Today, I'm excited to talk about three indicators that you need new ear molds!
Hello! My name is Emily. Welcome to my channel today. I created Definite Hearing as a way to support
those who are deaf and hard of hearing in addition to supporting their friends and family members.
I am so glad you're on my channel today, please take a moment to like this video and subscribe
to my channel. Subscribing to my channel makes you a part of the Definite Hearing community
and you join our efforts to increase awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing! I hope you
stick around to the end of this video because if you do I'm going to share a handful of ear
mold customization options. Guess what? These are exciting and I can't wait to tell you about them!
Let's get to it! Here are three indicators that you need new ear molds; number one: fit. Fit is
huge because if the ear mold does not fit properly, it can lead to an increase of feedback in the ear.
Fit is most commonly an issue in young children young children ages zero to two need to get their
ear molds changed about every two months because they're growing so much. After they're two, children
will get their ear molds changed about every four months. For adults, ear molds can be changed about
every year. It changes and depends on the person, the cerumen or the wax output of the ear, and how
fast the ear molds deteriorate so there's number one. Number one is fit of the ear mold. If the fit
changes or if you notice any discomfort it's time to get new ear molds. Number two is discoloration.
Discoloration means extreme yellow on ear molds. Now this is when you pull your ear molds out of
your ear if they look gross. I have an example for you. These are my old ear molds and as you can see
they are yellow, they're discolored and they look kind of gross. When ear molds look gross and
excessively yellow, it is time to start thinking about replacing them. You'll also notice that
the discoloration of the ear mold causes them to become brittle and as they become brittle it leads
to reason number three that ear molds should be replaced and this is just general deterioration
of ear molds. As the ear moles discolor, they become brittle and start to break apart.
You can see that a little bit here on the tip of my ear mold, my ear mold started getting
hard and brittle and falling out near the tube. Now this can be because sometimes the tube glues
that are used, can eat at or erode the material, and so over time as my tubes are replaced and they
wiggle around it can deteriorate that ear mold. In addition to that, any tears or cracks also indicate
that an ear molds should be replaced. For example, I have a tear, it's kind of a big one right here, on
my skeleton mold. And this is an issue because this skeleton mold piece keeps my ear mold in
place with my hearing aid and so that tear can compromise the integrity of this mold's ability
to stay sealed in my ear so it is important that, if you have any deterioration of the ear mold,
that you consider replacing your ear molds. Now, bonus feature! I know I said I was going to share
three things that suggest you should get your ear molds replaced but I also want to talk about tubes
really quick. These tubes are old, they needed to be replaced. Indicators that you need to replace your
hearing aid tube(s) also includes discoloration. They go from clear to a yellow or a cloudy color even
after you've washed them, and they also become very hard. My current ear mold tubes are very squishy
as you can see here, just squishy! And then these tubes are really hard.
You can kind of hear that. There you have it! That's how you know you need to replace your ear mold(s)
and your tubes. Now, be aware that your tubes may need to be replaced more often than your ear molds.
For example, I like to get my tubes replaced every four-ish months. So sometimes, I'll have my ear mold
tubes replaced two or three times before I get a new set of ear molds. I hope that helps! If you
have any questions about ear molds or ear tubes or when they should be replaced, please let me know in
the comments below. I am not an expert. I'm not an audiologist, but I have had loads of ear molds and
tubes in my life, and I feel like I can offer some advice based on my experience but take it with a
grain of salt. Your audiologist will recommend what's best for you and your ears. Thanks for
sticking around to the end of this video, I want to share a few things that you can do to customize
your ear molds. Now, ear mold types and options depend on the earmold manufacturer. I'm aware of two:
Microsonic and Em-tech and they both have different options but ask your audiologist about these
options and if they're available for your ear mold. For example, some of these options are
glow-in-the-dark materials, glitter materials, you can have swirled colors, striped colors, polka dot
colors, there are stamps that they can put into the ear mold and cover them with like a solid shellac
so you can have a heart, a tiger,... these shapes that they have pre-made so that's kind of fun to add
to or to customize your ear molds. Customizing the ear molds is my favorite part about getting them!
I just ordered sparkly gold ear molds and I cannot wait to get them! I want to add,
Microsonic is the one that does the stamps, I don't know that Em-tech does so like I said, talk to your
audiologist ask them what silicone and ear mold material combinations are available, and pick your
favorites. There you have it! I want to know what color or colors will your next set of ear molds be?
I would love to hear in the comments below. I look forward to hearing from you. I hope you enjoyed
this video. Please like this video and subscribe to my channel. Remember, when you subscribe to my
channel you become a part of the Definite Hearing community and you join the mission to increase
awareness for the deaf and hard of hearing. We need you! I hope you have a great day! Bye!