Can hydration level affect earmold fit?

evil_queen_lisa

evil_queen_lisa

New Member
Joined
Dec 20, 2009
Messages
591
Reaction score
0
Hey all,
so i've been having a weird experience with my earmolds.. somedays I have no pain, other days i'm in lots of pain. Ive been trying to figure out what is causing it, and the only thing i can think of is my hydration levels. On days when im slightly dehydrated, my earmolds are fine. On days when i'm properly hydrated, they hurt. Does this make sense at all? Can hydration level really change the size of your ears THAT much?
The pic shows where it hurts and i get bright red lines (like if you dig a nail into your skin).

*EQL*
 
Yeah, I have often wondered about that with my BTE hearing aid.

Curious to hear the experiences that others had and what stopped the ear from hurting so can wear the hearing aid more comfortably ... :hmm:
 
that reminds me, I need to go oil my ears. I get dry skin and not wax, so my ent doctor has me use body oil. Yes, I've had days in which my hearing aid was killing me and moisture was the only thing I could think of too.
 
then go back to facility and have them modify your earmold
 
So I have to have my ear wet all the time for it to fit right? Sounds like a great way to get an ear infection.
 
might try a different material for ear mold

Different peoples skin react different with different materials. I prefer the hard plastic over the silicone type earmolds. For me no matter how often I clean the silicone it build bacteria and skin irritation much easier. So its softer surface creates more discomfort instead of less. There are lots of different ways to mold the same shape as well instead of a large hunk a more gapped shape. For me the slightly deeper mold delivers sound better but I need that extra hole for to be bigger for good air equaliztion. Anyway they never go in my ear without being wiped down with an alcohol swab first. And my ear is dry as well.
 
ok.. let me clarify.. the skin on the surface is not dry.. the actual hydration of the skin. Skin that is hydrated is in theory thicker than skin that is not. Think of those little dinosaurs that we had as kids.. you plunk them in a bucket of water and they expand, and when you let them dry out they shrink. Moisturizing my ear canal will do nothing.. this has to do (in theory) with the amount of liquids i am drinking.
Thanks,
*EQL*
 
Hi evil queen ...

That's an interesting theory about hydration levels affecting ear mold fit; there might be something to that. Not sure about the exact nature of your symptoms, but ear molds can often cause skin irritation with redness and discomfort, especially when they are new.

In these cases I've found it quite helpful to smear some vaseline on the ear mold before putting the HA on. There may be other lubricants such as body oils, etc. that might work as well, but I've found vaseline to be quite effective in taking the edge off. Even a very tight-fitting ear mold can slide right into your ear with a bit of lubricant.

OTOH, it may be that your ear mold just doesn't fit right. Of course they are supposed to be tight, but not too tight! Have your specialist check it out; they might be able to file or grind away a rough edge (if that's what is causing the problem). Your last resort is to get a new ear mold impression. That shouldn't cost you anything extra if the original mold is found to be defective.
 
I know for a fact

That each and every day my body fluctuates slightly -- the hard hat that was comfortable at the end of the workday wont fit the next morning.. that sort of thing. It is a shame there is no way to have earmolds that shrink and expand along similar lines. I have worn the damn things so long they are just another discomfort among the many. I am thinking to follow your clues and my own related experience that maybe a new set of molds could be made at a time you
have zeroed in as your "smaller" time as opposed to your "larger" time in your bodies daily natural cycle.
 
Our bodies expand and contract because of a lot of things. Including the weather. Be sure to tell them you're having this issue.

Ron Jaxon
 
Back
Top