My trial Phonak Sphere I70 has significant occlusion with closed domes, more so with large Power 4.0 domes than medium. Long story short, this Friday I am trying the Oticon Intent 1 with I assume Oticon closed domes. Will Oticon releive my stress and discomfort with the occlusion effect?
Occlusion is physical. Power domes will always have more occlusion than closed, large more than medium, regardless of the manufacturer. What’s your hearing loss?
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I would think that if you test drive a few different domes you will find one that serves you well. I ultimately ended up using 6mm double vent bass domes and find them so comfortable I forget I’m wearing hearing aids. Zero occlusion or discomfort. I use Oticon Intent 1s.
Moderately-Severe/Severe in high frequencies.
Great feedback. I will share your domes with my Audiologist. Thanks.
If you turn the hearing aids off and put them in your ears, occlusion will still be there. If it is not, then you are not dealing with occlusion but rather something in the gain. It’s worth double checking, but with that loss I wouldn’t be surprised if getting around occlusion is an issue. A custom tip might allow for better venting control to try to balance occlusion with feedback control.
I tried it. The occlusion is still there. In fact, it is worse (like sticking a finger in each ear)! To minimize the occlusion, my audiologist reduced the gain to prevent feedback but that also affects speech clarity (and the main reason why I choose Phonak Sphere technology). Frankly, my 7-year old Phonak aids have the least occlusion with the same power 4,0 medium domes and better speech clarity. Unfortunely, they are on their last legs and near end of life. I am thinking the undesireable level of occlusion may be a programming issue that I intend to explore with my audi on Friday. Absent that, custom molds with proper venting may be the solution (albeit my experience with them many years ago with ITC Widex aids was unacceptable). Thank you for your feedback.
Feedback is something completely different than occlusion. Usually patients need more occluded fitting to prevent feedback.
True occlusion is generally due to a physical cause, not programming, although I heard rumors about overcoming it with proper low-frequency gain; I don’t know if it works.
Try carefully and slowly, without force, to push the receiver with the dome deeper into the ear canal. Sometimes this reduces occlusion.
Ear molds/slim tips/cShell are surely a possible solution.
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Thank you for your feedback.
Yeah, I’m not 100% sure what you are talking about is occlusion. Occlusion is typically a boomy, echoy effect on your own voice and internal noises. If you could wear old phonak aids with medium power domes and not have whatever this effect is you are describing, you should be able to wear the new ones. Its possible this is actually an insufficient gain issue if you are actually feeling plugged (which would also get worse if the hearing aids were muted). You may be confusing your clinician if you are using the word “occlusion” and it is, in fact, not.
If your old hearing aids are working, they can compare REM measures from those against the new ones, as a start.
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Your definition of occlusion is exactly what I am experiencing. I agree perhaps there may be a gain issue (or programming issue). My old aids are still working. Your suggestion to compare REM between the old and new aids is excellent. I will discuss REM comparison with my Audi and let you know the outcome Friday.