For Those of us who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing Part 2

[Violinist64]

The original thread is almost full and I have found it extremely helpful so have started this new thread.

Thats good to know. I'm wincing with the pain today and am quite grumpy with it. Really impressed with how quickly they have got me in though.

I shall report back if glitter is an option 😂

Hi - I got a new set of hearing aid moulds in the post for first time ever ie as opposed to having them fitted. For context, I’m middle aged and have 80% bilateral loss since birth.

I’ve tried cutting the tubing and have reattached it but they are far too long. I’m nervous if I cut tubing again I might make them too short. I can’t function without hearing aids so need a solution asap. I’ve looked at YouTube videos but honestly I feel I will mess this up further, the aids are only sort of hanging on.

Any advice or help appreciated.

Very glad to have found this thread!

Dear Einevinefine- getting the tubing length right is hard. I find the best thing is to put the mould in your ear without the hearing aid attached and then ask someone to cut the tubing level with the top of your ear. That should be the right length - you can then attach the hearing aid - fiddly and lots of bad language. Hope that works for you - does for me . You can also ask for more tubing to be sent to you so you can relax a bit knowing you have spare tubing!

Thank you! I don’t have anyone to assist with cutting of tubing. But still long at this point so will continue and cuss very audibly 😬

@Jyn I have known adults to ask and be given coloured moulds! Normally they're the soft ones for kids but if you don't ask, you don't get!

@Einevinefine Trim off a mm at a time and tear it. Or use the existing ones you have as a measure, lay them next to the new tubes with the curves in the same place and then cut the new ones level with the top of the existing ones.

You may possibly be able to go into a Specsavers with a hearing centre and ask them to do it. They do appointments for NHS audiology so are used to after care too. If you know what you're doing it takes a matter of minutes.

@SuziLikeSuziQ

Thanks for your advice about going to Specsavers Audiology. I might get them to do the old “see one, do one” technique and hopefully won’t have trouble in future. Old tubes are too brittle to straighten out to compare lengths. But again, thanks!

Thanks @SuziLikeSuziQ I shall ask. Nothing to lose!
I like the sound of soft molds, my left ear is battered at the moment. It’s not helping my mood that I can’t sleep. I wear ear plugs at night because DH snores and because my ear is so sore I can’t put it in. This means I’ve not slept well again since about Sunday.

funny how little things have such a big knock on effect really.

You don't need to straighten them. Just line up the bend and trim. The new one should be pulled through so the bend is just outside the mould.

I have glitter moulds! Alas I can no longer get a purple aid, but I've always had a silver one for the last 10 years which isn't too bad

Ooh I hadn’t thought about moulds ate the more comfortable than the wires and don’t pop out? My hair seems to pull the wires out just enough for me to lose sound and I’m forever pushing them back in and they do make my ears itchy sometimes.

Would moulds help with the issue of glasses rubbing as I know need to wear glasses using computer at work which is adding to my irritation

Sadly, our local NHS doesn't do glittery, or any other colour. Now got to wait around two weeks for the moulds to come back and then I'll be called back in for fitting.
Meanwhile, on seeing just how sore my ears are, the audiologist changed my current set up to very small tips in the hope it might stop the rubbing. In fairness, it has to some extent and she did ask if I wanted to trial those before jumping straight to moulds, but I'm not confident they wont also start to irritate so declined.

I was given the dome/ wire hearing aids first which were so itchy and kept falling out. When I complained they gave me mould ones and they are so much better...no itching and stay in place.

I've been told I can't have the wires. At my last test they said they would check and then they said no the, hearing loss/type/frequency whatever wasn't compatible.

I do find my ears are quite sore at the end of the day though. I've been referred to see if I am suitable for a bone anchored hearing aid (I think that's the name) and have an ENT appointment today which I've been waiting for since January

I wear glasses (all the time) and have no problem with my thick tubes but that could just be what I am used to

Does anyone know if it's possible to fit a retainer wire on a mould. I'm fed up of the thing popping out of my ear canal and occasionally falling off entirely because it's come out and I haven't noticed in time.

The mould is moulded to your ear canal and pinna (outer ear) so shouldn't be popping out at all.

It won't stay in at all, I'm constantly poking it back into my ear canal, but the whole mould also comes out sometimes so the hearing aid is only hanging on by the wire over my ear. I'm worried it's going to fall off and get damaged or lost one day.

You need to go back to wherever fitted it, it really shouldn't be doing that

Thanks @SuziLikeSuziQ and @NotMyDayJob To be fair, the reason I have a mould in the first place is because domes wouldn't stay in my ear, even with a retaining wire, so maybe I have funny shaped ears or something! I'll ask at the clinic next time I get my tube replaced.

It sounds like the mould is not right. I have a mould and it never does that unless I don't put it in properly. Whatever the shape of your ear it should make to bespoke fit

Are you pushing it in properly? The little sticky-out bit at the top of the mould (not the bit for the ear canal) should be tucked into the ear, under the little ridge.

The mould really shouldn't be coming out. I'm a Teacher of the Deaf and have never met anyone with a problem with their moulds falling out! The process of making the moulds means it's made for your ear, so no matter the shape, they should stay in!

If you have ears that genuinely can't retain an ear mould then ideally they'd have recognised that and suggested a BAHA. You should be able to email audiology and ask for an appointment to sort the moulds out.

It stays in better than a dome but there's nothing really to stop it sliding out.

Those of you that have NHS hearing aids what make/model do you have?

I have Oticon Engage and they are driving me crazy switching themselves off and on frequently - sometimes they tag team one then the other! Does anyone else ever get this?

I'm also not convinced they are helping my worse ear enough
Thanks 😊

@Polgara2 I have Signia ones and been really pleased with them use them daily with Bluetooth connected to my iPhone for work.