An earmold (or ear tip) is required if you have a behind the ear hearing aid (BTE). Hearing aids do not come without earmoulds. These molds will have a significant impact on your comfort. The sound your hearing aid produces is affected by their design.
The main function of the earmold is to transmit sound from a behind ear (BTE), hearing aids into you ear. The earmould also ensures that your hearing aid is securely in place. By preventing sound leakage, a well-fitting earmold will help prevent feedback whistling from your hearing aid.
It is essential that the tube connecting the earmold to the hearing aid be the right length. The tube should not be too long or you might feel a tugging sensation on the earmold. It will be more difficult to hold the hearing aid in the right place behind your ear if it is too long. Your local hearing professional will ensure that the earmold fits correctly in your ear.
What’s an earmold made from?
An earmold, a piece made of plastic that molds to the shape of your ears, is an earmold. An earmold has many parts.
- The mold is made by drilling a hole in it that will lead to your ear canal.
- To improve sound quality, a vent can be created in the mold. Vents are a great help in improving sound quality. However, they can also prevent “occlusion” issues that can cause your voice to sound hollow or booming. Before you can find the best earmould setup for you, your hearing care professional might need to test several different configurations.
- To direct sound from your hearing aid into your inner ear, tubing can be mounted on the hook of the hearing aid. Tubing is almost invisible and clear, but some people prefer to decorate it or use bright colors.
How to make your earmold
After you have selected an in-the ear or behind-the ear hearing aid, the first thing your hearing professional will do is to make an impression of your ears. This is needed to create a cast of your shell or earmold and to better understand your ear shape. The mold will be made to fit your exact ear shape. This is the first step in a successful fitting of hearing aids. An accurate impression is the key to a fitting earmold.
Two steps are required to make an ear impression.
- Inspection of the ear: Your Hearing Care Professional will start the process by checking your ear canal using an otoscope. An otoscope, a medical device used to examine your ears, is called a syringe. If you have ever had a cold or experienced ear pain, your doctor may have used an otoscope. The built-in lamp in the otoscope lights up your ear canal. This device allows your hearing professional to see if the ear canal is normal or if there are any physical conditions that make it difficult to take an impression. It can be difficult to get an impression of your ears if there is a buildup of earwax, skin flaky, abnormal cavities, irritated ear canals, or a faulty ear canal. Before creating your earmold, it is important to have your hearing professional rule out any of these problems.
- Make an impression: After your ear is examined, your hearing professional will make an impression. This involves inserting a soft substance into your ear that will eventually harden to the shape of your ear. The silicone-based impression material is made from a mixture of two substances. This material will harden when it reacts with the other substances.
Although you may be nervous about the injection of “green goop”, don’t worry. It is painless and harmless. These are the steps involved in impression taking:
- Insertion an otoblock. A hearing care professional will place an otoblock in the ear canal before injecting the impression material. This stops the impression material getting too close to your eardrum.
- Injection of impression materials: With a syringe, the impression material is injected into the ear. This will cause your ears to feel blocked. As the impression material hardens you can open your mouth and chew. After the impression material has hardened, it is best to remove it from your ear.
- Final impression: Once your impression has been removed, it will then be checked for any irregularities, dents or unfilled gaps.
Your earmould is made
Your hearing aid manufacturer or earmold lab will receive the finished impression of your ear. Your type and shape of your hearing aid will determine the type of earmold you choose. The impression will then be shaped to your preferred hearing aid model, similar to a behind-the-ear hearing aid.
There are two types of earmoulds:
- Hard ear molds are made from photoplastic material, which cures when exposed to ultraviolet light. It is easy-to-clean and can be adjusted.
- Soft ear molds are made from silicone and are designed to fit the shape of your ear. These are ideal for children who are active and can be used to treat severe hearing loss.
The final product will be shaped to meet your hearing loss, hearing device type and ear dimensions.
Use your earmold
Turn off your hearing aid to insert the earmold. The earmould’s broad curve should be toward the back of your head and the elbow should point upwards.
- The earmold should be inserted into your ear at an angle. You may find it helpful to gently pull your outer ears backwards and upwards, so that the canal narrows slightly and becomes more straight. Some people’s earmolds will slip into their ears easily, while others may need to be “rocked” gently into place.
- Turn off the hearing aid to reduce volume or remove the earmold. Next, gently pull the earmold from the ear.
Clean your ear mold
Your earmould should be cleaned at least once a week.
These are the steps to clean your ear mold.
- Take care to remove the tube that is attached to the earmold from the hook.
- Rinse the tube and ear mold in warm running water.
- Place the tube and ear mold in a bowl with mild soapy water, or in an effervescent cleaner similar to one used for dentures cleaning. Allow it to soak for at most 10 minutes, so that any earwax and dirt are removed.
- Use a soft cloth to dry the earmold.
- Allow the earmold to dry overnight on an absorbent cloth or piece of paper. Keep the sound outlet end of the earmold pointed down so that any moisture is drained out.
- Attach the tube to the hearing aid.
Do not use cotton buds, toothpicks or pipe cleaners in the earmold.
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