Re: Blisters/Sores from ear molds

September 19, 2006

We've never sued otoease, but one of the moms on this list said that KY

jelly also works. It doesn't degrade the mold the way petroleum jelly would.

Otoease can be a pain to get, some Audis have it for sale at their office

(ours doesn't but has samples on hand) and you can order it online. I forget who

is was, but she told a funny story about being in line at a store buying a

half dozen large tubes of KY and getting odd looks. (grin) Nothing like being

prepared for anything, LOL

Best -- Jill

September 19, 2006

Kris,

Blisters/sores do happen, but they are not normal.

They are usually the result of a badly-cast ear mold,

where the mold has a small bubble or rough spot that

causes the irritation. If you feel the ear mold in the

same spot where you see the irritation, chances are

good you will feel it. Take the ear mold to the

audiologist--sometimes the problem spot can be filed

away, but most of the time (in my experience, anyway),

the ear mold will need to be replaced. Most ear mold

manufacturers will replace the ear mold at no cost,

but you do have to send back the defective mold.

As for ear wax, do NOT use Q-tips inside the ear.

Doctors recommend that you only wipe out the outside

of the canal, and a tissue works just as well as a

Q-tips. Q-tips push more wax into the ear than they

actually remove, which can cause the wax to compact

against the eardrum--not a pleasant experience,

especially since it usually requires a doctor to

remove the plug. If you talk to the ENT, they can give

you recommendations for keeping the ears clean,

usually using drops at bedtime a few nights a week.

Otherwise, though, the wax is normal (if gross), and

you just need to keep the ear mold tubing clean.

Kiminy

--- EskiLvr eskilvr@...> wrote:

> 's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on

> the top of his inner ear

> where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it

> started after a

> particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess

> we're going to have to take

> a break from the aid for a couple of days while it

> heals (not what I want to

> do, but it needs to heal).

>

> Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't

> supposed to rub, and it

> definitely didn't give him any problems until after

> he'd had a 90 minute

> soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very

> sweaty Tae Kwon Do

> birthday party the next day. There's definitely a

> lot of waxy gunk

> accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day,

> and I was a bad Mom and

> didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should

> have.

__________________________________________________

September 19, 2006

Kris,

Blisters/sores do happen, but they are not normal.

They are usually the result of a badly-cast ear mold,

where the mold has a small bubble or rough spot that

causes the irritation. If you feel the ear mold in the

same spot where you see the irritation, chances are

good you will feel it. Take the ear mold to the

audiologist--sometimes the problem spot can be filed

away, but most of the time (in my experience, anyway),

the ear mold will need to be replaced. Most ear mold

manufacturers will replace the ear mold at no cost,

but you do have to send back the defective mold.

As for ear wax, do NOT use Q-tips inside the ear.

Doctors recommend that you only wipe out the outside

of the canal, and a tissue works just as well as a

Q-tips. Q-tips push more wax into the ear than they

actually remove, which can cause the wax to compact

against the eardrum--not a pleasant experience,

especially since it usually requires a doctor to

remove the plug. If you talk to the ENT, they can give

you recommendations for keeping the ears clean,

usually using drops at bedtime a few nights a week.

Otherwise, though, the wax is normal (if gross), and

you just need to keep the ear mold tubing clean.

Kiminy

--- EskiLvr eskilvr@...> wrote:

> 's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on

> the top of his inner ear

> where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it

> started after a

> particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess

> we're going to have to take

> a break from the aid for a couple of days while it

> heals (not what I want to

> do, but it needs to heal).

>

> Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't

> supposed to rub, and it

> definitely didn't give him any problems until after

> he'd had a 90 minute

> soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very

> sweaty Tae Kwon Do

> birthday party the next day. There's definitely a

> lot of waxy gunk

> accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day,

> and I was a bad Mom and

> didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should

> have.

__________________________________________________

September 19, 2006

Kris,

Blisters/sores do happen, but they are not normal.

They are usually the result of a badly-cast ear mold,

where the mold has a small bubble or rough spot that

causes the irritation. If you feel the ear mold in the

same spot where you see the irritation, chances are

good you will feel it. Take the ear mold to the

audiologist--sometimes the problem spot can be filed

away, but most of the time (in my experience, anyway),

the ear mold will need to be replaced. Most ear mold

manufacturers will replace the ear mold at no cost,

but you do have to send back the defective mold.

As for ear wax, do NOT use Q-tips inside the ear.

Doctors recommend that you only wipe out the outside

of the canal, and a tissue works just as well as a

Q-tips. Q-tips push more wax into the ear than they

actually remove, which can cause the wax to compact

against the eardrum--not a pleasant experience,

especially since it usually requires a doctor to

remove the plug. If you talk to the ENT, they can give

you recommendations for keeping the ears clean,

usually using drops at bedtime a few nights a week.

Otherwise, though, the wax is normal (if gross), and

you just need to keep the ear mold tubing clean.

Kiminy

--- EskiLvr eskilvr@...> wrote:

> 's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on

> the top of his inner ear

> where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it

> started after a

> particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess

> we're going to have to take

> a break from the aid for a couple of days while it

> heals (not what I want to

> do, but it needs to heal).

>

> Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't

> supposed to rub, and it

> definitely didn't give him any problems until after

> he'd had a 90 minute

> soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very

> sweaty Tae Kwon Do

> birthday party the next day. There's definitely a

> lot of waxy gunk

> accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day,

> and I was a bad Mom and

> didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should

> have.

__________________________________________________

September 19, 2006

My son Elias had the same problem. It got really bad on one side, and we

finally had to

leave that hearing aid out and wait for an appt with the audiologist to redo

the earmold.

In Elias's case, it was the little piece that fits under the flap at the top

of the ear - I keep

forgetting what you call that - a something-or-other lock? His new earmolds

no longer

have that, and he is much happier.

>

> Hello!

>

> Dumb question from a hearing aid newbie.

>

> 's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on the top of his inner

> ear

> where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it started after a

> particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess we're going to have to

> take

> a break from the aid for a couple of days while it heals (not what I want

> to

> do, but it needs to heal).

>

> Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't supposed to rub, and

> it

> definitely didn't give him any problems until after he'd had a 90 minute

> soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very sweaty Tae Kwon Do

> birthday party the next day. There's definitely a lot of waxy gunk

> accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day, and I was a bad Mom

> and

> didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should have.

>

> Kris

>

> Mom to (8, Profound/Complete SNL, Left Ear) and Ethan (7, hearing)

>

September 19, 2006

My son Elias had the same problem. It got really bad on one side, and we

finally had to

leave that hearing aid out and wait for an appt with the audiologist to redo

the earmold.

In Elias's case, it was the little piece that fits under the flap at the top

of the ear - I keep

forgetting what you call that - a something-or-other lock? His new earmolds

no longer

have that, and he is much happier.

>

> Hello!

>

> Dumb question from a hearing aid newbie.

>

> 's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on the top of his inner

> ear

> where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it started after a

> particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess we're going to have to

> take

> a break from the aid for a couple of days while it heals (not what I want

> to

> do, but it needs to heal).

>

> Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't supposed to rub, and

> it

> definitely didn't give him any problems until after he'd had a 90 minute

> soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very sweaty Tae Kwon Do

> birthday party the next day. There's definitely a lot of waxy gunk

> accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day, and I was a bad Mom

> and

> didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should have.

>

> Kris

>

> Mom to (8, Profound/Complete SNL, Left Ear) and Ethan (7, hearing)

>

September 19, 2006

Oh, oh, oh, I actually know the answer to this one! (Sometimes I just feel so

stupid when I delete question after question because I have no idea of the

answer..)

One trick is to use Otoease. Is that what it's called? It's a lubricant that

our audiologist gave us when Bobby got his hearing aids. We don't use it much,

because I have no trouble inserting his hearing aids without it, but for the one

or two times there was irritation for whatever reason, when I used this

lubricant it reduced the friction when I inserted them and it didn't hurt him at

all. So while you're waiting for this sore to heal, if you can get some of this

stuff it might help him wear the hearing aid in the interim.

Of course, the other person who posted about Q tips and such said a lot more

than me, but hey, she forgot this! (Only kidding...)

Trish

Visit Trish and Bobby's Marathon website at

http://www.firstgiving.com/bobbymarathon

Blisters/Sores from ear molds

Hello!

Dumb question from a hearing aid newbie.

's got a small (less than 2 mm across) sore on the top of his inner ear

where it rubs against his ear mold. I know that it started after a

particularly sweaty series of days, and I guess we're going to have to take

a break from the aid for a couple of days while it heals (not what I want to

do, but it needs to heal).

Is this fairly normal? I know that ear molds aren't supposed to rub, and it

definitely didn't give him any problems until after he'd had a 90 minute

soccer practice in humid weather followed by a very sweaty Tae Kwon Do

birthday party the next day. There's definitely a lot of waxy gunk

accumulating in the bowl of his outer ear every day, and I was a bad Mom and

didn't get after him with a Q-Tip like I should have.

Kris

Mom to (8, Profound/Complete SNL, Left Ear) and Ethan (7, hearing)

September 19, 2006