I am trying my second pair of Oticon BTE hearing aids. One issue I have is the way they look. Specifically, the wires from the receiver do not “mould” around the ear like all the pictures we see. My wires hang straight down from the receiver and over my ear. This makes them very obvious to other people. Both professionals I’ve worked with just seem to shrug their shoulder and say “oh well”. Has anyone else this issue and have you been able to resolve it? How? Many thanks in advance.
Most wires are heat sensitive and can be molded using a heat gun. You provider should be aware of that.
The wire should fit close to your head. In this image the wire-closeness is a little exaggerated but you should be able to see how a wire close-to-your-head looks like a good fit.
So compared to the image, what is wrong with your fit?
- Is the wire sticking way out away-from-your-head at the point it exits your ear canal?
- Is the wire too long, making the hearing aid lay too far back on your ear?
Terminology; With RITE fittings the speaker (the part that fits into your ear) is generally referred to as the receiver. So I think you meant that your wire hangs straight down from your hearing aid and not close to your head.
btw> To me the wire in the image looks a little too short and would leave a nasty and maybe painful red mark by day’s end.
Mine sound like what the OP says. Certainly not like the pic.
Really? Thanks for the tip. Neither provider that I have worked with mentioned that! Is this something they usually do, or do they leave it to you? Have you done it yourself and what did you use? A hair dryer? Is there any concern with damaging any components?
Here’s a pic of my hearing aid. As you can see, it looks nothing like the pics the providers always show.
Another user of this forum has suggested the wires can be heat moulded. I’ll be looking into that.
I guess it will depend on the hair dryer’s output – worth a try. If you need a sharp bend changed, you can heat a metal rod (screw driver) to form it. You want it fully warm to touch but not overheated where it would affect the insulation covering.
You might search on @Um_bongo and heat or such. He’s gone into more detail in past threads.
My fit is similar to yours and not like the flat-against-the-head pictures. I have not tried the wire shaping myself.
That one in the picture wants pushing in a bit farther until the wire is flush.
Yes, that is just my problem - my wires don’t go flush to my head. Others have suggested heat moulding the wires - are you experienced with heat moulding? Any tips on how to do that or should my hearing professional do that for me?
You can mould the wires using any suitable heat source. I’d avoid direct flame as it heats a bit quickly unless you really know what you’re doing.
I’ve found that heating a quarter inch round screwdriver shaft allows you to hold a bit of heat reserve in a suitable ‘former’ that you can easily hold via the handle while you manipulate the wire or add more heat.
Update on my issue. I specifically asked my professional if there was anything I could do about the look of my aids. I mentioned this Forum and the fact that some had recommended heat moulding the wires. Then he gave me a shorter pair of wires and - Voila! my problem solved, they look much better now. So the moral of the story, I guess, is to keep on your professional until you’ve satisfied. Thanks to everyone who commented!