I’m just getting used to hearing aids I just got mines last week on Tuesday or Friday and it’s hard to wear them with their wiring so I’m watching this to see if I need a hearing aid done or a custom Ear dome I have been hearing my moms apple headphones aka apple earbuds for months I been looking for answers why my hearing aids hurt my ears they come with all sorts of different kinds of hear aids domes and custom earldoms I been sending this to my mom and grandmother to see what they thank I thank what I’m wearing in my hearing aids now is too big or too little for me that’s what my grandmother Thanks so thank you for making this for people like me new for hearing aids who don’t know what to wear with them
When i got my first hearing aids I had the domes, somewhere along along the way i decided to get a custom moulds done and it helped improve my hearing by quite a bit.
I have moderate to severe hearing loss. I use Phonak P90's with custom silicone earmolds, and for me, it is no contest. I find the custom earmolds to be more comfortable, easier to insert and remove, and to give a more consistant hearing experience than domes. Also, I rarely need to change wax guards.
What type of molds do you have? I have the phonak llumity ones and I just tried the silicon slim tip ones,.. Sounded amazing, but were too painful and really hard to get in and out despite the fact that my right one was too big
@@kaylasmusic It sounds like there are differences in design between earmolds for the Paradise hearing aids, and the Lumity. Thanks for the tip. Guesss I won't consider getting Lumity aids.
@@Russ188 Its not the hearing aid itself, its just the mold needs to be remade to fit me better but the sound quality of the lumity is amazing, I have the closed domes in the meantime but im going to try a different kind of mold,.. Again, no matter what hearing aid it is, the mold is a completely separate component and has nothing to do with the hearing aid itself.. in fact,.. you probably, if not certainly take your hearing aid mold from your paradise ones and put them in a lumity pair.. They're actually very good hearing aids and I wouldn't change my pair, it's just I need a different kind of mold, its not because the hearing aid are bad, which thy are not. They are amazing
My VA audiologist changed me to a different type of custom mold a couple of weeks ago. The difference is remarkable. Just know that you have a choice of custom molds available. I also use a partner microphone but I'm getting a Roger on microphone tomorrow. If you don't have one of these devices you are short changing yourself.
My son and I both tried domes and couldn't stand them. The physical sensation of the amplification in the canal with RIC was just maddening anytime there was loud noise. I FAR prefer my custom moulds. But my brother, whose loss according to the audiograms you showed, would also better be suited to custom moulds but his aud gave him domes. I feel like some auds assume most folks would prefer less visible and domes seem to be preferred for that reason- even though you rightly showed there's not a huge difference- but also many of us DON'T care and would rather hear as well as we can regardless of looks. Thanks for breaking it down.
@@kaylasmusic I have no problem with both being available and people choosing what suits them better. But too often I find most aids assume people want the most invisible option. Some of us don't care at all and care more about comfort and functionality and for us... Domes just aren't it.
My ear canal is very narrow and the a small dome is what is needed but hurts my ear canal skin when pushing it in Will a costume fit be better. It is being recommended
i'm thinking about custom ones reason might be easier to put in ? Might is the question . I have the Phillips sticking the domes in is problem for me lots of screwing around - i'm going to check with gal at Costco she got me from hating them because there were to loud now they work like they should i believe
Thank you for this video. I needed HA for a job where I had to pass hearing test and a friend gave me her kids old BTE hearing aid and I had to have custom mold. I have steeply sloping HF hearing loss per my audiogram and I like my custom ear molds, hopefully I can get new ones made for a new RIC hearing aid.
Thank you for this video, this is helping me communicate with my audiologist better. I have severely sloping HL, just bought Oticon More 1s. The audiologist insisted I try out closed domes first because they feel I’m missing out on some correction. I feel like it’s still not quite right and somewhat annoying, now I know what I’m trying to describe is insertion loss. Since I don’t care about streaming at all I think I’m going to push for vented custom molds now. Thank you for giving me words!!
@@ILUVGOLF8 if you could possiby stream right from your computer or cellphone, TV.... it will make a WORLD of difference, or at least it did for me! in "real life" still have hard time with word recognition, background noise, loud noises and small noised becoming overwhelming yet someone talking to me is at about 50%. BUT when i "connected" to my computer, i was able to hear the sound, voices, even SOME music (but ive given up on that since i only have ONE GOOD EAR) almost like "normal" very clear, dont need to follow along with closed captioning, i can work while listening to my background news, etc. Good Luck
Additionally, I found that the microphone that the dome sits in put painful pressure on the inside of my ear canal. I went to hard fittings for comfort, to stop the feedback, and for better hearing. Did that on my left ear Resound and my right ear implant. BTW, you are so correct - the implant is a miracle. My discrimination went to over 90%!!
I’ve got the Phonak Paradise 90’s. My loss is pretty much across the board Moderately-Severe with a cookie cut dipping into severe. The domes on these RIC’s poke right into my canal walls, poor sound and uncomfortable. Went with custom acrylic C-Shells for both ears and it’s perfect.
I had the same problem! The Phonak power domes are painful! Doc just switched me to a Resound dome that’s much more comfortable in the short term. We’ll see if I like it after several long days in a row wearing them.
I have hearing loss that heavily slopes. It's normal hearing that slopes down to profound. So I need a lot of amplicication. for some frequxnies but not for others
Fantastic information about silicone dome and custom dome. Mine is custom dome and not comfortable for me ,I barely understand when people are talking to me.
OMG! I can hear things that I’ve never heard with previous hearing aids & the words are so much clearer. I do have it connected to my iPhone CR, so love the apps…Edge Mode. Also, I can wear these during my Water Aerobics Classes, but note I only go into water that is chest deep … I do not immerse my head & I have two styles of ear molds: -1)a custom ear mold that makes the speech clearer & help with water proofing. -2) a custom ear mold that is not water proof. *** Just rec’d Starkey Genesis AI (24) hearing aids with custom ear molds.
I have both for profound ski slope loss. I find the domes much more comfortable and cosmetically pleasing. But for playing my guitar, can't beat the vented ear molds to allow natural frequencies in.
Its all gotta be the right components and right kind of mold.. If the molds not feeling right, you gotta get it remade.. Hearing aids are way to expensive and important devices and you deserve them to work the best.. I've had both.. Some ways, I feel the only reason why the domes are better is because of the more open fitting. They Still have plenty annoying things about them.. They are sometimes very hard to get in to my ears, the sound quality is probably better with the molds I think. The only slightly annoying thing about the molds is that it has a bit of an occluding feeling but depends on the earmold
After getting vented domes a few months ago with my first ever set of HA and having issues, I just received my custom C Shell Phonak earmolds. Huge difference. Great video, very helpful as it literally came out the day after we decided to go Custom molds.
Just wondering your type of hearing loss. I've been wanting to try c shell molds. I've have high frequency hearing loss. Just got phonak lumitys. Was there a big difference in sound quality an understanding? I'm still adjusting to new aids. Coming from Oticon open s1.
@@bobbray4696 I have what is called a reverse slope. Severe low frequency loss that slopes upward towards the middle range frequencies to mild loss, and then slopes back down towards the higher frequency to moderate too severe. The Phonak custom C Shell molds have been amazing one month in of using them. But I think if you have a first-rate Audiologist doing best practices you need to discuss this with him. These are my first HA so I have nothing to compare them too. I do know they work great, especially with the new ear molds. Solved about 98% of the problems I was having with my vented Domes.
Thats good to know, I am also getting the cshell molds too.. I have a flat moderate hearing loss but the domes don’t really like me for some reason,.. I have also tried the silicon slimtip mold, but they were too big and hurt my ears, didn’t really seem so fit for the RIC,.. although the quality of the sound was amazing so im hoping that the Acrylic cshells are good
I have just been dx'd w/ mild to moderate hearing loss and tinnitus which truly is affecting my daily well-being. You made a statement in your video something to the effect "if a audiologist knows what they're doing". How does one know that, and find such a professional?(This entire thing is disheartening since l'm a low and single income household this huge expense is beyond my reach.)
I've got Oticon BTE miniRITEs and they're perfect for me. I've got flat hearing loss of 65 decibels and I use closed rubber domes, which work well for me
My hearing aid professional recommended that I try custom mold this time because of my hearing loss. I have always used domes. I tried them for a month but I had two problems with them. First of all, it hurt to put them in each morning. One ear was raw on the inside. I couldn’t wait to get them off at night. The second problem was the inside of my ear was always wet from them. I have never had problems with that before. I had to take molds out several times a day to dry out my ears. My ears were constantly itchy because of this. I was worried about damaging the hearing aid with all the extra moisture so I had them change the Molds to domes. Is this normal?
QUESTION... I have a new ITE hearing aid with a custom mold which I am hating (for a couple of reasons) but this question relates to the way music sounds and I love music! As an example listening to the radio in my car is beyond terrible. I'm going to switch to a RIC (infinio sphere) and I want to make sure I pick the right Dome. I only have moderate hearing loss and I'd love to be able to jump in the car, turn on some Metallica, and be able to enjoy my drive again with music I love. What would you recommend? FYI... seems to me if I want to stream music at the gym or something best bet is going to be to swap to a nice set of earbuds, they seem to have much better audio qualities for music only situations so it's mostly listening to music in the wild I'm asking about.
I went with custom ear molds after dealing with itchy domes. My ears are sensitive and seem to only like the ear molds. It could be that I have an allergy to the material in the domes.
Thank you Dr Cliff for sharing info rubber domes vs custom ear mold. Can you speak a little slower so I can follow your talk. Your presentation is good, voice is clear and I can hear very clearly without ear aids.
Thank you very much for your excellent explanations, not just with this video but on many of the others as well. As others have stated, this tremendously helps to have a much better and meaningful dialogue between audiologists and patients.
Great stuff Dr. Cliff! Thank you for all the information as a hearing aid wearer for 55 years from mild moderate now to severe profound no hearing healthcare professional has ever taken the time to explain this. But again I never asked or maybe I didn’t care. Thank you! My ears are tired from custom ear molds! Always need a breather, important to keep them clean from in the canal moisture & sweat, bacteria to minimize skin irritation for long use wearers. Happy thanksgiving!
I tried the dome hearing aids about a year ago and I experienced severe itching and could not wear them. I am a musician and sing and play guitar so I want to hear my best without the severe itching. I literally took them out and threw them across the room!
Hi, thanks for the videos. Could it make sense to have one ear have a dome and the other to have a custom mold? Due to a mastoidectomy as a toddler, I have severe hearing loss in one ear ( with profound at 8000 level) I have mild hearing loss in the other (with moderate at the 8000 level). Thank you
I have continually had an issue with the aids slipping out as well as feed back. Therefore, I am having them make a mold hoping the mold will rectify these issues.
That's good to know for my next hearing aid upgrade in July 2023. So when I go in July I know what to ask the audiologist about which one is best my hearing loss
@@DrCliffAuD hi doc, I just got a phonecall from my audiologist and he said widex doesn't do custom shell in the canal for widex sheer BUT custom mold for external ear. That sucks.
I have a tent-shaped hearing loss (~50db loss on the low end, ~67dB loss on the high end, ~20dB loss in the middle) in my right ear and I'm struggling to find a good solution with various RIC hearing aids with standard domes. Would a tent-shaped hearing loss benefit from a custom mold?
It's because of this very thing I can't get a job as a nurse any more. I insisted on the molds for my severe to profound hearing loss, even when waiting for the repair on my original hearing aid, but they refused.
Would the custom ear molds work better for someone who has moderate to severe hearing loss and on top of my high frequency loss now my word recognition has diminished as well.
THANKS for another excellent topic! Can you advise more about power domes? It seems most of your comparisons were open domes vs earmolds. Maybe you are not a fan of power domes? I use and like them and think of them as an choice in between open and earmold, one that has better bass retention. I do listen to a LOT of audio streaming, audiobooks and some music and like having solid bass. Given that and an audiogram that is typical moderate/severe, normal slope, is my view of power domes accurate? THANKS again for all your advice, and be assured that one of your recommended "Best Practices" audiologists has done a superb job for me over the past couple of years.
Hi Dr. Cliff, Thanks for another insightful topic & video. Any thoughts on a custom ear-mold for a CROS receiver device for people with single-sided/assymetrical hearing loss? Assume should allow for sounds coming from CROS transmitter into your normally/perfectly hearing ear not to be cancelled out by noisy (even slightly noisy) & competing background sounds sneaking in (which freely happens if open-vent) Alternatively, maybe insertion loss and occlusion affect make this set-up unworkable? If so, what size/type of vented dome do you recommended for the normally hearing ear, to try to overcome the above stated "noise" issues? Thanks.
The CROS receiver is just a mic so an open dome is perfectly appropriate for this side the size just depends on your canal size. in terms of a mould for the good ear, if the hearing is within normal limits, a mould would need to have a large vent to avoid occlusion as you mentioned, however once the vent gets above around 3.5-4mm this is effectively the same as an open dome in terms of acoustics.
I I have custom earmolds. They are comfortable. I have severe tinnitus, because of 50 years of being a rock guitar player. The jury is out, so far, as to if it is helping or not
Is there a hearing aid for people with a neurological problem like Parkinson which causes fine motor deterioration, difficulty in changing batteries, cleaning , and placement of dome/ mold inside ear?
Great video Dr. Cliff. What would you recommend for someone with a notch type of hearing loss, with a steep high frequency drop in both ears. They both start at about 1k, but one recovers starting at 6 and goes to 8k, the other does not recover at 5-6 k, both notches at around -60dB.
Great information as aways I am due to change from rubber domes to custom domes next week. A question I forgot to ask my audiologist when he was creating the silicone moulds, and was not brought up by him: Are custom ear domes more likely to cause occlusion. I have moderate to severe hearing loss and I am assuming there will be no vent on the custom dome.
im moderate to severe and my molds have always had a small vent, like maybe 0.1mm size vent, and i dont have any occlusion effects going on, so perhaps there will be a tiny vent and you wont have to deal with it.
For me, I do not like the behind the ear hearing aids at all. They irritate the backs of my ears and I feel like I don’t hear as well with them. I’m on my third pair of hearing aids which I’ve started wearing hearing aids in my 20s, I’m now in my 40s, and these are my second pair being the custom in the ear hearing aids. I love the custom in the ear hearing aids better. They’re more comfortable and I definitely hear better with them.
Hi Dr Cliff, another great informative video. Could custom earmolds be fitted on my Phonak audeo paradise RIC aids or does it need a special receiver wire? Hope you can answer, getting fed up of my power domes slipping out. Keep up the fantastic work you are doing.
Hi Peter ! I have a new Phonaks Audeo Life Waterproof sweatproof rechargeable batteries hearing Aides that's base on the original Phonaks Audeo Paradise rechargeable batteries hearing Aides behind-The-Ears and I have Custom made hard plastic small ears molds and wires goes to the ears molds and to plugged in to the hearing Aides and both working great 👍 my old original Phonaks Milo Plus hearing Aides ears molds was a full-size fitted whole ears inside and outside the ears with a plastic tubes in which I don't like at all the old plastic tubes and plastic full-size ears molds required replacement every 3 to 5 years on ears molds and plastic tubes required changing the tubes every 6 months to 1 years or longer and I'm totally glad that I bought Custom made ears molds and wires to hook up to my new Phonaks Audeo Life Waterproof sweatproof rechargeable batteries hearing Aides and since June 2022 and I really believe you can benefit from new custom made ears molds and wires and they are venting to letting in air and out On Phonaks Audeo Paradise rechargeable batteries hearing Aides can have a Vented Active-Vent automatic close up to open up that is inside the Custom made ears molds and Dr.Cliff can explain it better than I can since my Phonaks Audeo Life Hearing Aides can't have Automatic Vent-Active inside the Custom made ears molds since it made to be waterproof and windproof and Sweatproof and that part ear molds are not waterproof and Sweatproof . I have regular vents holes next to the tiny speaker holes that in the ears canals and wires are next to the outside the ears molds and plastic grabbing wires to pulling out the ears molds since it barely sticks out of the ears lobes bottom holes . And I really Don't Know if that might work. But check out Dr.Cliff's Video of Phonaks Audeo Paradise hearing Aides on both types of behind-The-Ears and In-The-Ears Phonaks hearing Aides video . And asked your own professional Audiologist AuD Doctors and Hearing Aides dealership Audiologist center wherever you get your own hearing Aides from .
@@richa.s9912 Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question on the channel, I’m so happy that you are having a great success with you Audeo Life hearing aids. I am all for trying the custom moIds I am waiting on my audiologist to “research” it, guess I need to apply a bit of pressure.
I also have Phonak P-90s with custom ear molds mainly because my fingers are not agile enough to fight getting the little rubber or silicon domes in my ears.
Hey @peterturner244, yes they can, but I prefer a custom embedded C-Shell. This embeds the receiver inside of the earmold which provides a much better physical fit than a Slim Tip earmold.
Dr. Cliff - just got a new set of Truhearing (Signia) TH 6 RIC LI T aids about 2 months ago with domes and thinking about switching over to custom molds as per your videos! I get a lot of random squeaks with my domes! I also listen to a lot of music (streaming into my aids) and would like to hear more low ends. I am concerned about wax buildup because I get some now but the tip of the dome seems to help protect the receiver from the wax. In the custom molds (from what I see) the receiver is out in the open with no protection! Won't that be a problem for more wax buildup on it?
I'm a new hearing aid user (3 months) and catching up on all your videos. I have the dome and it drives me nuts. My ear canal is small and the squared end of the hearing aid below where the dome sits is constantly irritating inside my ear and feels sharp. Lately the inside of my ear is very itchy and a little sore. After reading up on this, I am changing up on the cleaning and disinfecting of the devices but I am curious if getting itchy ears and bacterial issues is more often with ear molds or domes?
I have not seen "canal locks", connected to custom ear molds, like I have with my Resound Ones. The canal locks are curved clear plastic "arms" that are CYA glued to the back of the ear molds below the vent holes. Dr. Cliff, could you show example of canal locks? It looks like there are some one-piece earmold/canal locks available which should not break apart like mine have done. I couldn't use hearing aids without earmolds with canal locks, have been using hearing aids with canal locks since Sept, 2017.
I got custom ear molds because my ear canals are radically different sizes plus I have a profound hearing loss in my right ear. I like the molds better than the domes I used before except I find that the filters clog up much more frequently. The domes helped keep wax away from the filters but with the molds, the filters are exposed. All in all, I prefer the custom molds.
I have moderate hearing loss. don’t like the way my own voice sounds with custom ear molds. As for music, I don’t stream, I think it sounds bad (custom ear molds or not). I eq my headphones to my audiogram for home use - sounds great. And for out and about, I just put my Bose cans over my hearing aids; not perfect but much better than streaming.
Custom ear molds are an extra cost to be added to the already significant cost of hearing aids. They also require the fitting professional to know how to produce an appropriate mould. Domes are the cheap and easy option.
May I ask what a reasonable range to pay for custom ear molds is? My insurance covers hearing aids but not ear molds and I need them due to my type of loss. My previous provider charged me under $100 and my new provider quoted me over $300, which seems outrageous. I realize that there are variables but that seems like a very wide range.
The custom earmold I'm wearing is annoying and it's causing me a lot of annoying pop ups when my ear canal becomes wet, I can't touch the left side of my face or laugh and an uncontrollable laugh causes me a somewhat loud painful pop up, I find myself these days having to remove the aid once or twice a day to dry it and dry my ear canal to avoid such pop ups. Accidently touching the tube also causes a freaking sudden loud sound, I'm afraid at this rate I'm going to damage what left of my hearing in no time.
How small can the c shell be made. Your example of steeply slopping high frequency hearing loss. Is almost exactly like like my audiogram. I have L90 lumity with small domes.
My audi seems reluctant to fit me for custom ear molds to fit my Phonak Lumity 90s. I have a cookie bite loss and she's not sure they'd be a good choice. I'm leaning towards giving them a try. Opinion? Much thanks!
Hello can i have a suggestion about my hearing loss and what hearing aid i need....my rigth ear 83.30 ATP and my left ear got 110.00...in my right ear what hearing aid do i need
My issue with custom earmolds was hearing myself chewing food while trying to maintain a conversation. Too much "in-my-head" nose from chewing which wasn't the case with rubber domes. Anyway to have custom earmolds moderate that sensation?
This generally means that your custom molds either do not have vents, or that the vents are too small. Unfortunately, it's a trial and error process and you need to find that sweet spot to reduce the amount of feedback while also letting enough low frequencies out (that stem from your jaw movement).
What kind of some would be best for cookie bite hearing loss? I've tried in ear and open dome hearing aids but I still can't understand what people are saying.
Another great piece of information. I wanted to be sure that you knew about an article in the October issue of AARP Bulletin, titled "The future of hearing Aids has Arrived." There were several items in the article that I am certain are misleading. I hope you'll look it over and help clarify the truth.
This is an excellent video! My question is: can custom ear molds be fit after the fact to a Zabra Enhance 200 or similar hearing aid? Zebra doesn't offer the option but from watching your video and looking at my hearing test it looks like they would be the best option. Thanks!
@@wf8058 You need to go back the hearing aid clinic that fitted you with the Jabra Enhance 200. They can assist you with this. If you bought them as an OTC product on line, that is a downside of the OCT products, it is tough to get the after sales support and there is little to no validation the product is correct and right for your type and shape of hearing loss. Also if the product you bought is called "Zabra" and not "Jabra" That is a whole different kettle of fish. A Zabra is a 16th century sailing vessel and if someone sold you hearing aids under that name, they are knock-offs of the Jabra. 😬
Question: would hearing aids with domes be similar to eargos ??? I'm leaning toward the Eargos but price is still a factor for me. Thanks for any replies. Russ
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I’m just getting used to hearing aids I just got mines last week on Tuesday or Friday and it’s hard to wear them with their wiring so I’m watching this to see if I need a hearing aid done or a custom Ear dome I have been hearing my moms apple headphones aka apple earbuds for months I been looking for answers why my hearing aids hurt my ears they come with all sorts of different kinds of hear aids domes and custom earldoms I been sending this to my mom and grandmother to see what they thank I thank what I’m wearing in my hearing aids now is too big or too little for me that’s what my grandmother Thanks so thank you for making this for people like me new for hearing aids who don’t know what to wear with them
You are an excellent communicator. Learned so much from your videos.
When i got my first hearing aids I had the domes, somewhere along along the way i decided to get a custom moulds done and it helped improve my hearing by quite a bit.
I have moderate to severe hearing loss. I use Phonak P90's with custom silicone earmolds, and for me, it is no contest. I find the custom earmolds to be more comfortable, easier to insert and remove, and to give a more consistant hearing experience than domes. Also, I rarely need to change wax guards.
What type of molds do you have? I have the phonak llumity ones and I just tried the silicon slim tip ones,.. Sounded amazing, but were too painful and really hard to get in and out despite the fact that my right one was too big
@@kaylasmusic It sounds like there are differences in design between earmolds for the Paradise hearing aids, and the Lumity. Thanks for the tip. Guesss I won't consider getting Lumity aids.
@@Russ188 Its not the hearing aid itself, its just the mold needs to be remade to fit me better but the sound quality of the lumity is amazing, I have the closed domes in the meantime but im going to try a different kind of mold,.. Again, no matter what hearing aid it is, the mold is a completely separate component and has nothing to do with the hearing aid itself.. in fact,.. you probably, if not certainly take your hearing aid mold from your paradise ones and put them in a lumity pair.. They're actually very good hearing aids and I wouldn't change my pair, it's just I need a different kind of mold, its not because the hearing aid are bad, which thy are not. They are amazing
My VA audiologist changed me to a different type of custom mold a couple of weeks ago. The difference is remarkable. Just know that you have a choice of custom molds available. I also use a partner microphone but I'm getting a Roger on microphone tomorrow. If you don't have one of these devices you are short changing yourself.
My son and I both tried domes and couldn't stand them. The physical sensation of the amplification in the canal with RIC was just maddening anytime there was loud noise. I FAR prefer my custom moulds. But my brother, whose loss according to the audiograms you showed, would also better be suited to custom moulds but his aud gave him domes. I feel like some auds assume most folks would prefer less visible and domes seem to be preferred for that reason- even though you rightly showed there's not a huge difference- but also many of us DON'T care and would rather hear as well as we can regardless of looks. Thanks for breaking it down.
Domes offer a more open ear and better sound quality lmao 🤣, at least for me.. earmolds have a horrible occlusion
@@kaylasmusic I have no problem with both being available and people choosing what suits them better. But too often I find most aids assume people want the most invisible option. Some of us don't care at all and care more about comfort and functionality and for us... Domes just aren't it.
My ear canal is very narrow and the a small dome is what is needed
but hurts my ear canal skin when pushing it in
Will a costume fit be better. It is being recommended
@@olgaberest2117it hurts your ear canal?
I have never had rubber domes, so I can't compare them. However other than a few problems with my custom molds I love them.
Thanks. Still to buy hearing aids but now understand why my Audiologist prescribing vented dome.
i really need to see you for my hearing aids. ive had nothing but issues for the last 5 years with my custom molded aids.
Great video! I will now question my HA installer about custom ear molds since my domes are not comfortable & too much feedback!
i'm thinking about custom ones reason might be easier to put in ? Might is the question . I have the Phillips
sticking the domes in is problem for me lots of screwing around - i'm going to check with gal at Costco
she got me from hating them because there were to loud now they work like they should i believe
Thank you Dr. Cliff for an informative video. You answered my questions & concerns.
Thank you for this video. I needed HA for a job where I had to pass hearing test and a friend gave me her kids old BTE hearing aid and I had to have custom mold. I have steeply sloping HF hearing loss per my audiogram and I like my custom ear molds, hopefully I can get new ones made for a new RIC hearing aid.
Thank you for this video, this is helping me communicate with my audiologist better. I have severely sloping HL, just bought Oticon More 1s. The audiologist insisted I try out closed domes first because they feel I’m missing out on some correction. I feel like it’s still not quite right and somewhat annoying, now I know what I’m trying to describe is insertion loss. Since I don’t care about streaming at all I think I’m going to push for vented custom molds now. Thank you for giving me words!!
Oil
@@ILUVGOLF8 if you could possiby stream right from your computer or cellphone, TV.... it will make a WORLD of difference, or at least it did for me! in "real life" still have hard time with word recognition, background noise, loud noises and small noised becoming overwhelming yet someone talking to me is at about 50%. BUT when i "connected" to my computer, i was able to hear the sound, voices, even SOME music (but ive given up on that since i only have ONE GOOD EAR) almost like "normal" very clear, dont need to follow along with closed captioning, i can work while listening to my background news, etc. Good Luck
Additionally, I found that the microphone that the dome sits in put painful pressure on the inside of my ear canal. I went to hard fittings for comfort, to stop the feedback, and for better hearing. Did that on my left ear Resound and my right ear implant. BTW, you are so correct - the implant is a miracle. My discrimination went to over 90%!!
Ear molds were a game changer for me. A Mayo Clinic audiologist recommended them.
I’ve got the Phonak Paradise 90’s. My loss is pretty much across the board Moderately-Severe with a cookie cut dipping into severe. The domes on these RIC’s poke right into my canal walls, poor sound and uncomfortable. Went with custom acrylic C-Shells for both ears and it’s perfect.
I had the same problem! The Phonak power domes are painful! Doc just switched me to a Resound dome that’s much more comfortable in the short term. We’ll see if I like it after several long days in a row wearing them.
Thanks!
It is very interesting to get this information compared to the European market! 👍🏼
I do not see too many advantages on the dome side at all.
I have hearing loss that heavily slopes. It's normal hearing that slopes down to profound. So I need a lot of amplicication. for some frequxnies but not for others
Fantastic information about silicone dome and custom dome. Mine is custom dome and not comfortable for me ,I barely understand when people are talking to me.
More great info. I have learned so much from watching your videos!
OMG! I can hear things that I’ve never heard with previous hearing aids & the words are so much clearer. I do have it connected to my iPhone CR, so love the apps…Edge Mode.
Also, I can wear these during my Water Aerobics Classes, but note I only go into water that is chest deep … I do not immerse my head & I have two styles of ear molds:
-1)a custom ear mold that makes the speech clearer & help with water proofing.
-2) a custom ear mold that is not water proof.
*** Just rec’d Starkey Genesis AI (24) hearing aids with custom ear molds.
I have both for profound ski slope loss. I find the domes much more comfortable and cosmetically pleasing. But for playing my guitar, can't beat the vented ear molds to allow natural frequencies in.
Its all gotta be the right components and right kind of mold.. If the molds not feeling right, you gotta get it remade.. Hearing aids are way to expensive and important devices and you deserve them to work the best.. I've had both.. Some ways, I feel the only reason why the domes are better is because of the more open fitting. They Still have plenty annoying things about them.. They are sometimes very hard to get in to my ears, the sound quality is probably better with the molds I think. The only slightly annoying thing about the molds is that it has a bit of an occluding feeling but depends on the earmold
After getting vented domes a few months ago with my first ever set of HA and having issues, I just received my custom C Shell Phonak earmolds. Huge difference. Great video, very helpful as it literally came out the day after we decided to go Custom molds.
Just wondering your type of hearing loss. I've been wanting to try c shell molds. I've have high frequency hearing loss. Just got phonak lumitys. Was there a big difference in sound quality an understanding? I'm still adjusting to new aids. Coming from Oticon open s1.
@@bobbray4696 I have what is called a reverse slope. Severe low frequency loss that slopes upward towards the middle range frequencies to mild loss, and then slopes back down towards the higher frequency to moderate too severe. The Phonak custom C Shell molds have been amazing one month in of using them. But I think if you have a first-rate Audiologist doing best practices you need to discuss this with him. These are my first HA so I have nothing to compare them too. I do know they work great, especially with the new ear molds. Solved about 98% of the problems I was having with my vented Domes.
Thats good to know, I am also getting the cshell molds too.. I have a flat moderate hearing loss but the domes don’t really like me for some reason,.. I have also tried the silicon slimtip mold, but they were too big and hurt my ears, didn’t really seem so fit for the RIC,.. although the quality of the sound was amazing so im hoping that the Acrylic cshells are good
where do you buy these.
@@danielscroggins2688 Got everything from my AUD. Only your AUD can take your ear mold impressions. Phonak does the C Shells from the molds.
I have just been dx'd w/ mild to moderate hearing loss and tinnitus which truly is affecting my daily well-being. You made a statement in your video something to the effect "if a audiologist knows what they're doing". How does one know that, and find such a professional?(This entire thing is disheartening since l'm a low and single income household this huge expense is beyond my reach.)
Well, that explains a lot. Thank you very much. I really enjoy watching this video.
I've got Oticon BTE miniRITEs and they're perfect for me. I've got flat hearing loss of 65 decibels and I use closed rubber domes, which work well for me
My hearing aid professional recommended that I try custom mold this time because of my hearing loss. I have always used domes. I tried them for a month but I had two problems with them. First of all, it hurt to put them in each morning. One ear was raw on the inside. I couldn’t wait to get them off at night. The second problem was the inside of my ear was always wet from them. I have never had problems with that before. I had to take molds out several times a day to dry out my ears. My ears were constantly itchy because of this. I was worried about damaging the hearing aid with all the extra moisture so I had them change the
Molds to domes. Is this normal?
I have a Picasso I1600, it is cic and custom ear mold. I hardly even know it's in my ear. I would say it's extremely comfortable
QUESTION... I have a new ITE hearing aid with a custom mold which I am hating (for a couple of reasons) but this question relates to the way music sounds and I love music! As an example listening to the radio in my car is beyond terrible. I'm going to switch to a RIC (infinio sphere) and I want to make sure I pick the right Dome. I only have moderate hearing loss and I'd love to be able to jump in the car, turn on some Metallica, and be able to enjoy my drive again with music I love. What would you recommend? FYI... seems to me if I want to stream music at the gym or something best bet is going to be to swap to a nice set of earbuds, they seem to have much better audio qualities for music only situations so it's mostly listening to music in the wild I'm asking about.
Great explanation, Dr. Cliff. Thanks!
I went with custom ear molds after dealing with itchy domes. My ears are sensitive and seem to only like the ear molds. It could be that I have an allergy to the material in the domes.
Following, I had the same thoughts about itchiness and possibly allergy to the dome material.
Same here with new domes, I’ll have my custom molds in this week.
Thank you Dr Cliff for sharing info rubber domes vs custom ear mold. Can you speak a little slower so I can follow your talk. Your presentation is good, voice is clear and I can hear very clearly without ear aids.
Thank you very much for your excellent explanations, not just with this video but on many of the others as well. As others have stated, this tremendously helps to have a much better and meaningful dialogue between audiologists and patients.
I recently got custom molds with myPhonak aids and love them and wear them all day until the batteries run out at 15 hours.
How do I find a provider that does the 3D scan vs traditional impressions?
You have to ask the provider.
Are ear molds good for people with a cookie bite hearing loss?
Sorry I only eat a full size chocolate chip 🍪 cookies without any bite marks on it .
@@richa.s9912 me too. I love cookies. Lol
No, custom earmolds are not typically good for cookie bite hearing losses. Check out my Cookie Bite video.
@@DrCliffAuD thank you. I will check it out
Great stuff Dr. Cliff! Thank you for all the information as a hearing aid wearer for 55 years from mild moderate now to severe profound no hearing healthcare professional has ever taken the time to explain this. But again I never asked or maybe I didn’t care. Thank you!
My ears are tired from custom ear molds! Always need a breather, important to keep them clean from in the canal moisture & sweat, bacteria to minimize skin irritation for long use wearers. Happy thanksgiving!
Great video Dr. Cliff. Thank you so much!
Does above advice hold true for both RIC and BTE HAs?
Hi! Can you please do a video showing the canal, helix & skeleton locks? Thank you!
I tried the dome hearing aids about a year ago and I experienced severe itching and could not wear them. I am a musician and sing and play guitar so I want to hear my best without the severe itching. I literally took them out and threw them across the room!
Can you give a recommendation for moderate to profound cookie bite hearing loss?
What is nose sound ear treatments or medication?
Hi, thanks for the videos. Could it make sense to have one ear have a dome and the other to have a custom mold? Due to a mastoidectomy as a toddler, I have severe hearing loss in one ear ( with profound at 8000 level) I have mild hearing loss in the other (with moderate at the 8000 level). Thank you
Totally agree.
What is better material for the custom earmold, silicon or acrylic?
Which mold is best for firearm training?
Cleaning the custom made version. How do you clean part that goes in your ear?
I have mild to moderate hearing loss, they fitted a dome over many years and Ive never found the aids much use at all. Should I ask for the mold?
I have continually had an issue with the aids slipping out as well as feed back. Therefore, I am having them make a mold hoping the mold will rectify these issues.
talk about the ear locks please.
Very nice for new hearing aid 🦻 different 😊
Unhappy with adjusting domes on Phillips aids by Costco. Domes fall out and the pul strings were cut short by them. Not good, worse after cut shorter.
That's good to know for my next hearing aid upgrade in July 2023. So when I go in July I know what to ask the audiologist about which one is best my hearing loss
Can a Canal Lock hard mold be made for the M&RIE receiver?
Excelent video! Thanks! Dr Cliff, does widex moment can have xustom ear mold? Thanks
Yes they do. Just ordered some great Widex custom molds this past week!
@@DrCliffAuD you mean the moment BTE 440 can have custom mold?
@@VLiviu yes
@@DrCliffAuD hi doc, I just got a phonecall from my audiologist and he said widex doesn't do custom shell in the canal for widex sheer BUT custom mold for external ear. That sucks.
Do you pick out the hearing aid or do the client?
Please talk about hearing aids and tinnitus
Thanks
I have a tent-shaped hearing loss (~50db loss on the low end, ~67dB loss on the high end, ~20dB loss in the middle) in my right ear and I'm struggling to find a good solution with various RIC hearing aids with standard domes. Would a tent-shaped hearing loss benefit from a custom mold?
It's because of this very thing I can't get a job as a nurse any more. I insisted on the molds for my severe to profound hearing loss, even when waiting for the repair on my original hearing aid, but they refused.
Would the custom ear molds work better for someone who has moderate to severe hearing loss and on top of my high frequency loss now my word recognition has diminished as well.
THANKS for another excellent topic! Can you advise more about power domes? It seems most of your comparisons were open domes vs earmolds. Maybe you are not a fan of power domes? I use and like them and think of them as an choice in between open and earmold, one that has better bass retention. I do listen to a LOT of audio streaming, audiobooks and some music and like having solid bass. Given that and an audiogram that is typical moderate/severe, normal slope, is my view of power domes accurate? THANKS again for all your advice, and be assured that one of your recommended "Best Practices" audiologists has done a superb job for me over the past couple of years.
Hi Dr. Cliff, Thanks for another insightful topic & video. Any thoughts on a custom ear-mold for a CROS receiver device for people with single-sided/assymetrical hearing loss? Assume should allow for sounds coming from CROS transmitter into your normally/perfectly hearing ear not to be cancelled out by noisy (even slightly noisy) & competing background sounds sneaking in (which freely happens if open-vent) Alternatively, maybe insertion loss and occlusion affect make this set-up unworkable? If so, what size/type of vented dome do you recommended for the normally hearing ear, to try to overcome the above stated "noise" issues? Thanks.
The CROS receiver is just a mic so an open dome is perfectly appropriate for this side the size just depends on your canal size.
in terms of a mould for the good ear, if the hearing is within normal limits, a mould would need to have a large vent to avoid occlusion as you mentioned, however once the vent gets above around 3.5-4mm this is effectively the same as an open dome in terms of acoustics.
I
I have custom earmolds. They are comfortable. I have severe tinnitus, because of 50 years of being a rock guitar player. The jury is out, so far, as to if it is helping or not
Can a custom earmold be made that performs acoustically like an open dome but provides a better, more secure fit with less feedback?
Is there a hearing aid for people with a neurological problem like Parkinson which causes fine motor deterioration, difficulty in changing batteries, cleaning , and placement of dome/ mold inside ear?
Great video Dr. Cliff. What would you recommend for someone with a notch type of hearing loss, with a steep high frequency drop in both ears. They both start at about 1k, but one recovers starting at 6 and goes to 8k, the other does not recover at 5-6 k, both notches at around -60dB.
Good doctor will not recommend anything on UA-cam.
Does anyone recommend an audiologists in the Illinois area ?
Custom domes, either half or full shell, which one/difference?
Great information as aways I am due to change from rubber domes to custom domes next week. A question I forgot to ask my audiologist when he was creating the silicone moulds, and was not brought up by him: Are custom ear domes more likely to cause occlusion. I have moderate to severe hearing loss and I am assuming there will be no vent on the custom dome.
im moderate to severe and my molds have always had a small vent, like maybe 0.1mm size vent, and i dont have any occlusion effects going on, so perhaps there will be a tiny vent and you wont have to deal with it.
For me, I do not like the behind the ear hearing aids at all. They irritate the backs of my ears and I feel like I don’t hear as well with them. I’m on my third pair of hearing aids which I’ve started wearing hearing aids in my 20s, I’m now in my 40s, and these are my second pair being the custom in the ear hearing aids. I love the custom in the ear hearing aids better. They’re more comfortable and I definitely hear better with them.
What about a moderately severe cookie bite loss?
Hi Dr Cliff, another great informative video. Could custom earmolds be fitted on my Phonak audeo paradise RIC aids or does it need a special receiver wire? Hope you can answer, getting fed up of my power domes slipping out. Keep up the fantastic work you are doing.
Hi Peter ! I have a new Phonaks Audeo Life Waterproof sweatproof rechargeable batteries hearing Aides that's base on the original Phonaks Audeo Paradise rechargeable batteries hearing Aides behind-The-Ears and I have Custom made hard plastic small ears molds and wires goes to the ears molds and to plugged in to the hearing Aides and both working great 👍 my old original Phonaks Milo Plus hearing Aides ears molds was a full-size fitted whole ears inside and outside the ears with a plastic tubes in which I don't like at all the old plastic tubes and plastic full-size ears molds required replacement every 3 to 5 years on ears molds and plastic tubes required changing the tubes every 6 months to 1 years or longer and I'm totally glad that I bought Custom made ears molds and wires to hook up to my new Phonaks Audeo Life Waterproof sweatproof rechargeable batteries hearing Aides and since June 2022 and I really believe you can benefit from new custom made ears molds and wires and they are venting to letting in air and out On Phonaks Audeo Paradise rechargeable batteries hearing Aides can have a Vented Active-Vent automatic close up to open up that is inside the Custom made ears molds and Dr.Cliff can explain it better than I can since my Phonaks Audeo Life Hearing Aides can't have Automatic Vent-Active inside the Custom made ears molds since it made to be waterproof and windproof and Sweatproof and that part ear molds are not waterproof and Sweatproof . I have regular vents holes next to the tiny speaker holes that in the ears canals and wires are next to the outside the ears molds and plastic grabbing wires to pulling out the ears molds since it barely sticks out of the ears lobes bottom holes . And I really Don't Know if that might work. But check out Dr.Cliff's Video of Phonaks Audeo Paradise hearing Aides on both types of behind-The-Ears and In-The-Ears Phonaks hearing Aides video . And asked your own professional Audiologist AuD Doctors and Hearing Aides dealership Audiologist center wherever you get your own hearing Aides from .
@@richa.s9912 Thank you for taking the time to reply to my question on the channel, I’m so happy that you are having a great success with you Audeo Life hearing aids. I am all for trying the custom moIds I am waiting on my audiologist to “research” it, guess I need to apply a bit of pressure.
@@peterturner244 it
I also have Phonak P-90s with custom ear molds mainly because my fingers are not agile enough to fight getting the little rubber or silicon domes in my ears.
Hey @peterturner244, yes they can, but I prefer a custom embedded C-Shell. This embeds the receiver inside of the earmold which provides a much better physical fit than a Slim Tip earmold.
which one do you suggest, Phonak C-shell or Slimtip using the activent receiver
getting the aids v nhs is ok but trying to get it fix is not the prices of the private aids is otp
Dr. Cliff - just got a new set of Truhearing (Signia) TH 6 RIC LI T aids about 2 months ago with domes and thinking about switching over to custom molds as per your videos! I get a lot of random squeaks with my domes! I also listen to a lot of music (streaming into my aids) and would like to hear more low ends. I am concerned about wax buildup because I get some now but the tip of the dome seems to help protect the receiver from the wax. In the custom molds (from what I see) the receiver is out in the open with no protection! Won't that be a problem for more wax buildup on it?
I'm a new hearing aid user (3 months) and catching up on all your videos. I have the dome and it drives me nuts. My ear canal is small and the squared end of the hearing aid below where the dome sits is constantly irritating inside my ear and feels sharp. Lately the inside of my ear is very itchy and a little sore. After reading up on this, I am changing up on the cleaning and disinfecting of the devices but I am curious if getting itchy ears and bacterial issues is more often with ear molds or domes?
I have not seen "canal locks", connected to custom ear molds, like I have with my Resound Ones. The canal locks are curved clear plastic "arms" that are CYA glued to the back of the ear molds below the vent holes. Dr. Cliff, could you show example of canal locks? It looks like there are some one-piece earmold/canal locks available which should not break apart like mine have done. I couldn't use hearing aids without earmolds with canal locks, have been using hearing aids with canal locks since Sept, 2017.
I got custom ear molds because my ear canals are radically different sizes plus I have a profound hearing loss in my right ear. I like the molds better than the domes I used before except I find that the filters clog up much more frequently. The domes helped keep wax away from the filters but with the molds, the filters are exposed. All in all, I prefer the custom molds.
My new hearing aids work well, but I've already lost one as they can pop off without my noticing. Is earmold a way of preventing accidental loss?
I have moderate hearing loss. don’t like the way my own voice sounds with custom ear molds.
As for music, I don’t stream, I think it sounds bad (custom ear molds or not). I eq my headphones to my audiogram for home use - sounds great. And for out and about, I just put my Bose cans over my hearing aids; not perfect but much better than streaming.
Custom ear molds are an extra cost to be added to the already significant cost of hearing aids. They also require the fitting professional to know how to produce an appropriate mould. Domes are the cheap and easy option.
Can you help? A person has an ear implant on one side. Cana hearing aid in the other ear gives additional benefits?
May I ask what a reasonable range to pay for custom ear molds is? My insurance covers hearing aids but not ear molds and I need them due to my type of loss. My previous provider charged me under $100 and my new provider quoted me over $300, which seems outrageous. I realize that there are variables but that seems like a very wide range.
The custom earmold I'm wearing is annoying and it's causing me a lot of annoying pop ups when my ear canal becomes wet, I can't touch the left side of my face or laugh and an uncontrollable laugh causes me a somewhat loud painful pop up, I find myself these days having to remove the aid once or twice a day to dry it and dry my ear canal to avoid such pop ups.
Accidently touching the tube also causes a freaking sudden loud sound, I'm afraid at this rate I'm going to damage what left of my hearing in no time.
same experience lol. I went with domes instead, despite having severe conductive hearing loss in both ears.
What kind of hearing aid is it? and what type of mold did you have?
How small can the c shell be made. Your example of steeply slopping high frequency hearing loss. Is almost exactly like like my audiogram. I have L90 lumity with small domes.
My audi seems reluctant to fit me for custom ear molds to fit my Phonak Lumity 90s. I have a cookie bite loss and she's not sure they'd be a good choice. I'm leaning towards giving them a try. Opinion? Much thanks!
I agree with your AuD. Watch my cookie bite hearing loss video.
Hello can i have a suggestion about my hearing loss and what hearing aid i need....my rigth ear 83.30 ATP and my left ear got 110.00...in my right ear what hearing aid do i need
My issue with custom earmolds was hearing myself chewing food while trying to maintain a conversation. Too much "in-my-head" nose from chewing which wasn't the case with rubber domes. Anyway to have custom earmolds moderate that sensation?
This generally means that your custom molds either do not have vents, or that the vents are too small. Unfortunately, it's a trial and error process and you need to find that sweet spot to reduce the amount of feedback while also letting enough low frequencies out (that stem from your jaw movement).
I really like my rubber domes. I'm curious to know when it's better to use a custom dome. 🤔 I'd better keep listening. 😉
What kind of some would be best for cookie bite hearing loss? I've tried in ear and open dome hearing aids but I still can't understand what people are saying.
same very frustrating
he answers this question further down and says molds are not better for cookie bite which is disappointing to me as i prefer the custom fitted feel
Another great piece of information.
I wanted to be sure that you knew about an article in the October issue of AARP Bulletin, titled "The future of hearing Aids has Arrived." There were several items in the article that I am certain are misleading. I hope you'll look it over and help clarify the truth.
Can you send a link or was in only in print?
My
11:36
dome, silicone, hard, when inserted gradually works its way into the canal. So much so it is difficult to remove it. Is this good or bad?
Hai cliff does Sensoneural hearingloss cause earpain
If you have ear pain, it is best to go see an ENT. Short answer is that no SNHL should not be causing ear pain.
@@impoppa9647 okay dear 😌 this pain is frustrating and am helpless always 🥺
No. The pain is likely caused by something else and you should see an ENT.
This is an excellent video! My question is: can custom ear molds be fit after the fact to a Zabra Enhance 200 or similar hearing aid? Zebra doesn't offer the option but from watching your video and looking at my hearing test it looks like they would be the best option.
Thanks!
Short answer is yes.
@@impoppa9647 Thank you very much for the reply. What's the best way to go about buying and fitting custom ear molds to the Zabra?
@@wf8058 You need to go back the hearing aid clinic that fitted you with the Jabra Enhance 200. They can assist you with this.
If you bought them as an OTC product on line, that is a downside of the OCT products, it is tough to get the after sales support and there is little to no validation the product is correct and right for your type and shape of hearing loss.
Also if the product you bought is called "Zabra" and not "Jabra" That is a whole different kettle of fish. A Zabra is a 16th century sailing vessel and if someone sold you hearing aids under that name, they are knock-offs of the Jabra. 😬
Yes they can.
sir my hear one saided loss, result fro found hearing loss,, please help me 😢😢
with a custom hear. aid, do you still need to clean out wax, once per month?
With any type hearing aid, you need to clean out wax daily.
my ears canals are straight and custom earmolds never stayed put, I have been using vented rubber domes for 2 years and am never going back
Question: would hearing aids with domes be similar to eargos ???
I'm leaning toward the Eargos but price is still a factor for me.
Thanks for any replies.
Russ
Hearing aids with domes would be dramatically better.