Hearing loss support - HA Durability

Author

HA Durability

Ed Bailen

2006-08-13, 4:26 pm

I have a pair of VA-supplied Phonak Claro 21 dAZ ITEs. My hearing
loss is moderate and I manily wear the HA's when going out in public,
or in a social situation. This mainly amounts to a couple of hours a
week, max. When not in use, the HAs are stored in a small tupperware
container with about 4 oz of indicating silica gel dessicant.

Over the past several years, I have had both HAs fail within several
months of having them repaired by Phonak, In this last cycle, my left
HA had failed quite some time ago, but I hadn't bothered to return it
as it would not stay in my ear in spite of an extra long mold.
Finally I got around to driving to the VA canter and they sent the
left one back to have it repaired and to have a canal lock installed.
While I was there, they checked the right HA and determined that it
only had one working microphone, so they sent both back for
repair/rework.

When I got them back, they both worked and the left one finally stayed
in my ear. This lasted for about 3 months, and then the right one
failed as I was driving from San Antonio to Austin. I had been
"camping" (mostly indoors) at a SA RV park for 4 days and wearing the
HAs all day. At night, they were in the Phonak case, but without any
dessicant.

I understand that it is best to keep the HA's stored in a dry place,
but if they cannot tolerate 4 days in a hot climate without failing,
they don't seem very durable to me. Fortunately, the VA repaired them
without charge this time, but I am concerned that they might charge me
the next time. What should I expect, given that I only wear them a
couple of hours a week?

Thanks,
Ed

Ken

2006-08-13, 4:26 pm

Ed Bailen wrote:
> I have a pair of VA-supplied Phonak Claro 21 dAZ ITEs. My hearing
> loss is moderate and I manily wear the HA's when going out in public,
> or in a social situation.

I have had bte Phonaks for about ten years without problems. It has
been suggested in this group that ite aids, whatever the make, are more
prone to failure (simply because of the tough environment).

I doubt that ambient temperature, even in hot dry areas, would be a
problem for aids not inserted in the ear.

I have often reported on the bad treatment my Phonaks have withstood.

Mine, incidentally, live in my ears except when in bed. So they are
operating 16 hours a day every day. It looks as though they will las as
long as me.

frag

2006-09-14, 8:22 am

Ken? He'z just ziz guy, you know?

>
> Ed Bailen wrote:
>
>
> I have had bte Phonaks for about ten years without problems. It has
> been suggested in this group that ite aids, whatever the make, are
> more prone to failure (simply because of the tough environment).
>
> I doubt that ambient temperature, even in hot dry areas, would be a
> problem for aids not inserted in the ear.
>
> I have often reported on the bad treatment my Phonaks have withstood.
>
> Mine, incidentally, live in my ears except when in bed. So they are
> operating 16 hours a day every day. It looks as though they will las
> as long as me.

Does the group consider that ITC/ITE aids last longer than CIC aids?

Looking at GE Resounds pictures of CIC, ITC and ITE aids it seems to me
that their ITC and ITE aids, the microphone is outside of the ear
(well, outside of the inner ear and I would have thought far enough
away from the wax that kills most CICs)

(I know looking at other manufacturers pictures, some ITC aids are
almost identical to CIC aids, so I imagine these would be as unreliable)

--
frag
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kol_Isha

2006-09-14, 4:25 pm

"frag" <news2@ukrm.co.uk> wrote in message
news:eebdf9$ctg$1@server.localdomain...

> Does the group consider that ITC/ITE aids last longer than CIC aids?
>
> away from the wax that kills most CICs)
>

Oops... watching this thread with interest and wondering when my new Phonak
ITC's... with my propensity for wax build-up... are going to fail. I don't
really quite understand... if it is a known fact that wax destroys hearing
aids... and humans produce wax... then you'd think they'd have come up with
a better design by now. Although of course, technology has its limits. I
would gladly give up some of the fancy digital programming (I can't remember
how many programs my HA's have... but it's a lot... and I can't really
distinguish the difference between all of them, or understand why I need
them all) in exchange for better durability, i.e. knowing that I'm not going
to kill them simply by putting them in my ears. Oh, well.

Regards,

Arlene