After months (maybe even years) of waiting, you’ve finally resolved to contact us to see if you need hearing aids. You have been resisting this like so many others. But the difficulty of living life without being able to hear has finally become too hard to ignore.
So when you do finally come in and then you find out that you will still need to wait another couple of weeks before you obtain your custom fit hearing aids, it can be frustrating.
That’s another two weeks coping with those lost moments before you can begin getting them back. However, there is another option: a deceptively simple device add-on, called hearing aid domes.
What are hearing aid domes?
Doesn’t that sound sort of epic? Like some kind of arena where hearing aids duel in ancient, mythical combat. Only one hearing aid can come forth victorious from the hearing aid dome.
It’s not really that thrilling. They are rather cool though. Hearing aid domes go on the end of your hearing aid speakers like little earbuds. Usually made of silicone or plastic, they attach to the tubing of your hearing aid and fit on the part that goes into your ear canal. You can use them with both behind-the-ear and in-ear models. Here are the two general functions:
- They position the hearing aid speaker (the part that you listen to) in an optimal position inside of your ear canal. And they position the speaker so it won’t jiggle around in your ear.
- They can help control the amount of outside sound you hear, particularly when that external sound can interfere with the function of your hearing aid. Hearing aid domes work to improve the sound quality and provide an extra bit of control when used properly.
Domes for hearing aids look sort of like those bulbs at the end of your earbuds. There are multiple hearing aid dome types, 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 amounts of background sound.
Hearing aid dome types include:
Open Domes
These have holes 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 advantage 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 a distraction.
Power Domes
Power domes have no holes and completely block outside sounds. This means very little to no sound at all can pass into the ear canal. These are most practical for extremely profound 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 can be a bit dirty in there).
Hearing aid domes can typically be worn right out of the box. As a matter of fact, that’s one of their primary benefits.
How will I benefit by using hearing aid buds?
Hearing aid domes are popular for a wide array of reasons. Here are a few common benefits:
- You can hear your own voice: A natural amount of sound can get through some models of hearing aid domes. This means you will still be able to 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 use your hearing a great deal more often.
- No fitting time: One of the most prominent (and immediate) benefits of hearing aid domes is that you don’t need to wait. You can un-box them, pop them on your hearing aid and you’re good to go. This is an ideal solution for individuals who don’t want to wait weeks for custom fit hearing aids. It’s also good for individuals who want to try out their hearing aids before they buy them. With hearing aid domes, you don’t have 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 selecting the right type of hearing aid domes. Most likely, some sound will still get through and that’s the reason for this. Once again, this depends on the style of dome, and we can help you with this.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes aren’t very big, particularly when they’re in your ear. In this way, they can be rather discrete.
And, once again, this means many individuals are more likely to wear 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 think about before deciding. Here are a few of the most prevalent:
- They aren’t always comfortable: Some individuals are uncomfortable with the feeling of something blocking their ear canal. Some individuals find this sensation, called “occlusion” by hearing specialist, intensely uncomfortable. Also, your hearing aid dome can become lodged in your ear if you pull it out too quickly or if you don’t keep it clean. If this happens, you’ll likely need to come see us to have it removed.
- Sometimes, they can cause feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily typical, but it does occur. For individuals who are dealing with high frequency hearing loss, this is particularly true.
- Not suitable for all forms of hearing loss: As an illustration, hearing aid domes won’t be the best choice if you have high frequency hearing loss or profound hearing loss. 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 a problem with profound hearing loss: the type of hearing aid typically associated with hearing aid domes is usually not large or powerful enough for this kind of hearing loss.
Should I get hearing aid domes?
Inevitably, the choice of whether you should use hearing aid domes or not is mostly a personal one. It’s your choice but we can help. And we will look at your individual needs and help advise you on the pros and cons.
Some people might do better waiting for a custom fitting. 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 nice thing.