Skip to content
HearingTracker
Log in

How to stop the pressure issues?! DIYer

This topic is closed.

21 replies1.3k viewsLast reply

Jump
Link to this topic

Has anyone gone from having a vent in their ear moulds to no vents?! How did you find it?!

I’m picking up my new ear mould for my left, more powerful ear next week and it has no vent.

I’m worried I’ll find the pressure too much. How did you stop the pressure issues?

Anything I can do in the Phonak software?

I wear Phonak’s and due to feedback issues in my left, that is why I’m getting a new mould with no vent.

8 people in this conversation4 min readJump to latest

I couldn’t tolerate the pressure thing with power or . I don’t think that’s a software thing.

Maybe occlusion control.
I used it on the Naida V90 aids with molds that had a 1mm vent. It helped a bunch for occlusion. 1mm is tiny, almost like no vent.
Not sure if this helps with your question about pressure. Vacuum is an issue sometimes. Literally pulled the little whisker out of the mold. Then pulled the tube out of the mold. Had to super glue them back in.

I recently wore my ’s with “completely” occluded Select-A-Vents on an airplane trip to San Diego and back. Expected to have pressure problems as the plane ascended and descended but I noticed nothing out of the ordinary. I think the molds are not necessarily a 100%-complete seal and with ordinary mouth movements, talking, chewing, swallowing, etc., there’s enough flexure in one’s ear canals to periodically vent even an “occluded” mold. I think some things, if one gets all concerned about it, one can pay more attention to it and by being “sensitive” to an issue, it becomes more of an upfront problem than it really would be if one just didn’t pay attention to it in the first place, a YMMV sort of thingie.

Worked out what to do…reduce the vent setting on the software by one setting each Saturday until it’s at the right setting for no vent.

My friend self programs and that’s what she did and it worked for her.

I guess I’m missing something here. Are you saying software can manage how much pressure is in the ears? I can see managing the sound sensations of occlusion…but not pressure.
But I don’t know.

No I think what he means is everytime you change the vent size in the software it changes the hearing aid settings, changing the vent size makes a big difference to the lower frequencies in most cases.

I can see occlusion being described as pressure.
Zebras learned an interesting way to dal with it. I wonder if the occlusion control is doing the same thing. That occlusion control sure made a difference to me.

From my limited knowledge, I’ve gathered that occlusion can be used to mean several things. So I don’t like the word in my case. I get ridiculous pressure like descending in a plane when using closed or power domes. I can only assume that my drums are flappin’ in the breeze in there :slight_smile: in so that eustachian/inner ear pressure wanting to escape…can’t.

@Zebras said:

I’m worried I’ll find the pressure too much. How did you stop the pressure issues?

Anything I can do in the Phonak software?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always worn fully occluded moulds so I guess you get used to it. Due to my profound loss (around the 90 to 120db area) venting would cause me too much feedback problems. Or it used to/would have done - I’m wondering now whether today’s technology would actually have better control over feedback now.

Anyway, pressure build up in the ears due to lack of venting is nothing to do with the hearing aids and so no software can actually control pressure. The Vent adjustment setting in the software (occluded, open or mm dia.) is only to control/maintain the feedback, not pressure.

Very occasionally my ears feel like they are pressurised (more a feeling of a vacuum, sucking my mould in tight) so all I do is pull on the mould slightly to create a temporary air space into my ear thereby releasing any pressure.

I blocked my vent to test how I would feel. I was feeling a feeling of fullness but no pressure. I reduced the very bottom frequency 160 htz by 7 clicks and that’s got rid of the fullness feeling. I’m happy.

Mould also have to type one small(thin layer) and one big(thick layer). Also both can be with/without vent/0ccluding. I have big without vent but not occluded that perfect for me. Note I had removed wisdom teeth in past due to pain. Hence big not causing problem in jaw mouvement.

image

Got the new ear mould without the vent. Hearing aid is now set to occluded and I’m feeling fine. My own voice sounds okay and I don’t feel any pressure. Most importantly I’m not getting any feedback which is why I went for a ear mould without a vent.

Related discussions