You’ve been avoiding calling us to see if you need hearing aids, but you’ve finally decided it’s time. You have been resisting this like so many other people. But the stress of living life without being able to hear has finally become too hard to ignore.
So it’s a bit discouraging when you’re at the hearing specialist’s office and you find out that you’re going to need 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 simple little device add on called a hearing aid dome instead.
What are hearing aid domes?
Doesn’t that sound kind of epic? Like some type of arena where hearing aids battle in ancient, mythological combat. Welcome to the Hearing Aid Dome: Two hearing aids enter…but only one leaves!
It’s not quite that exciting. They are pretty cool though. Hearing aid domes are like little earbuds that you can place on the end of your hearing aid speaker. 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. You can use them on both behind-the-ear and in-ear models. Here are the two general functions:
- They assure that the speaker of the hearing aid is seated in an optimal position in your ear. And they position the speaker so it won’t move around in your ear.
- On occasion, external sound can impede the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help stop that by regulating the amount of outside sound. When properly used, hearing aid domes offer you a bit of extra control and work to improve 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 ideal for you from a number of kinds, and we can help you do that.
Different types of hearing aid domes
Open types and closed types each let in different levels of ambient sound.
Hearing aid domes come in different types, including:
Open Domes
These have holes in the dome that allow more outside sound to pass through and into your ears. 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. These are better for more pronounced hearing loss where ambient noise can be a distraction.
Power Domes
Power domes completely block the ear canal and have no holes. With these, nearly no external sound can get in. These are most effective for very profound hearing loss.
How frequently should you change your hearing aid domes?
Every two to three months will be the best schedule for changing your hearing aid domes (your ears can be a bit dirty in there).
Hearing aid domes can typically be used right out of the box. In fact, that’s one of their primary benefits.
How will I benefit by using hearing aid buds?
There are numerous reasons why hearing aid domes are prevalent. The most common benefits include the following:
- The outside world sounds more clear and natural: By choosing the correct hearing aid dome type, you can be certain that your hearing aids produce a natural overall sound and enhanced sound clarity. Most likely, some sound will still get in and that’s the reason for this. Once again, this depends on the style of dome, and we can help you with this.
- 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 can still hear your own voice as you naturally would. This makes the clarity of sound seem a lot more natural, which means you’re more likely to wear your hearing aids far more often.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes are fairly small, especially when they’re tucked inside your ear. They’re pretty discrete in this way.
- No fitting time: Not having to wait is one of the greatest advantages of hearing aid domes. You can put them in and use your hearing aid right away. This is an ideal option for people who don’t want to wait weeks for custom fit hearing aids. It’s also great for individuals who want to demo their hearing aids before they buy them. With hearing aid domes, you don’t need to sacrifice sound clarity to get quicker results.
And again, this will mean you’re less likely to leave your hearing aid sitting on your nightstand.
Are there drawbacks to hearing aid domes?
You’ll want to be mindful of some of the downsides and trade-offs that come with hearing aid domes. Here are a few of the most prevalent:
- They can sometimes be uncomfortable: Some people don’t like the feeling of something blocking their ear canal. Hearing specialists call this feeling “occlusion,” and some people can find it 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 stuck in your ear canal. If this happens, you’ll likely need to come see us to have it removed.
- They can occasionally be more prone to feedback: Feedback isn’t necessarily typical, but it does happen. This is especially true for those who are dealing with high-frequency hearing loss.
- Not ideal 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. 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: you’ll require something that’s larger and which has more power than the styles typically associated with hearing aid domes.
Should I use hearing aid domes?
It’s mostly a personal decision whether you use hearing aid domes. We can help but it’s up to you. And we will be able to help you understand all the pros and cons related to your unique hearing health.
For some individuals, it might 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 start using their new hearing aids immediately.
You have options and that’s the nice thing.