After months (maybe even years) of waiting, you’ve finally resolved to contact us to find out if you should get hearing aids. Like many other people, you’ve been resisting this. But the stress of going through life without being able to hear has finally become too hard to ignore.
So when you do finally come in and then you learn that you will still need to wait another two weeks before you obtain your custom fit hearing aids, it can be discouraging.
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 kind of epic? Like hearing aids dueling in some type of ancient mythical arena. Welcome to the Hearing Aid Dome: Two hearing aids enter…but only one leaves!
Well, it’s a little less exciting than that. But they are rather neat. Hearing aid domes are like tiny earbuds that you can place on the end of your hearing aid speaker. Usually made of silicone or plastic, they attach to the tubing of your hearing aid and fit around the part that goes into your ear canal. They’re made for behind-the-ear or inside-the-ear-canal models of hearing aids. And they generally do two things:
- They guarantee that the speaker of the hearing aid is seated in an ideal position in your ear. And they help keep the speaker in place. That way it’s not wiggling around.
- On occasion, 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. When properly used, hearing aid domes provide you with some extra control and work to improve sound clarity.
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.
What is the difference between hearing aid domes?
Open types and closed types each let in different amounts of background sound.
Hearing aid dome models include:
Open Domes
These have openings in the dome that allow more natural sound to get through and into your ears. You get the advantage of amplification while still being able to process external sounds.
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 external sounds. This means very little to no sound at all can get into the ear canal. These domes will be ideal for individuals with extremely severe hearing loss.
How often should you change your hearing aid domes?
Every two to three months will be the ideal schedule for changing your hearing aid domes (your ears aren’t the dirtiest place, but they aren’t the cleanest, either).
For most people, hearing aid domes can be used right out of the box. That’s one of the best things about them.
How will I benefit by using hearing aid buds?
Hearing aid domes are prevalent for a wide variety of reasons. The most common advantages include the following:
- The outside world sounds more clear and natural: You can be certain your hearing aids produce a clear, natural sound quality by selecting the right type of hearing aid domes. That’s because some sound will still (probably) get in. Once again, this depends on the type of dome, and we will help you with this.
- 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. This makes the clarity of sound feel much more natural, which means you’re likely to wear your hearing a great deal more often.
- Hearing aid domes can be more discrete: Hearing aid domes are fairly small, particularly when they’re tucked inside your ear. They’re pretty discrete in this way.
- No fitting time: One of the most prominent (and immediate) benefits of hearing aid domes is that you don’t have to wait. You can un-box them, pop them on your hearing aid and you’re good to go. For individuals who don’t want to wait for custom fit hearing aids, it’s the best option. 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 need to sacrifice sound clarity to get quicker results.
And again, this will mean you’re not as likely to leave your hearing aid sitting on your nightstand.
What are the 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 don’t like the feeling of something blocking their ear canal. Hearing specialists call this feeling “occlusion,” and some individuals can find it extremely unpleasant. Also, your hearing aid dome can get lodged in your ear if you pull it out too fast or if you don’t keep it clean. If this happens, you’ll likely need to come see us to get it removed.
- They can occasionally be more prone to feedback: Feedback, though not very common, sometimes does happen. For individuals who are dealing with high frequency hearing loss, this is particularly true.
- Some types of hearing loss aren’t suited for hearing aid domes: For instance, if you are suffering from profound hearing loss or high frequency hearing loss, hearing aid domes may not be the preferred option for you. Once again, the feedback can become a problem with high frequency hearing loss. For individuals with profound hearing loss, it’s really the hearing aid itself that’s the issue: you’ll need something that’s larger and which is more powerful than the styles typically associated with hearing aid domes.
Should I get hearing aid domes?
Ultimately, the choice of whether you should use hearing aid domes or not is largely a personal one. We can help but it’s your choice. And we will discuss your specific needs and help advise you on the pros and cons.
For some individuals, it may be worth waiting the extra two weeks for a custom-fit device. For other people, the quick results of hearing aids you can use today will create healthy, lifelong hearing habits.
You’ve got options and that’s the nice thing.