Behind-the-ear hearing aids Common problems

City Lit Objectives Understand the importance of earmoulds and tubing Be aware of common hearing aid faults and hearing aid maintenance Understand reasons why people may reject hearing aids Relevant for: Assignment 1 b Audiology and aural rehabilitation Assignment 1 c Hearing aids Assignment 1 d Information pack for clients

City Lit BTE hearing aid controls (digital) On/off switch (not all have one) Battery compartment Can also acts as on/off function (closed = on) Programme button Cover for programming socket Volume control wheel (not all have one) Microphone openings Colour -coded typeplate (red = right, blue= left) Earhook

City Lit BTE hearing aid controls (analogue) Battery compartment On/off switch M = microphone = on T = telecoil O = off Volume wheel some move up to turn volume up some move down to turn volume up Microphone opening some at top some at bottom Earhook

City Lit Hearing aids Why don’t people like wearing them?

City Lit Objections to wearing hearing aids They pick up a lot of background noise They can’t correct a hearing loss – they can only make the most of a person’s residual hearing Other people’s expectations of the aid may be unrealistic They only work effectively up to a distance of about 6 feet They have lots of intricate parts that can get damaged or go wrong They need to be maintained and kept clean They might be uncomfortable to wear Constant reminder of own hearing loss Stigma/ embarrassment Cultural reasons

City Lit Hearing aids What can go wrong with them?

City Lit “My hearing aid’s not working” Check… Is the battery dead? Has it been set on the ‘T’ setting by accident? Is the volume turned right down? Is the tubing split or hard? Is there moisture in the tubing/mould? Is the earmould /dome blocked with wax? Is there dirt in the microphone openings? Is there a crack on the casing of the aid? Are there any loose connections between ear hook, tubing and earmould?

City Lit Earmoulds and domes Must be appropriate for the hearing loss Must fit properly – ear changes shape Must be inserted into the ear properly Must be kept clean and clear of wax

City Lit How to look after hearing aids Keep the earmould clean (wipe/wash) Remove moisture from earmould/tubing Remove wax from earmould /tubing Replace tubing every four to six months Turn off hearing aids when not in use Replace dead batteries straight away Keep aids away from moisture and heat

City Lit “My hearing aid’s whistling” Volume may be up too high Ear canal may be blocked (wax/infection) Earmould may not be in the ear properly Earmould may fit badly Tubing may be split

City Lit “My hearing aid’s buzzing” Might be on ‘T’ setting by accident Might be faulty

City Lit “My hearing aid’s too quiet” Volume may be set too low Earmould might be blocked with wax Tubing may be damaged Aid may need adjusting by hearing aid centre Hearing may have dropped – should be retested every 2 years

City Lit “I still can’t hear speech clearly” If everything has been checked by the audiology department/hearing aid centre several times, explain that: Hearing aids are not the complete answer Hearing aids don’t restore hearing – they are just an aid Try to explain their hearing loss in relation to their audiogram if you have one Try to explain their hair cells are damaged (the ‘damaged piano notes’ analogy can be helpful) Try to explain that lipreading can help enormously Explain other listening and communication tactics

City Lit Earmoulds wtoretubeanearmould1.pdf wtoremoveanearmould.pdf