After months (possibly even years) of waiting, you’ve finally decided to contact us to find out if you should get hearing aids. Like many other people, you’ve been resisting this. But the inconvenience, the lost moments, the missing interactions, they all finally became too hard to ignore.
So when you do finally come in and then you find out that you will still have to wait another couple of 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. 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 sort of epic? Like some kind of arena where hearing aids battle in ancient, mythical combat. Welcome to the Hearing Aid Dome: Two hearing aids enter…but only one leaves!
It’s not really that thrilling. But they are rather neat. Hearing aid domes are put on the end of your hearing aid speakers like tiny earbuds. Usually made of silicone or plastic, they connect to the tubing of your hearing aid and fit on the part that goes in your ear canal. You can use them with both behind-the-ear and in-ear models. Here are the two basic functions:
- They assure that the speaker of the hearing aid is sitting in an optimal position in your ear. And they position the speaker so it won’t jiggle around in your ear.
- On occasion, external sound can impede the sound of your hearing aid and hearing aid domes help avoid that by regulating the amount of outside sound. When properly used, hearing aid domes provide you with a bit of extra control and work to enhance sound clarity.
Domes for hearing aids look sort of like those bulbs at the end of your earbuds. You will have to select 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
Open types and closed types each let in different levels of ambient 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
As the name indicates, these domes have fewer holes and block more ambient sound than open domes can. These are better for more pronounced hearing loss where background noise can be distracting.
Power Domes
Power domes have no holes and totally block outside sounds. This means virtually no sound at all can get into the ear canal. These are most practical for extremely profound hearing loss.
Do hearing aid domes need to be swapped out?
For best results, you should swap out 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 worn right out of the box. In fact, that’s one of their primary benefits.
What are the advantages of hearing aid domes?
There are a number of reasons why hearing aid domes are popular. The most widespread benefits include the following:
- You can hear your own voice: A natural level of sound can get through some models of hearing aid domes. So you will still be able to hear your own voice. You’re more likely to use your hearing aids more often if they sound clear and natural.
- The outside world sounds more clear and natural: You can be certain your hearing aids produce a clear, natural sound quality by picking the right type of hearing aid domes. That’s because some sound will still (probably) get through. Once again, this depends on the style of dome, and we can help you with this.
- No fitting time: Not having to wait is one of the best advantages of hearing aid domes. You can un-box them, put them on your hearing aid and you’re good to go. For people who don’t want to wait for custom fit hearing aids, it’s the ideal solution. It’s also great for people who want to demo their hearing aids before they purchase them. For people who want faster results, hearing aid domes can provide a way to achieve that without compromising the quality of your sound clarity.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes aren’t that big, especially when they’re in your ear. In this way, they can be rather discrete.
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?
As with any hearing device or medical treatment, there are some downsides and trade-offs to hearing aid domes, trade=offs you’ll want to think about before making a decision. Among the most prevalent are the following:
- They aren’t always comfortable: Having something filling the ear canal can be very uncomfortable for some individuals. Hearing specialists call this sensation “occlusion,” and some individuals can find it intensely uncomfortable. Additionally, if you take your hearing aid dome out too fast (or don’t clean it frequently enough), there’s the possibility that it might separate from the tubing and get stuck 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 common, but it does happen. This is especially true for individuals who have high-frequency hearing loss.
- Some forms of hearing loss aren’t suited for hearing aid domes: For example, 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, again, it’s the feedback that becomes the problem. It’s the hearing aid itself that’s an issue with profound hearing loss: the kind of hearing aid commonly associated with hearing aid domes is usually not large or powerful enough for this type of hearing loss.
So are hearing aid domes right for me?
Ultimately, the choice of whether you should use hearing aid domes or not is largely a personal one. It’s your choice but we can help. And we will look at your specific needs and help advise you on the pros and cons.
Some people might be better off waiting for a custom fitting. For others, the quick results of hearing aids you can wear today will build healthy, lifelong hearing habits.
The good thing is that you’ve got options.
