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Do you use the sport guard on your HA?

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How important is it to wear that little retainer wire that is attached to the bottom of your - the “curvy” wire that fits in the shell of your ear when your HA is fully inserted?

I believe the stated purpose for that wire is to help prevent losing your hearing aid. For me it’s way more comfortable to go without them. I have VERY sensitive and very small curving ear canals and I believe that the retainer wires increase the pressure contact of the HA receiver against the walls of my canals. When I removed the retainers that ear canal contact pressure decreased and made the ear canal pain I’ve always experienced decrease materially.

So… what’s your opinion? Is it very important for safety against loss. Appreciate your experience and recommendations.

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I use mine. It is made with quite fine plastic like a monofilament fishing line. I find it helps keep the hearing aid in place. I often put it in first before the actual receiver and find it helps guide the reciever into the ear canal.

I use mine. They are usually called “concha locks” or “sport locks”. I am very active, ride a bicycle with helmet of course. They keep the in place so no loss while putting helmet on or taking off. Off the bike, I use headbands to control sweat and protect HAs when hiking, at the gym, etc.

Agree with Sierra, I place the HA body over my ear with the receiver loose, then insert the concha lock, then slip the receiver into my ear. I’ve had cancer with radiation on my head, two facial surgeries to remove parotid gland and lymph nodes, so one auditory canal is convoluted.

I know many people who do not use them. Seems a personal choice, if they cause discomfort or don’t worked based on your ear anatomy, I see no issue with not using them.

I use them and they don’t bother me, but I could likely not use them with no adverse effects.

Before I got custom moulds, I found them really irritating. Plus my domes kept moving outward in my ear canal anyway. My Audie removed the sports lock. I didn’t notice any change except that I wasn’t being poked by the plastic wire any more.

Here are photos to help. It is hard to get clear photos in my ear since I am single, with no one to get them for me.

Here are the after months of use, you can see the natural curve of the sport locks.

IMG_0028

Here I have just hung the HA on my ear with the dome facing in, but not into my auditory canal. You can barely see the receiver and dome.

IMG_0166

I then insert the tail of the sport lock, then use one finger to push the HA inside. Here it is fully inserted. You can see how closely the wire is to my head.

IMG_0170

I use them. They help keep my aids in place in the canals. I don’t feel them at all.

If you do “feel” them there are 2 things you can do;

  1. cut the end off if they are too long being careful to not leave sharp corners
  2. bend the curve some more if they are too tight

In reply to @anon66854306

I put the plastic “wire” into the outer ear first and then the complete sleeve and receiver second.

To the OP, perhaps the end of the plastic wire is sharp. Perhaps some heat to blunt the end?

@Sierra said:

To the OP, perhaps the end of the plastic wire is sharp. Perhaps some heat to blunt the end?

I used a fingernail file to blunt any sharp corners on the end after cutting to correct length.

@w.macneill said:

I believe that the retainer wires increase the pressure contact of the HA receiver against the walls of my canals.

I think you need to bend the ear grip some more (Oticon and myself call them ear grips). I wrap them tightly like the image below and then I squeeze it close to the base. It makes a more comfortable/loose fit. Try it a few times gently at first and then more aggressive squeezing if it doesn’t get loose enough.

20190608_152444

Some ppl wear them to keep the receiver in place. That’s why I wear them. Without the ear grips my receivers would back out (especially when chewing) and then my hearing aids became only partially effective.

btw> If you Audi doesn’t wear ear grips he/she may not know how to adjust them. My ear grips were causing days-long/intense pain until I used the bend-at-the-base trick to get them to fit comfortably and not-so-spring-loaded-tight.

I started out wearing mine to help keep the ’s in place during exercise. Now they’re on all the time.

Anyone have a guess on how long they will last?

Mine have been in place for 4 months now. They’re starting to show a little bit of less retention.

In reply to @davekstott

The fitter at Costco changed mine when I went in for a minor adjust at around six months. Changed and domes at the same time, Costco does not charge for those parts, just batteries.

Hahaha; Here’s a little trick. Pick a hearing aid and hold it out in front and on one side of your head until it is in plain view of your eyes.

Does the receiver point towards the inside/towards you head? If it points inside towards your head then it is on the correct side. Put it on that side;

20190612_085217

If it points outward/away from your head then you have the wrong side. You need to put it on the other side;

20190612_085300

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