UPDATE: DSL v5a Pediatric Fitting as an Adult

It’s quieter, but it’s not inaudible. Unless he’s being hyperbolic, that just suggests very poorly fitting hearing aids.

Makes me sad. Sometimes I think as a fun retirement plan I could get a trailer and a mobile REM set-up and just drive across Europe supplementing my trip with $500 2-hour consultations. If only it weren’t totally illegal. Although it sounds like I could do it in Australia.

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Too much of the wildlife in Australia is lethal to suit me! Pity, because I would like to see Australia, just not be bitten by anything that lives there. :smiley:

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What an inception wwith quotes…! :sweat_smile::laughing:

Indeed, in previous topics he mentioned about earmold with much larger vent than with previous hearing aids.

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Should I start to plant and seed many maple trees as a bait then? :laughing: :maple_leaf::maple_leaf::maple_leaf:

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As long as you horde sufficient stores of maple syrup I should be fine.

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I did read your post!

In fact, one of my next plans is to try a titanium shell with a smaller vent.

I know on my old hearing aids I have always had a small pressure hole which target reads as (0.6 - 0.8 mm). I am trying to figure out which it is between those two numbers before I go ahead and purchase them.
I am planning on asking for a deep fit as well. It is a little tricky because I have a lot of jaw movement in my right ear and I have to figure out if I want an Open or Dynamic impression. The last impression I had was dynamic (taken while talking, as instructed) and that has led to a comfortable but very loose fit that makes popping sounds and slides out.

Update me on August 19th. I am very curious how that goes.

Now here’s the thing. I am used to DSL for sure. I like and prefer the loudness of it. But with my adjusted audiogram applied to the new hearing aids to account for new loss I’ve experienced over the past 8 years, they are definitely very loud. Have to take breaks because of headache, like you mentioned. Everything is the same as my old hearing aids except for the new audiogram so I highly doubt there is anything newly dangerous about this.

I have worn hearing aids since around age 4 or 5 like I mentioned.

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So, when I said inaudible I just mean there is no clarity between words. It’s like if normally I can hear everyone sitting around a large table, the people on the other side of the table sound like they are whispering compared to my old hearing aids.

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According to official DSL document:

Adult targets in DSL 5 are approximately 7 dB lower than pediatric targets for a moderate hearing loss. Adult targets are meant to be used with patients who have acquired hearing losses post-lingually.

So, ya, for people with hearing loss pre-lingually, DSL Adult target may not “loud enough.”

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I spent some time in Australia about 25 years ago. It was a working trip so I couldn’t look around much but it’s a beautiful place. Love the people. From the east coast inland to Dalby. Very different from the states. Driving on the wrong side of the road gets challenging.

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Your loss at high frequencies is not as severe as mine, however, how is your comprehension of speech in noisy environments, say 75 db and above?

I’m current using Adaptive Phonak Digital 3.0 in my Infinio Spheres as I think it sounds much better than NAL-NL2. Did you try APD using Semi-Linear Compression vs Prescribed Compression?

DSL v5.0 has an adult algorithm. Did you compare that vs the pediatric algorithm?

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Some considerations before buying titanium cShells/ titanium earmolds:

Regading jaw movement, see that post:

I don’t recommend dynamic if this has made your eamold loose - there will be much slit leaks, which would lower feedback threshold and make impossible to reach DSL targets.

The better is open jaw technique with no jaw movement, no talking since before silicone injection to its curation.

I had hearing loss since being 4, but my first regular used hearing aid I received when I was 12 - Widex Senso P8 (reportedly first digital hearing aid?).

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I use DSL Adult but with Child Targets that i wrote down, staying a little bit lower than what the targets suggest to avoid any risk as Neville pointed out (he’s been guiding me in the process, thanks Neville!).

So, I’m above the adult targets and more leaning to the child ones.

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It gave me a feeling of occlusion too, unlike all the other fittings. I’m going to try DSL v5a Adult for a while, as it does seem better (for me) than APD

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Kind of “ampclusion” if it is not dependent on whether the HA is on or off.

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So what was the final result after the night of pubbing? I find this thread incredibly intriguing! I’ve had my audi tinker with GAIN vs MPO, without much improvement. I’ve never even heard of DSL v5a Pediatric or Adult fittings. Dang. Now I wonder if I’m missing out on something with my otherwise VERY functional Phonak Lumity Life 312s? I get in to see my audi on Friday and will mention this thread.

I already have an ambitious list of things to tackle with her tho: both receiver/wire units need replacing on one pair of 312s (died from TOO MUCH pushing them into my ear all day!), and the other pair of 312s are still not identical in programming or Roger performance with my first pair. PLUS I want to discuss the merits of titanium slim tips to give better seal (and no more PUSHING aids in ear all day long). But there, I have to be cautious as my dang ear canals swell UP and go down throughout the day. I haven’t heard about my other concern: allergic reaction to titanium; hoping that wouldn’t happen.

These days - with broken RIGHT arm - I can barely get the RIGHT aid in my swollen ear canal with gooshy power tips. I’m using my LEFT hand to reach across my head and put that aid in.

What I need is one of those “senior” grabber thingies folks use to reach for soup cans. Would need to be modified to 3" long, much smaller, and able to grasp my dang 312 firmly enough to POKE it into my ear canal.

I know. I ask for the moon even as I sink into the swamp.

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Perhaps try it:

For what I know, titanium never make allergic reactions.

Fingers crossed for regrowing your bone(s)!

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I found the DSL v5a Pediatric very loud. Probably too loud, but as it was only one night, my brain didn’t have a chance to adapt. As @Bimodal_user said, it gave me “Ampclusion”, which to me means my voice was overamplified giving the effect of occlusion, which I found offputting.

DSL v5a Adult seemend similar to the default “Adaptive Phonak Digital” But I could hear more bass and middle. I’ve reset all my aids to DSL v5a Adult and will start getting used to it. Once I’m happy with it, I’ll tweak the gains for streaming etc. :grinning:

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That sounds like a good plan. Your audiogram is NOWHERE down in the basement with mine, but I will bring this DSL v5a Adult up with my audi on Friday. I guess I could live with (or get used to) my own voice amplificluding, but CLARITY in speech around me is #1 priority (followed closely by full, rich, natural music sound). Ah, I’d like to wedge a chair up against the door at my audi’s so NO ONE could get in or out till my 1,000 issues and questions are addressed. Fat chance o’that happening, so I’ve got to prioritize. Would you have thought about setting all your aids to DSL v5a without seeing this thread here?

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Not really, it’s been an eye opener

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ACK! The proverbial “leash” that’s supposed to keep one’s aids IN the ear canal? Maybe I talk too much, eat too much or laugh out loud to much, but my anatomy seems DETERMINED to extrude hearing aids from my ear canal no matter what! The leash just backed out of my ear cup with the speaker extruding - as USUAL. So I got zero benefit from it, on top of which it dug into my ear cup.

I’ve worn custom molded ITEs - to no avail! They barely fit in my ear first thing in the morning (swollen ears) and within hours, I’d get leaky-squeaky feedback as my ears relaxed and the custom mold was just a fraction too small.

Even so! I’d be interested in trying out a pair of the titanium molds. Maybe it’d be easier to push them in all day if they cover the area where speaker attaches to wire (which goes to the “bean” behind the ear).

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