Graduating to RIC from ITE, concerns re activity (tennis, etc)

Hearing Aids
#1

I’ve worn hearing aids for over two decades.
They have always been ITC and now half shell.
The current pair, Bernafon Verites, are a little over ten years old.
Their age, my deterioration in hearing (bilateral, symmetric, cookie bite, now down to about 70 dB in the mid freq) puts me in the market for a new pair.
I’m realistic enough to expect my hearing to deteriorate further (or stay stable, at best) owing to age.

Two questions for forumites:

Costco, from whom I bought my last two sets, remains my #1 choice for my next set.
Of what they offer, which I realize is a more limited set than what I’d find at an audiologist, it appears I’m limited to RIC (e.g., KS 10) owing to the power I’d need (for my current loss and the potential deterioration the next few years).

#1: Could I be wrong? Are there half/full shells, at Costco (preferably) or elsewhere (price, warranty etc. competitive with Costco) that could deliver what I need?

Also, I play tennis and sweat profusely when I’m active, which is often.
It hasn’t been a problem with the ITE hearing aids.
#2: Would RIC aids make it more challenging to be active? I’m concerned as I dart around on court or elsewhere, the RICs would flop around, land on the court, and I end up crushing the hearing aids instead of the ball (and competition!). If I were to wear a head band or bandanna to hold them in place I expect I’d be drowning in my own feedback!

#2.1: How about sweat from the head/hair and its impact on the aids behind my ears?
#2.2 Would you recommend I–for my hearing loss, experience with ITEs, concerns re activity and sweat, “graduate” to a full shell (assuming I can find one capable of handling my current needs and into the next few years) and bypass a RIC/the KS10? Or, are my concerns baseless and I bite the bullet and go RIC?

#2

Why not try the KS10 and see how it goes? If it doesn’t work out, you’re no worse off than you are now.

#3

Yes, the KS10 is my default.
And, yes, I expect to test it out.

I guess my quandary and question can be worded differently: considering my hearing loss pattern, activity level, and tendency to sweat profusely, are there strong compelling reasons to recommend sticking with what I am used to (ITE, which the KS10 and most Costco models are not available in) vs graduating to a RIC (i.e., KS10)?

#4

Posting your audiogram would give us an idea of your hearing loss. Sounds like you really want an ITE. If so, Costco has them. They’ll be more than the KS10, but still in the $2000 to $2500 range. It that’s what you really want, it’s a “strong, compelling reason,” even if nobody else thinks so.

#5

Hi - I play a lot of tennis - 2 to 3 times a week. I play competitively in a doubles league. I wear KS9s (RIC) and like you are thinking about, made the switch from ITC Phonak V70 aids. Yes, they do come into contact with sweat more but I rarely have a problem. I wear a headband (Nike) and place it strategically between the aid and my ear - so the aid sits on the outside. Also, the aid is IP68 rated. I have been out in torrential rain for long periods cycling while bike touring and they have been fine.

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#6

MDB: one day, perhaps soon, I shall upload my audiogram. And, no, I’m not any predisposed toward ITEs for my next pair. I have no experience with RICs and my questions are meant more to benefit from others’ experience with RICs in areas where I might run into issues specific to me/my lifestyle.

glucas:
Perfect, your experience (graduating from ITC to RIC, tennis, sweat,rain, cycling…) reassures me–a lot!!–and makes me even more inclined toward the KS10. Thank you for sharing your perspective.

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#7

I wear a RIC type hearing aid (Oticon OPN 1) which has an IP rating of 68. It’s supposed to be water resistant but not water proof. It’s supposed to be OK to wear in the rain or when you exercise and sweat.

I’m also an avid tennis player (play at least 3 times a week if not more), and do sweat profusely when I play tennis as well (well, at least in the summer). Because of the IP 68 rating of the OPN 1, I used to wear it to play tennis while it was still under its 3 year warranty. The pair seemed to hold up OK but maybe 9 months into doing it, by summer time, one of them started giving me the service beep which usually happens when there is an issue with the mic (getting clogged up maybe?). I had to turn it in for repair. I actually turned both in just in case. I couldn’t prove that it was due to sweating during tennis, but very likely it was the cause. The first time I got the service beep was immediately after a tennis session.

After that, my living situation changed such that I could no longer play tennis up until the end of my hearing aids’ 3 year warranty. Now that I no longer have the warranty, I don’t wear them when I play tennis anymore, just in case.

The bottom line is that if you decide to go with a RIC type that has IP 68 or better, you should go ahead and use them when you play tennis while still under warranty to see how they hold up. If problem free then great. If problem prone, then get them serviced/replaced during the warranty and stop using them for tennis, at least after the warranty expires.

By the way, I never dropped any hearing aids while running around the court. If I did, I would have noticed it right away to stop playing and look for it before stepping on it. I don’t wear headband or a bandana to hold them in place. There’s really nothing you do in tennis that would cause them to come loose.

It depends on the hearing aids, but mine don’t give me any feedback even if I cover them up with my hands, so wearing a bandana or headband to cover them up wouldn’t be an issue for me. I do wear a thin headband underneath my hat and wear sunglasses when I play without any problem with the hearing aids. Sometimes I wear a hat that covers the back of my head completely and still no feedback issue either.

#8

I wear the Phonak P90r. Sweat occasionally blocks the vents of the domes. I dislike the feeling and change of sound so I remove the aid which is affected. The receivers worked fine after drying out(I use the drier Costco sells for rechargeable aids).

#9

Which dryer is that?

#11

PerfectDry Lux from the audiology department.

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#12

Thanks. Good to know. That’s what they sold me for my previous HAs.