You’ve been putting off calling us to see if you need hearing aids, but you’ve finally decided it’s time. Like many, you’ve been resisting this. But the stress of living life without being able to hear has finally become too much.
So when you do finally come in and then you learn that you will still need to wait another couple of weeks before you obtain your custom fit hearing aids, it can be discouraging.
That’s another two weeks struggling with those lost moments before you can start getting them back. But you could try a basic little device add on known as a hearing aid dome instead.
What exactly is a hearing aid dome?
Doesn’t that sound sort of epic? Like hearing aids dueling in some type of ancient mythical arena. Only one hearing aid can emerge victorious from the hearing aid dome.
It’s not quite that exciting. They are rather cool though. Hearing aid domes go on the end of your hearing aid speakers like little earbuds. Generally made of plastic or silicone, they fit over that little part that goes in your ear canal, connecting to the tubing of your hearing aid. You can use them on both behind-the-ear and in-ear models. Here are the two basic functions:
- They situate the hearing aid speaker (the bit that you listen to) in an ideal position within your ear canal. And they help keep the speaker in place. That way it’s not wiggling around.
- In some cases, outside sound can interfere with the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help stop that by regulating the amount of outside sound. Hearing aid domes work to improve the sound quality and offer an extra bit of control when used properly.
Those small bulbs at the end of earbuds are a lot like hearing aid domes. There are multiple hearing aid dome styles, so we will help you choose the one that’s best for your situation.
Different types of hearing aid domes
Most come in open and closed styles, each letting in more or less ambient sound.
Hearing aid dome types include:
Open Domes
With these, more sound is able to pass 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 people with more profound hearing loss, background noise can be really distracting and this type of dome can help with that.
Power Domes
Power domes have no holes and totally block external sounds. With these, nearly no external sound can get in. These are most effective for very profound hearing loss.
Do hearing aid domes need to be changed?
For best effect, you should change your hearing aid domes every 2-3 months (your ears can be a bit unclean in there).
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.
What are the benefits of hearing aid domes?
There are a number of reasons why hearing aid domes are prevalent. Here are a few common advantages:
- The external world sounds more clear and natural: By finding the best hearing aid dome type, you can guarantee that your hearing aids generate a natural overall sound and enhanced sound clarity. Most likely, some sound will still get through and that’s the reason for this. Again, this depends on the style of dome, and we can help you with this.
- No fitting time: One of the most popular (and immediate) benefits of hearing aid domes is that you don’t have to wait. You can pop them in and use your hearing aid immediately. This is an ideal option for individuals who don’t want to wait weeks for custom fit hearing aids. It’s also great for people who want to try out their hearing aids before they purchase them. With hearing aid domes, patients don’t have to sacrifice sound clarity to get quicker results.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes are pretty small, especially when they’re tucked inside your ear. In this way, they can be rather discrete.
- You’re able to hear your own voice: Some hearing aid domes are created to let a natural level of sound get through. This means you will still be able to hear your own voice as you naturally would. You’re more likely to use your hearing aids more often if they sound clear and natural.
And, again, this means many people are more likely to use those hearing aids more often.
Are there drawbacks to hearing aid domes?
As with any hearing device or medical procedure, there are some drawbacks and trade-offs to hearing aid domes, trade=offs you’ll want to consider before deciding. Here are a few of the most common:
- They aren’t always comfortable: Some people are uncomfortable with the feeling of something filling their ear canal. Some people find this sensation, called “occlusion” by hearing specialist, intensely 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 might separate from the tubing and get lodged in your ear canal. You’ll most likely need to come in and see us to get it removed if this happens.
- They can sometimes be more prone to feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily typical, but it does occur. For people who have high frequency hearing loss, this is particularly true.
- Not suitable for all types of hearing loss: As an example, hearing aid domes won’t be the ideal choice if you have high frequency hearing loss or profound hearing loss. Once again, the feedback can become a problem with high frequency hearing loss. It’s the hearing aid itself that’s a problem with profound hearing loss: the type of hearing aid commonly associated with hearing aid domes is usually not large or powerful enough for this kind of hearing loss.
Should I get hearing aid domes?
Ultimately, the decision 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 be able to walk you through all the pros and cons related to your unique hearing health.
For some people, it may be worth waiting the extra couple of weeks for a custom-fit device. For other people, the immediate results of hearing aids you can use today will build healthy, lifelong hearing habits.
You have options and that’s the good thing.
