I’ve owned a pair of RIC Oticon OPN’S for 6 months. Previously I had 2 pairs of Phonak Audeo. The OPN receivers constantly migrate out of the ear canal. I’ve used every type of dome configuration that Oticon offers and the Phonak domes that worked perfectly for me. I’ve messed with the wire remolding it’s shape. I went from the #2 to #3 wire because I felt the wire was too short. I installed the ear grips that are suppose to stop migration. Nothing works. Never ever have I had a problem with Phonak so custom molds is not a the fix.
I have a hunch the receiver wire is much stiffer for Oticon than Phonak thus the movement of ones jaw creates shock wave in the stiffer Oticon wire that makes it migrate vs a thinner Phonak wire that is more flexible and thus dampens the shock and it stays in place. Another reason for my theory is that I have to constantly adjust the speaker as it pushes against the inside of the canal giving the feeling that the opening is against the canal wall.
Have any of you audiologist had your patients complain of this issues?
I take it you’re talking about the “Ear grip”? If not, you should try it. I had the same problem and this locks the tip in place for me. I was worried it would be uncomfortable in my ear, but I don’t notice it at all.
I have Oticon Agil Pros that are RIC’s with custom micro molds and I have never had any migration problems. With your LF hearing loss in the 40-50 dB range molds might even allow you to hear a little better.
Are we talking about Oticon miniFit receivers with ear grips that did not work for you? What size receiver? Note how the ear grips are setup to angle away from your head. Because they are angled towards the outside they lock into your concha and keep the receivers pushed into your ear.
This is the ear grip that I use for the 85 receiver.
Simply put the receivers migrate their way right out of my ear canal when eating or talking.
As far as molds go hearing with the Phonak’s and now the Oticon (both RIC models) was never an issue. I’d rather go back to Phonak than use molds to fix this issue.
I think you need to adjust the receiver wire for a better fit. Mine always need to have a slight bend right before the receiver - they cannot be curved like the pics above, or they work out of my ears, and feel like they are hitting something inside my canal. I also have very small canals that turn. Also, I have to keep my domes pristine clean, and replace often or they migrate out of my ears like you described when they get softer from use. I experiment with different manufactures’ domes for a better, more comfortable fit that stay in my small ears. Ask your Audi for some other brands to try. I do not use the ear grips.
I had similar issues with Resound aids and found the Phonak stayed in much better. I tried smaller domes (they made me nauseous due to Vagal nerve stimulation). I think one of the problems was that the receiver was slightly bigger - (the newer Resound receivers were better and they were a bit smaller). Phonak have definitely stayed put easier for me also. Trying different receiver wire length, dome brand/size and the locks are the main things you can try.
@alpine1, I have had this issue with multiple different manufacturers. Most of the time an ear grip does the trick. I know some other people mentioned this but, are you certain the ear grip is installed correctly? I have seen many people with ear grips installed upside down/backward. When you install it correctly it almost looks like it is going in the wrong direction and can be misleading.
Aside from the ear grip I would recommend custom molds. I usually recommend earmolds for RITE/RIC hearing aids as they are a custom solution and people tend to like them better (easier to insert, better retention, usually more comfortable). Especially with your low frequency hearing loss - we aren’t too concerned about occlusion so it is easier to fit custom molds. I know you rejected the custom mold idea in your original post but I would probably reconsider if you know the eargrip is installed correctly.
OPN1s over here and had similar problems with the domes slowly working their way out. I tried the ear-grip things but the grips, themselves, kept popping out with part of the grip ending up sticking out of my ear. I confirmed with the guys at BuyHear that I had the grips installed correctly but they still kept popping out. I tried several things but what eventually worked was to pull the grip off of the receiver, rotate it 90 degrees and push it back on. After that, no more problems … the grip stays in my ear and domes stay in the ear canal.
@canadian_audiologist. Thanks for the input. I have put grip on several different ways and alas it finally appears that I have the right combination as there has been NO movement all day. That’s one ear. Unfortunately the wire on the other HA is broke so it’ll be a number of days before the entire riddle is solved. When the time comes though I’ll be going back to Phonak though .
By coincidence, I am having this problem with my KS5s. When I push the receiver fully into the canal, my volume and clarity goes way up, but they won’t stay there. They soon insist on backing part way out of my ear canal, requiring me to push my volume up about 3 clicks. I am leaning towards getting molds. Of course I have had the KS5s for several years, but in all other respects they seem to serve me well, The Costco hearing specialist quoted me $80 for custom molds.
I am tempted to try the homemade molds just to get an idea whether I would adjust well to molds. I used to wear custom-ordered molds years ago on a pair of Phonaks, but when I got the KS5s I was told I didn’t need them and to stick with the standard dispensed domes.
We’ve been down the road many times about getting the “tail” coiled correctly inside the shell of my ears and I have been assured often that my tails are correctly coiled and placed, but it seems that the tails just are not strong enough to resist my canals’ desire to partially eject the receivers, so that they end up partway in and partway out.
But after carefully reading this thread on Hearing Tracker all the way down to its end:
I think I will forget the DIY stuff and go straight for the $80 molds at Costco.
I’ve had the same problem with the double-domes on my Phonak Audeo B-Direct aids. It’s more an issue with my LEFT side cuz that dang canal swells up and goes down - who knows, with the moon, the tides, or what! Also, when I’m in really humid places or working out really hard (gym, hike, etc.,) that little dome will slip out of my ear like it’s greased. And it IS: with my own sweat.
My “fixes” are to wipe down the dome with an alcohol prep pad, and/or swap in a L dome for the S/M one. Right now, I’ve got the L one in, with no prob. But I do notice that soft silicone tips are prone to sliding OUT - perhaps even more than my hard plastic molded ITE aids from a few years ago.
It is an annoying problem, cuz when the aid slips out, there’s leakage, and as mentioned, one has to boost the volume or just PRESS the dang receiver into the canal and HOLD IT there. I sometimes do that when listening to the TV. And then I get SORE ear canals, with redness and even a small sore spot.
You might want to look at Comply snap tips. Some audiologist also make the available. They are a heat set type of memory foam. It does depend on the aid connection though.
^^^ That is a GREAT idea!!! I had asked my aud-guy about a different brand of foam tip - which I had tried and LOVED the feel of! However, somehow, the material compromised the SEAL, and I could not understand speech on the phone AT ALL. I was bummed to remove them, but perhaps this Comply tip could be an option to replace my slippery silicone double domes.
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