wearing hearing aid buds?
There are numerous reasons why hearing aid domes are popular. The most widespread benefits include the following:
- You can hear your own voice: A natural amount of sound can get through some models of hearing aid domes. So you will still be able to hear your own voice. This makes the clarity of sound feel much more natural, which means you’re likely to wear your hearing aids far more often.
- No fitting time: Not having to wait is one of the greatest advantages of hearing aid domes. You can un-box them, put 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 demo a hearing aid before you buy it, they’re great for that too. For patients who want results faster, hearing aid domes can provide a way to achieve that without compromising the quality of your sound clarity.
- Everything sounds a little more natural: By selecting the right hearing aid dome type, you can ensure 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. Once 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 very big, especially when they’re in your ear. They’re pretty discrete in this way.
And, again, this means many individuals are more likely to use those hearing aids more often.
Are there downsides 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 prevalent are the following:
- They’re not always comfortable: Some people are uncomfortable with the feeling of something blocking their ear canal. Some people find this sensation, called “occlusion” by hearing specialist, intensely uncomfortable. Also, your hearing aid dome can become stuck in your ear if you pull it out too fast or if you don’t keep it clean. If this happens, you’ll most likely need to come see us to get it removed.
- Occasionally, they can cause feedback: Feedback, though not very common, sometimes does happen. This is particularly true for people who have high-frequency hearing loss.
- Some forms of hearing loss aren’t suited for hearing aid domes: For example, if you have 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, once again, it’s the feedback that becomes the problem. It’s the hearing aid itself that’s an issue with profound hearing loss: you’ll require something that’s larger 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. It’s up to you but we can help. And we will discuss your individual needs and help advise you on the pros and cons.
For some individuals, it may be worth waiting the extra couple of weeks for a custom-fit device. Others will build healthy lifelong hearing habits by choosing a solution that allows them to begin using their new hearing aids right away.
You’ve got options and that’s the nice thing.