Hi there, I (33F) was diagnosed with Reverse Slope Hearing Loss back in October of 2024, and just got my first set of hearing aids (Oticon Intent 4’s) on August 7th, 2025.
I have incredibly small ear canals, and my AuD gave me the smallest out-of-the-box domes they have. However, after one day of wearing them, the left ear is so extremely painful when I try to remove the hearing aid. There’s a subtle ache all day, but the real pain comes when I take it out - the only thing I can compare it to is having an ear infection.
Would custom molds fix this issue? I think my ear canals are two different sizes. They also loosen/push out of my ear canals when I talk a lot, or when I chew.
Am I just being a wuss and need to get used to these, or is the pain a serious problem?
I managed to get an appointment for August 25th to come in and see what can be done, but I feel pretty out-of-my-depth with all of this. Only one in my family with hearing aids, and it’s been a wonderful, but overwhelming ride.
I appreciate any insights/advice/hellos sent my way!
My domes don’t cause me any pain. I don’t see how you will continue wearing your hearing aids if they cause you pain to wear them. I have to wonder if you are also allergic to the material the dome is made of.
Hopefully, someone with narrow ear canals will have a solution that worked for them that you can benefit from.
Oh my. I didn’t know you could be allergic to the material domes are made out of! Strange that it would only hurt one ear and not the other. Thanks for chiming in =)
Did your ears get sore during the adjustment period?
While you’re waiting for others to chime in with some ideas. I noticed your make and model of HA as Oticon Intent. Hmm, easiest thing I could think of is to try a different type of dome manufactured by another brand of HA. The style that comes to mind it what’s called a tulip, it’s very soft and squishy. First image are Oticon domes, second are from Widex. I’m guessing you currently have open or bass domes. Worst case scenario, you might need custom made earmolds which can be made from titanium making them very small. Simplest quick and dirty fix is the smallest Widex open or tulip.
No. I began to forget much of the time that I was even wearing HAs. Every now and then there was a minor discomfort. When I switched to titanium slimtips it was even better.
I’m so sorry you’ve had this discomfort. My inclination is to recommend custom molds.
Welcome to the forum. Your dome should not hurt at all. I would say you’re not allergic to the material in the domes, as you said it’s only in one ear. To answer your other question, yes moulds would help as they don’t go down the aural canal very far. Moulds can either be made from hard material or softer silicone. My personal preference is silicone with a vent. Good luck.
Yeah you can find them online, be careful though as the don’t fit exactly the same onto the end of the receiver. You need to make sure they have a snug fit and lock, don’t want one left behind in your ear canal when removing a HA.
Personally, I would just go by a clinic and ask for a couple to try out. You’ll likely be warned it’s not possible, or that it’s a good idea . I’ve got a couple Oticon open bass domes on a Widex HA, which usually have tulips installed.
When i first started using aids they hurt. I could only wear them 3-4 hrs a day before i had to remove them. Then i slowly was able to increase the hours until i dont even notice them after 15 hrs a day.
And yes, custom molds can help with comfort, but occlusion can be an issue for many, even with large vents and especially with new users. But its worth a try in my opinion
Thank you flyjazz! Maybe I can sneak over to the hearing and speech center to try on a couple of them this week. My job has me tabling at the local Festival of Nations on Sunday the 24th, and it would be nice if I could hear comfortably.
Great idea, you will want to preferably try a type that provides a similar sound effect to what you already have as the hearing aids have been programmed for a particular type. They don’t have to be precisely the same, just close. You won’t know unless you try, good luck.
Ps. You might want to Google ’ hearing occlusion ’ , it’s quite interesting. Many, including myself have varying degrees of it as a consequence of our hearing loss and the domes we need to use with our HA.
I feel for you @Madelinehearinghelp
Every now and then when I’ve gone in and they have changed a dome or a wire I’ll have one hear that hurts like the dickens.
Forcing the issue by continuing to wear all them day only seems to make things worse. I have found that by wearing it until it starts to hurt, take a break then repeat seems to help. Eventually I can wear it all day.
My gut says there might be a sharp spot on one of the keeper wires or receiver that is just hitting your canal in the wrong spot. I’ve found a couple over the years and removing the sharpness helps.
There’s small and then there’s SMALL and I’m not sure which your ears are. Try wearing the hearing aids with the dome off altogether. If it doesn’t hurt, there’s probably a dome somewhere that will work for you. If it does hurt, a custom tip on a RIC might work, but for very small ears a BTE with a traditional mold is sometimes a more comfortable, stable and aesthetic fit. We fit BTEs on babies; they can fit on any ear. You have a good loss for a BTE too because you don’t have to worry about the high frequency roll off through the tube. But many clinicians don’t really think of BTEs because they don’t fit many.
Thank you for this! I think mine might be SMALL. I tried it without the dome, and it didn’t hurt but it also wasn’t comfortable (in the way that having a foreign object in your ear just isn’t comfortable). Felt like something I could eventually get used to though. There was none of that pain from having the dome on.
It’s so strange that such a thin piece of silicone can make it hurt so much. I’ll bring up BTEs with the Audiologist!
I received these hearing aids based on a financial aid grant, and she paired them specifically with the phone I have (Galaxy A23 5G), hopefully there’s a happy compromise.
. I’ve got a couple Oticon open bass domes on a Widex HA, which usually have tulips installed.