are you cleaning your domes daily with alcohol swabs? And do you clean your ear canals? am using alcohol to clean them, & I think this is making a difference.
I have been wearing hearing aids since 1956. Until 1970 all ear molds were Lucite or acrylic hard plastic. When I began,most of the hearing aids were fitted on the body, or in glasses, then came behind ear and finally in the ear. And recently Open Fit and RIC hearing aids. I have worn them all and currently wear Phonak Ambra SP and Flexible silicone rubber canal ear molds. This is not a recommendation for any hearing aid but a review of ea mold use. With the introduction of Silicone rubber ear molds I could wear hearing aids without soreness and with deeper penetration for better high frequency sound and no plugged, occluded feeling. The key was to go deep in the canal to be close 1/8" from the ear drum. This eliminated 3 problems. occlusion, normal frequency range and retention without discomfort.
When you go deep in the canal. there is less distance, air and losses. And with a flared (Horn tip) an enhanced high frequency amplification. This eliminates feedback for even my super power aids. Going deep eliminates a hollow sound and a need for venting. But with hard lab molds came intense pain, until I discovered flexible silicone rubber.
Currently, I make my own ear molds, retaining control over all aspects of the process. I buy the silicone soft putty in a kit for very low prices and make a deep inconspicuous mold that is satisfactory. My left mold is completely sealed without any vent. My right mold needs some venting to let in some low frequencies. I achieve the vent by using a fingernail file to remove some of the high spots and the peak at the 2nd ear moldbend. When I make the mold that takes only 10 minutes, I open and close my mouth to cause the jaw to move under the center of the canal, so when I talk and chew I have no discomfort or any tendency to work out of the ear. Because the mold is deep, the visible ear mold is also deep and hard to see. They also offer 3 skin color choices
I can wear the ear molds all day and even when sleeping if I want to be aware of sounds in the area. I buy 2 BTE tubes and enough silicone to make 4 ear molds (2 remakes) kit for $34.77, including Priority 3 day shipping. It includes a choice of skin color, type of hearing aid and size of the ear canal. My wife has 2 Open Fit Hearing Aids which cost $14.77 for 4 ear molds and she needs the smallest size canal.I can remake the ear mold if my ear changes or if I’m not satisfied with the first mold. They also have bulk 24 mold kits for as little as $24.77. Their address is http://HearingGreen.net
And the best part is I am in control of when I am satisfied with the hearing result. I am very happy with my hearing in spite of my severe hearing loss and hear well in all situations, sometimes better than many normal hearing persons.
If you are new to hearing aid use expect a LEARNING PHASE to retrain your memory to recognize the sounds that you have been missing and forgotten (just like an unused language). Be patient and you will succeed…If you have any questions please write…
Freq R- L
250 45 35
500 50 40
750 50 40
1000 50 40
1500 65 50
2000 80 60
3000 90 65
4000 90 70
6000 85 70
8000 85 80
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I agree the custom molds are significantly more comfortable. I trialed a pair of RIC hearing aids with domes recently & I was actually unable to wear them for more than a couple hours due to discomfort! My hearing aid tech & I tried a couple modifications, but ended up switching to custom molds & fixed the problem.
— Updated —
I agree the custom molds are significantly more comfortable. I trialed a pair of RIC hearing aids with domes recently & I was actually unable to wear them for more than a couple hours due to discomfort! My hearing aid tech & I tried a couple modifications, but ended up switching to custom molds & fixed the problem.
When I got my 2 Phonak hearing aids at the VA over 4 years ago, the Audiologist made 2 ear impressions for custom earmolds. I returned for the fitting some time later.
The earmolds were clear, hard and inconspicuous. The hearing aids were a good fit for my hearing loss, but the earmolds hurt my ears and I returned for an adjustment at a later date. She looked in my ear to see where the pressure points were and ground and polished them until the soreness was relieved.
I returned home and discovered that they wouldn’t stay in the ear and needed to be pushed back in repeatedly. I called the VA to complain and was asked if I was willing to help resolve the problem. She gave a link to purchase 2 low-cost DIY earmolds kit. I purchased a 2 tube, 4 earmold kit for For $45. It was instant success. The molds were comfortable, didn’t slip out and were very inconspicuous. The molds lasted about 7 months before the tubing got hard and non-flexible. I went back to this website and bought 2 more tubes for about $30 and used the remaining silicone putty to make a new set. I have been using these inexpensive earmold ever since, with complete satisfaction. I am scheduled to return next month to the VA for a retest and new hearing aids. I will bring the factory made earmolds along with my custom made DIY molds. The website is http://earmolds.info/4-ear-molds-kit-bteoe-hearing-aids-2-tubes/
They also have Open Fit, RIC earmold kits for a much lower cost, as they use your slim tubes. I hope this will be useful to others with similar problems.
Regards, DGR
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I have been wearing custom molds for for 30 years. first with tubed BTE’s then custom flesh tone Agile Pro RIC molds with canal locks ( or called tails or horns). They were never perfect, eventually slid out some after yawning, hard chewing or if not moving the jaw would slide out a little after a few hours. Never minded a little push back in.
My new custom molds with my OPN trial of hard clear acrylic was just awful. They are more noticeable in my ear and was constantly pushing them back in. The Aud had them remade without a new impression for my trial period and gave me them a couple of days ago. They do fit better, the canal locks are a little larger but they slip out a hair after a while, the left side a little more. Much better but they are not perfect.
The question is…what can I expect to get a better fitting mold and generally does everyone have this issue with giving them a push in or check now and then?
adequate fitting of custom moulds can be dependent on the shape of the individuals ear itself. If your new moulds are still slipping out the clinician could order a set of ‘skeleton’ receiver moulds - These will fill the ear up more, but will allow for a better retention because the mould will lock into more points around the ear.
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Possibly the receiver wire is pulling on the molds also. I find that the wire leaves a red mark or indention at the bend before the wire attaches to the aid body. Probably I fit between two sizes. A larger receiver wire would place the aid too low behind the ear. I wear glasses too, glasses may be weighing on the instrument also. Always something, never perfection.
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I tried these. They worked great for me also.
Thank you for mentioning them.
Radians Ear Plug molds will work also but, they aren’t as soft as these.
Fred
Wow, this is an amazing post (though perhaps a little dated now, I realize). You make your own molds? I’m impressed!
I’ve worn aids for many years, and am now in the midst of trialing a few open-ear models after realizing I can no longer get by with my CICs—and at long last need to invest in “premium” level aids to deal with my severe-to-profound high-frequency loss (my low frequency is very good). I just finished a trial of the ReSound LiNX 9 3D’s, using custom molds (which I loved, probably because I’ve always worn CICs). I feel the LiNX were good, but not as good as I’d like considering the $5,800 price from a local audi.
I most recently decided to try buying from a seemingly reputable online seller, and am just starting to trial the Phonak Audéo B-Directs. I was disappointed to receive them with only a few sets of domes: small, medium, and large closed, along with a set of tulips. None of these are right, allowing lots of feedback. So while I’m waiting for them to send a wider assortment (which has already taken longer than it should), I’ve improvised by fitting the Phonak receiver into my custom mold for the right ear. The left one doesn’t fit into the mold, so I’m using my old left CIC in the interim. So far, I’m pretty satisfied, which seems all the more impressive considering the fact that the receiver isn’t positioned as it would be if properly fitted. I’m eager to see how much the left will add to the whole scenario.
My original local audi wanted to start with custom molds because, in essence, she felt they would keep/drive more energy or power into the ears (and I may not be explaining this correctly). A few other professionals have told me they disagree, that domes would allow better low-freq hearing. I think they’re perhaps concerned about occlusion, but, again, because I’m so used to CICs, I don’t really see this as an issue. If, however, domes would allow for better hearing overall, that’s what I want—my overriding desire is to hear better (speech, in particular).
I guess I’m wondering if you, or others, have any thoughts/insight about any of this. Side note: I’m hoping that I will fall madly in love with these Phonaks; because my first CIC was a Phonak that I adored (and lasted for about 10 years!), I’m a little partial to the brand. But that’s not why I’m trialing them. They were actually recommended by the online seller I’m currently using, even above the Oticon Opns that they also sell. My plan right now is to probably go ahead and trial the Opns anyway, because I want to be absolutely certain that I’m satisfied after having tried the three main aids recommended to me (ReSound LiNX, Phonak Audeo, and Opn).
Sorry for going on and on, but I always figure the mo’ info, the betta. Besides, I find all of this fascinating, so I figure others here feel much the same—and read what interests them, while disregarding the rest. 
Thanks so much for any input you might have. I appreciate it.
I am really surprised that this would work for some. For me, I go through the plastic tubes every 6 months because they become hard and inflexible. While they are still soft and pliable, the molds fit nicely and don’t give any trouble, but as they get stiff, they become very uncomfortable and have to be changed. I would guess that for me, this means that the earmold DIY kit mentioned in this thread would not be practical. My audiologist guesses that it is the blood pressure and cholesterol medication that is causing the tubes to harden but that seems a bit strange to me.
Another concern would be that there is no way to vent the DIY earmolds without taking them to an audiologist and getting him/her to drill the correct sized hole for a vent.
I vented mine by fastening a piece of tubing to the receiver with some teflon tape, then applied the material around that, and inserted it into my ear canal. After it had set up, I cut off the excess tubing, and had a great fitting vented mold.
Another way to vent the aid according to the vendor is to use a file to cut a groove along the bottom of the aid from the front of the aid to the rear. I haven’t tried this method but will the next time. Sounds reasonable to me.
Hi what HA have you decided to stick with?
I got OPN-1T’s with custom ear molds from VA in July. They are much nicer than the Alta 2 Pros I had. I hardly ever strain to hear anyone now.
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I have the custom in the ear OPN1s that I got from the VA the first of December and I have to say they are the best yet. They replaced the Alta Pros that I have been wearing since 2014.
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I opted for the Signia Nx Pure. Like them, though we’re still working on programming.
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After a search, it looks like this might be among the most recent discussion of custom moulds. I thought I’d share my experience. I got my first pair of aids, ReSound Quattros in September of 2018. I struggled with all sorts of comfort issues, primarily that whatever domes and wire length my audiologist tried, they wouldn’t stay put. I was constantly having to push them back into my ears. Sport locks wouldn’t keep them in place. She tried different sized domes, including mismatched between my 2 ears. She tried tulip domes. Nothing worked. After about 3 months, I insisted on custom molds. They are silicone. They didn’t slip. I adjusted to the different way my voice (and other sounds) sounded. They didn’t hurt. But they felt like I had acorns stuck in my ears and every chew, every word, every raise of my eyebrows tugged at my ears. They drove me crazy but I continued to try to adjust to them–for nearly 6 months. My audie said there was nothing else to try.
I found another audiologist and asked him to work with me on the problem. He decided to try new custom moulds. He had me talk while the moulding compound hardened. And he pushed gently on what a google search tells me is called the tragus. (My first audiologist had me sit still and not move while she made my first moulds.)
The resultant moulds are MUCH more comfortable. I can almost forget that I’m wearing hearing aids. They don’t tug at my ears with every movement of my mouth.
The moral…maybe? Hang in there on comfort issues and change audiologists if yours says nothing more can be done.
Oh…I learned from reading the forum of these two different ways to let the moulding compound set. I knew enough, from the forum discussion, to tell the new audie that I’d been told to sit still and not talk. That’s when he said “let’s try an ‘open’ mould then.” Second moral? This site has been incredibly useful to me. Thank you to everyone who participates so generously.
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I just had impressions taken for molds at Costco. The fitter did not have any specific position to hold, such as mouth open while the compound set up. I have read that opinions vary. Some say it doesn’t matter, and others actually prop your mouth open while it sets up. I got the talking to the fitter version. The good news is that she claims they will make as many molds as necessary to get a good fit at no extra charge.
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I wear ITE hearing aids and I have always moved my mouth around like I was chewing gum, and my aids have always fit great.
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Hi all
I have found that DIY mold very interresting. So i used the provided link from Pilot85 to get there. Actually the Web page dues not give me any contact information .
The thing is — that i found no mail adresss whatever and the information about international shipping . I would very much like to buy the kit but the possibilities of the very unproffessional website make that impossible.
Any hints how to contact the seller. Or are somewhere else existing similar kind of products available?
regards
Ulf
@pilot85 Very nice write-up!
I have made several copies of trialed custom molds with 2-component silicone and epoxy-resin and made one custom mold directly with the silicone, which I have been wearing since Monday.
When I discussed making longer molds to reduce the volume between the mold and the ear-drum, my audiologist did emphasize that I should get another Real Ear Measurement. (As they are strongly volume dependent.) How did you tackle that? Did you find additional tweaks to finefittting necessary or did you have a REM?
I find the silicone can be easily vented using a rotary tool such as a Dremel. I got the drills varying from 0.3-1.3mm from AliExpress. Haven’t found a good way to shape the bottom yet, though. Used a scalpel, will try the file.
I got lucky with the tube this time. I placed it at the center of the wad of silicone and it remained there while working it into my canal. How do you handle the tube position?
While working it into my canal I felt a certain limit after which I couldn’t push it further in. I assumed it was the air between my ear drum and the silicone. How do you handle this when you make a longer mold?
EDIT: Can’t seem to find the post this relates to. @pilot85 Did you remove/edit your post?