Hello! Hoping to Share UPDATES in data on Hearing Loss

I obtained the "emergency" hearing aids from Amazon. The company is Bangligian. Two models that I have found satisfactory for my severe hearing loss were: BLJ-109 currently $67.99 and a newer model that offers option of thin or thick tubing, ZIV-206, $134.99. The latter, especially with one of me ear molds has virtually no feed back and the volume attainable is equivalent or better than my Phonak aids. I have found the company to be exceptional in customer service and very responsive to queries and replacement.

definition of proper fitting?
insert semi solid like material into your ear for fit. remove, have ear mold made from model. try finished earmold/hearing aid in soundproof room. subjectively determine quality of sound.
is there a problem? could it be the hearing aid? the mold? tinnitus?
the only objective measurement of the mold should be some devise that measures the bandwith & energy that is transmitted thru the mold up to the eardrum. energy in/energy out. I would think that type of test eqpt. is whats needed to quantify the output.
this approach could also be expanded to test the hearing aids also. If the necessary bandwidths of sound are being moved to the eardrum successfully. problem aint hardware.

Thank you for sharing that information. The earlier hearing aids were basically amplifiers. This sounds similar. Those old amplifiers worked well for me for years. Technology is amazing.

A good hearing aid fitting will include the "output test" that you suggest. It is called "real ear measurement" (REM). In an REM a tiny microphone is inserted into your ear canal between the ear mold and the ear drum. They measure the sound that the hearing aid is actually delivering into your ear. Then the hearing aid output is adjusted to fit the patients prescription and then further adjusted to the patients preference. Every hearing aid fitting should include this process. If your hearing aid fitter does not do this go elsewhere for your hearing care.

@imallears @julieo4 I am on my 2nd attempt at a custom mold. The 1st one started irritating my ear canal after a few weeks and also starting giving feedback after a few weeks. Got a new mold made by different manufacturer and am experiencing the same after a few weeks. Am still in my 90 day trial period. The irritation feels like a zit in the ear. Is this from the mold being too tight in that location?
But isn't the feedback problem caused by a mold that is too loose? So I feel like I have opposing issues that need to be fixed. Any thoughts? Mike

@mikepa

Hi,

Does your mold have vents? Vents always caused feedback in mine so I have done without the vents for many years and my ears don't feel occluded.
If there is a vent, it might be too big and the Audi can fix that in the office or she can block it entirely. The material of the mold is a concern....I have very soft silicone molds.

Have your Audi check the inside of your ear....you may have a temporary tiny bump that is causing the irritation. I found that a small drop of mineral oil on the tip of the mold helps with comfort. I generally keep mineral oil on hand, either for the outer ears so they remain smooth and for dropping into the ear canal as my ears are very dry. Any irritations I have ever had have been in the outer ear parts.

The mold might be a tad too big....you should not be able to feel it after a few minutes. Try whatever oil you have on hand and see if that is more comfortable.....not too much or it will move around. Soft molds can also be sanded down and smoothed.

Julie might have some more insights....These are my experiences. I have worn molds for 40 years so my canals are really stretched out now and accommodate just about any type. I have also had hard custom molds over the years too...prefer the soft pliable silicone ones.
Have them keep trying...the goal is not to notice they are even in your ears.

FL Mary

It's not an exact science, is it? It is important to be tested in a sound proof room with AND without one's hearing aids.

Julie, I’ve not been tested inside a sound proof room WITH my hearing aids. I’ve always have REM performed. I’d that similar. Not heard (pun intended) of this before.

REM is similar to a point, but it only shares what is being projected into your ear canal, and is a scientific measure. How do they know how well you are doing with hearing aids? They know you don't hear well because of tests w/o add on technology. How do they know how well that tech works if they don't test you with it? No, they do not do that often, but they should. Maybe we should ask them to.

@julie04. Thank you. I’m going to ask. It all makes good sense.