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Are Hearing Aids Supposed to be Painful?

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New hearing aid user here. Bought the Jabra Enhance Pro 20’s at Costco Friday. Fitter put me in the M@ receivers with medium solid domes. Had lot’s of feedback, so he changed to large solid domes.

I wore the aids 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday. I felt like I had ear plugs in all day long. Right ear kept popping, like when you go up in airplane. Very uncomfortable, kept moving it around trying to find comfortable position.

Left ear is painful, feels like an oversized pebble is in my ear canal. If I pull the receiver out a tad, it quits hurting for five or ten minutes, then back to painful. I feel like maybe I’m inserting the aids too far in, but not sure how far they should be.

To be honest, I’ve been so uncomfortable wearing these things, I haven’t really been able to focus on whether they’re helping with hearing quality.

So, is this normal to go through growing pains? How long before it eases up? I go back in a couple of weeks for a follow-up. Just thought I’d ask here of you knowledgeable folks in the meantime.

Thanks.

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I personally would not wait a couple weeks for follow up given that the discomfort is so distracting to you. Domes can be highly individual as far as fit, comfort and purpose or application. Hopefully people here will have some suggestions for you, but pain should not be part of the equation.

You could try custom made molds, these are a perfect fit and hypoallergenic for most people, as mentioned pain isn’t something you have to put up with.

The short answer is no. They should not be painful.

I was advised to start out only wearing them a couple hours a day, and then increasing the wear time as I got used to them. Going from nothing to 10 hours a day is a big step.

That said, my experience was that some domes were much more comfortable than others. I ended up switching brands because I found the Phonak domes comfortable while the Oticon domes always irritated my (rather narrow) ear canals.

Thanks for the replies.

So, about the custom molds. Is that what I see which fills up the entire center of the ear? Or, is it just the part about the size of a dome which goes up into the canal?. Is it still connected by the wire or is it wireless with a little antenna sticking out?

In reply to @seabeast

Just a note for anyone else reading this - you don’t always have to change manufacturers for this. I have Oticon Moores, but find the Starkey domes a better fit, so I use starkey domes on my Oticon HAs. Not sure if all domes/HAs are interchangeable, but it was my audi that suggested this and I haven’t had any problems.

In reply to @Alonzo

Custom molds can very in size from something dome like (like Phonak Slimtips) or something much larger that fills most of the space in the ear. They are attached via the same wire as the domes. Actually the wire attaches to a receiver which slides into the dome or mold. Note: If UP receivers are used they are fixed to the custom mold, but that wouldn’t apply to your hearing loss.

Looking at your I can see needing power domes or . I am not familiar with solid domes. Custom earmolds just might be good for you as well.

A Google search for hearing aid dome types should explain this well.

I always found new domes to be a bit painful until they got a little dirty from wearing them. Trying different domes should help you but remember you will need to get a feedback test again once you figure out which dome is best for you at the audiologist.

Good luck and hang in there.
Better hearing is just around the corner.

@Raudrive said:

Looking at your audiogram I can see needing power domes or closed domes. I am not familiar with solid domes

Thanks. I think “closed” domes is the proper description of what I have.

It took me a week or 2 to get accustomed to aids when i first started with domes. I needed a med in one ear and a large in the other for a comfortable fit. As my hearing degraded, i changed to small in ear molds, then to power receivers with skeleton molds to keep feedbacks under control. Those receivers you are using are larrger than a standard ones. You may want to try a standard receiver if nothing else helps. Personally i found the Jabra domes to be very comfortable after getting used to them. Now i wouldnt go back after using molds. Night and day

In reply to @MDB

@MDB said:

Custom molds can vary in size from something dome like (like Phonak Slimtips) or something much larger that fills most of the space in the ear.

I’ll add that molds can be made in various materials, like rigid acrylic and flexible silicone. Silicone can be had in different grades of stiffness from some suppliers. There are also special designs, like molds where the part that goes inside the ear canal is hard, and the retention ring that sits in the outer ear is soft. And materials that soften with body heat.

Ive had my custom earmolds from for 3 months. In the future i will never have hearing aids without custom molds. All the difference in the world from silicone for me.

I have never had pain issues with domes, but have recently gone to a custom ear mold for feedback issues. Have never seen one like mine. My provide had them make it very “short” because I have pain issues in that ear canal when someone tries to do anything past the first 1/4" or so. These are silicone, fit comfortably tight and have what I call the “keeper” piece that goes in the ear shell to keep it in place and the little wire to help take it out. But it only goes about 1/4" into the ear canal!!
Does a GREAT job and is very comfortable!

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