Does anybody know which small hearing protection devices work with hearing aids (RIC with domes or mini tubes with domes)? By “small” I mean something you can carry with you and use when needed. It would have to fit into a normal pocket or a small belt pouch. And it would have to be worn while the hearing aid is in place.
I know some wear no-vent domes or custom moulds that are effectively blocking the ear canal. This is not the case for me, and I require something to help when the guy next to me pulls out the chain saw for just a few cuts. Or the strimmer. You get the idea.
Headphone-like hearing protectors with very large cups?
Or maybe like above, but with additional ANC or boom microphone like e. g. seamans on the aircraft carriers?
For me, despite good hearing up to 500-600 Hz, earmold with 0.6 mm vent could be a lifesaver - in my area there are a lot of motorcycles and cars with illegally modified mufflers that emit even more than 120 dB.
It would have to be something you can pull out of your pocket/pouch when needed. I can’t walk around like aircraft carrier personnel in civil life.
I was thinking of something as small as possible, like
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/cbgnar2368/ or https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000094159/.
Even something like
https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/p/d/v000094159/
or
Otis Technology | EarShield™ Scout Hearing Protection | Made in the USA
would be hard to store and “have with you at all times”.
Great plus if it came with a pouch or case for carrying. But it has to work with hearing aids, that’s the conditio sine qua non.
I have just seen them. I think there is a risk that:
-
receivers won’t allow to push earplugs in the right way, giving a false sense of security
-
wire from the receivers will cause the earplugs to be not properly tight.
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It would have to be something that caps the ear canal from the outside, moldable enough to fit around the wire/tube and the sports clip, but somehow held in - I guess by the outer ear.
There are silicone “ear plugs” that people use to keep their ears dry when swimming, I might give those a go. But I can’t be the only one with that question, can I?
They above linked products are either or solutions.
You have to remove the hearing aids (or receivers) to use the protectors.
Here’s another thread on this. If you find something that works, please post.
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This was my post.
I purchased some cheap soft silicone ear plugs from Amazon and tried them on a recent flight. They are easy to insert and remove and cost just £5.99 for 8 pairs, including two small cases for individual pairs. Each pair should last for ages. They certainly did the job for me.