Earwax stuck under or behind hearing aid wax guard. Would Jodi-Vac help?

Hearing Aids
#1

Every few days or weeks I experience the start-up jingle on one of my Oticon Opn 1’s becoming faint with inability to hear the high notes of the jingle. Usually that means it’s just time to change the wax guard.

But every few months (like just now) changing the wax guard doesn’t fix it. When this has happened before I have made the 35-mile trip to the audi. They use some sort of professional-grade vacuum to remove earwax that has gotten stuck below/ behind the wax guard.

-Can someone suggest how I can get at and remove this wax by myself?

-I’ve heard of a consumer product called a Jodi-Vac that some members have mentioned using. Would that work for this problem? Thank you.

#2

I don’t know if you wear domes or molds but in my experience switching to molds from domes made the biggest difference in wax getting to the vicinity of the receiver openings. That’s prevention. A Jodi-Vac would be trying to apply a cure. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. My two ear canals differ in size. One has a much larger mold and the receiver opening is farther away from the surfaces of my ear canal for that ear. So the size of the mold that you wear and I should imagine where the receiver openings are placed can make a big difference. So if you already wear molds, maybe where the receivers are placed in them has an influence on your wax outcome - my receiver openings are more towards the top of my head and the vent hole for each mold is at the bottom, towards my body.

#3

I have a Jodi-Vac I use every other day or so to clean the top of the wax guard (if needed, usually once a week). I change domes often and clean them for reuse. Eventually the wax gets behind the wax guards and sticks on the back. At that point I discard the guards and carefully vacuum lower into the receiver, then replace the guards. I have a lot of wax that clogs the dome ports in 2-3 days. But by cleaning domes and vacuuming I have used no additional domes and 4 wax guards in the past year. So the vac has been a reasonable investment for me given the amount of wax I have to contend with. OPN 1, miniRITE receivers. I have successfully removed wax within the receiver housing using the Jodi-Vac.

1 Like
#4

I have OPN1 MiniRITE with molds and a Jodi. I will periodically remove a wax guard and use the Jodi to clear off the speaker, and then will use it to clean the wax guard. Just touch the needle to the opening - the guard has an internal screen.

The Jodi has more of a use to clean wax from inside the mold - it took me a while to recognize it was building up in there. It’s easy to clean out from the back.

#5

Jodi vac is a great tool. I use it now for more than my HAs. I am sorry I didn’t get the pro model.

#6

I have a suggestion one is to dry it out very well. Then they sell vacuum for hearing aids that can suck out the wax. It has been very helpful in keeping my hearing aids wax free and clean. I also use audiologist wipe to clean wax off my hearing aids. Hope this helps you out.

#7

Thanks everybody. I guess I’ll get a Jodi-vac.

#8

Get extra filters and different size tips.