| Introduction |
| Plastic form designed
to conduct amplified sound waves into
the ear from a hearing instrument. |
 |
| Generally fabricated
from an impression of the individual
ear to be fitted with a hearing instrument. |
|
| Making the EarMould |
| Should a hearing
test show that you suffer from hearing
loss, then the next step is to obtain
a hearing aid. |
|
| Should a hearing
test show that you suffer from hearing
loss, then the next step is to obtain
a hearing aid. |
|
| To get an individually
fitted hearing aid, it is necessary
to make a casting of the ear canal to
ensure that the ear mould fits perfectly.
No two ears are alike and especially
children need to have new ear moulds
made regularly as their ears grow and
mature. |
|
| When casting, the
ear canal is filled with a kind of wax
which is subsequently removed after
a couple of minutes. This procedure
does not hurt but it does feel a bit
strange - a bit like having your ears
filled with water. The cast is then
used to make the actual ear mould which
is then attached to the rest of the
hearing aid. This may take days or a
few weeks. |
|
| Getting used to the
Earmoulds |
| At first it may
feel strange having the ear mould in
place in the ear. It will take you some
time to get used to the new feeling.
The mould is not, however, always perfect,
so it is not unusual for the ear mould
to require several adjustments before
fitting and functioning properly. |
|
| Some of the problems
that may occur include: |
|
Unpleasant sound blockage - also known
as the 'occlusion effect'. |
|
Acoustic feedback |
|
Cerumen (earwax) build-up |
|
Allergic reactions |
|
| Sound blockage
makes it difficult to hear others than
yourself. Vents placed in the ear mould
will often solve this problem. It is
not unusual for these vents to be adjusted
several times in order to get the desired
effect. |
|
| Acoustic feedback
is a kind of whistling sound that occurs
when amplified sound escapes from any
part of the hearing aid and re-enters
the hearing aid microphone. It is a
phenomenon that occurs when the ear
mould does not fit tightly enough. This
can make it difficult to make the vents
that are needed to overcome sound blockage. |
|
| The ear mould can
also cause a build-up of cerumen (earwax)
- especially when wearing tight ear
moulds. Cerumen can reduce sound transmission
and thereby making it difficult to hear. |
|
| Lastly, the materials
used to produce the ear mould can cause
allergic reactions. In such cases other
hypoallergenic materials must be sought. |
|
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