Ask the Audiologist: Why Do My Hearing Aids Flop Off My Ears?

Question: Dear Audiology Content Team

I wear BTE hearing aids with an ear mould – on the UK NHS. I’ve been wearing hearing aids since 2001.

The latest hearing aids I’ve been given are Signia Stretta Aya, and the previous were an older Oticon. The Stretta ones are much more open curve than the older Oticon ones and don’t tuck behind my ear.

The ear moulds stay in my ear no problem.

I need a permeable tube because my ears produce quite a bit of condensation. The tubes are rather floppy – I don’t know if that is because they are permeable ones. (I’ve used permeable tubes before with no problem.)

I bought myself new Stretta ear hooks, actually child ones, with a tighter curve than the hook the hearing aids came with.

Even with the tighter curve due to the new ear hook I bought, the hearing aid flops out from behind my ear the moment I move. It is tucked in place when I am still, but goes “boing” like an insect antenna if I turn my head.

I am deeply fed up and frustrated. I have tried sticking it to my ear with tape, but it is fiddly and when I want to take my hearing aid off for a little while I have to find a mirror to peel off the tape, and when I want to put it back on again, I have to find a mirror and a new piece of tape to stick it back down and I have never had a good relationship with any form of sticky tape whether plasters or parcel tape. The hearing aid is just the wrong shape for my ear, and the tubes are too springy.

I have tried making the tubes more rigid, by enclosing them in a plastic drinking straw, but the “hinge” part of the tube where it goes into the mould is still very bendy and they still fall off.

Are there more rigid tubes that are permeable and where would I buy them?

Can you think of anything that will hold the hearing aids in behind my ears that is easy to remove and replace (unlike sticky tape)? A clip? Something that easily wraps around each ear and isn’t stuck in place?

Thank you for being prepared to offer help like this.

Regards

Answer from Audiology Content Team:

Dear [Name],

Thank you for reaching out and explaining your situation so clearly. I know how frustrating it can be when hearing aids won’t stay securely in place.

From your description, the flopping off your ear is most likely due to the tubing being too long rather than the stiffness of the tubing itself. When the tubing is slightly too long, it pushes the hearing aid outward and causes it to spring away from the ear. You should be able to detach the tubing from the tone hook, trim it shorter, and then reattach it. If the tubing is the proper length, your hearing aid should sit securely behind your ear. You can read more about this in my article: When to Change Hearing Aid Tubing, Domes, and Wax Traps.

If you’d still like to try a different tubing style, there isn’t truly “stiffer” permeable tubing available, but there are thicker-walled tubes that provide a bit more rigidity. This would need to be fitted by your audiologist. Keep in mind that tubing naturally stiffens over time, which is why most people need to replace it every 3–6 months. Regular maintenance also helps avoid other issues, such as hearing aids cutting in and out.

If shortening the tubing and routine replacements don’t completely solve the problem, your audiologist may suggest retention options designed to keep hearing aids comfortably in place without tape.

See also: Dealing with a Popping Hearing Aid Retention String.

I’d recommend starting with trimming the tubing to the proper length and asking your NHS audiology clinic about thicker tubing. Those simple changes often resolve this type of issue.

Warm regards,
Audiology Content Team

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