DIY Sound Catchers ... Temporary Hearing Aids - your ideas welcome

Hearing Aids
#1

Hi! I was tested with moderate hearing loss (downward slope type) and I don’t have my first hearing aid appt until the end of the month. In another post many folks shared that it was important that when I get my hearing aids … to wear them regularly and that sounds will hear louder than before. Given that I would prefer not to ask family members to repeat things more than they need to in the mean time, I have taken a headband and using aluminum foil and tape created sound catchers - having noticed that if I put my hands behind my ears I can hear quite clearly. I’ve made a couple of prototypes and they are helpful, lightweight, easily worn but a little weird looking - well, a lot weird looking! Family members and I are having a good time fooling with this DIY technology. But laughter aside, it is actually helpful.

I’m using aluminum foil as it lightweight and moldable and can be easily attached to a headband. I have thought that pipe cleaners might be useful for a mold - what I believe I need is a shell like / cup like shape attached to both sides of the headband.

3 reason I am enjoying playing with these:

  1. I can actually hear better

  2. It is fun to play with and also gets other people in on the fun.

  3. Perhaps I will be able to get used to hearing at louder levels prior to the hearing aids and this may ease me into hearing aids … at least as far as the sound level goes.

Any tips that any of you have created and/or suggestions for materials, etc. would be welcome.

So far I’ve tried aluminum foil sheets - like panels that stick straight out - like sheets of paper behind the ear, and more molded shell-shape ones. I usually have used several aluminum foil layers together thinking that if it is a bit sturdier it might catch the sound better.

#2

Well good job. Now you just look weird. No offense.

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#3

Thanks @hass5744 - yes it does look weird! I’m looking to refine and play with model. It isn’t something I will wear out of the house … I don’t think … :wink: … but you never know.

#4

So basically you made an old hearing horn! :sweat_smile:

a hearing horn
a hearing horn1172×756 194 KB

#5

Well, not quite :slightly_smiling_face:… mine are hands-free, easily worn and you barely know you have it on. I’ve made an improvement and I have it for both ears!

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#6

I once purchased something like that ready-made from Amazon when I was then desperate to postpone buying my first hearing aids. It did improve things and it got a lot of laughs, but I think the dog eventually destroyed it.

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#7

best laugh I have had in months :rofl:

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#8

They sell something like that called “Ear glasses.”

If you do a search, you’ll see a video on YouTube.

Screenshot_20220801-161650
Screenshot_20220801-1616501491×1440 192 KB

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#9

This thread is for all of you who are self conscious about their hearing aids

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#10

I am just about stone deaf without my aids. However, if my wife is speaking to me when they’re out, I can cup my hands behind my ears and get to about a 7.5 on a 10 scale of my aids.

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#12

One of my best hearing aids in the early days was a bright yellow device, given to me as a joke present on my birthday.
On the badge it said “My hearing aid. Please shout”

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#13

I’m glad I hadn’t seen an image of DIY sound collector before I made my mock-up. The darn thing works well. However, based on @Freedom 's share of the old fashioned hearing aids, I thought I would build a prototype with aluminum foil, yet another headband, some tape and a hole punch and see if I hooked two of the funnel type aids up if that would work better. It didn’t work nearly as well. In practice, back, at the time it probably was helpful, but my prototype wasn’t nearly as good as the last one I made. There was one other problem, walking between doorways - I had to go through sideways. It is a good thing I work from home at the moment.

#14

On the other hand, it’s kind of depressing when you find that cupping your ear no longer helps, thanks to further hearing loss.

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#15

Walking through the doorway sideways – where is the laugh emoji for a post when I want it?

Glad I gave some folks a chuckle. One of my goals in life: share the smiles.

:rofl: :joy: :sweat_smile:

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#16

on ebay: Earglasses® Personal Sound Reflectors, Set of Two Ear Cup Hearing Amplifiers New ( Earglasses® Personal Sound Reflectors, Set of Two Ear Cup Hearing Amplifiers New 95342000047 | eBay )

I had a pair for a little while. They do a remarkable job. No batteries required. They might also benefit someone whose “in the ear” aids aren’t quite doing the job (due to a speaker’s weak voice, or the hearer’s weak ears). They won’t help BTE wearers.

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#17

@hass5744: How could anyone possibly take offence to that, hass?

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#18

My mother would never wear her hearing aids.
Your voice would get horse from yelling.
My sister bought a battery operated bull horn.
Thought it was a joke.
Actually used it to talk to my mother.
She could hear using it.
My mother has since passed away.
My sister still has the bull horn.

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#19

My mom used to watch reruns of game shows . Maybe she didn’t remember the answers. All you can do is smile. I bet you look at that bullhorn and wish you were still using it. As far as my previous comment goes it was made in jest. Reminded me of all the people on this forum who allow vanity to get in the way of hearing better.

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#20

@hass5744: I, for one, welcome the humour. I have found that it is a great asset when dealing with a disability such as ours. As we say up here, in the Cold NorthCountry … Giv’Er!

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#21

@david3 Yes, these look great. Love the hands free part of my aluminum foil “ear glasses”. I appreciate your sending this along, I may be able to modify mine a bit based on their design.