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Trust Your Audiologist on Open Fit Recommendations

by Neil Bauman, Ph.D.

A man wrote:

I would like to know if my audiologist has given me the right information. She has told me that I cannot use an open fit or slim tube hearing aids because my hearing loss is too bad. I am using Phonak BTE aids now. They are not open fit or slim tube aids.

I looked at your February 7, 2009 newsletter with links to many different hearing aids and I saw a half dozen or so that appear to be able to be used for severe to profound hearing loss.

I would like to go to newer technology hearing aids that aren’t as visible. Thanks for any help you can give me.

You audiologist is probably right. The open fit and slim tube models are designed for people with the milder to moderate hearing losses. For severe and greater hearing losses, these hearing aids have two problems. One is they do not have enough power, and two, if they did have enough power, they would cause feedback.

The big problem is getting the power you need without getting feedback at the same time. The manufacturer has fitting curves that show whether your hearing loss will work with their aids. Your audiologist has access to these, so you need to trust his/her judgment.

I’d love to have open fit hearing aids myself—but every audiologist I’ve talked to about it has said the same thing—my hearing loss is too severe. It’s not fair, is it? But that’s the way it is. Trust your audiologist in this.

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Hearing Loss Research & Resources

Free Visor Cards

Download your free Visor Cards for hard of hearing or deaf people here.

Loop Systems

Loop your home or meeting room. Discover how you can hear wonderfully clear sound again when listening to the TV/radio, etc, or when listening to a speaker at a meeting.

Loop systems are one of the best-kept secrets in town. To learn more about Loop Systems and what they can do for you, click here.

Take Control of Your Tinnitus—Here’s How

If your ears ring, buzz, chirp, hiss, click or roar, you know just how annoying tinnitus can be. You do not have to put up with this racket for the rest of your life. This book teaches you many things you can do to help bring your tinnitus under your control so it no longer bothers you.

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Sounds Now Too Loud for You?

Hypersensitive to Sound front coverIf some (or all) normal sounds seem so loud they “blow the top of your head off”, or make you wince or jump, or cause you headaches or ear pain, or affect your balance, or result in fear or annoyance of sounds so you feel you have to avoid these sounds, this book is for you!

Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

Hearing Phantom Sounds?

When hard of hearing people begin hearing phantom voices or music, they immediately worry they are going crazy. It never crosses their minds that they are sane and are just experiencing Musical Ear syndrome.

To learn more about the strange phantom sounds of Musical Ear syndrome and what you can do about them, click here to read a comprehensive article about Musical Ear Syndrome.

Or get the book—Learn More | Add to Cart—Printed | Add to Cart—eBook

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Center for Hearing Loss Help

Neil G. Bauman, Ph.D.

1013 Ridgeway Drive, Lynden,
WA 98264-1057 USA

Email: neil@hearinglosshelp.com

Phone: 360-778-1266 (M-F 9:00 AM-5:00 PM PST)

© 2025 Center for Hearing Loss Help – Help for your hearing loss, tinnitus and other ear conditions

"The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life [which also includes perfect hearing] through Jesus Christ our Lord." [Romans 6:23]

"But know this, in the last days perilous times will come" [2 Timothy 3:1]. "For there will be famines, pestilences, and [severe] earthquakes in various places" [Matthew 24:7], "distress of nations, the sea and the waves roaring"—tsunamis, hurricanes—Luke 21:25, but this is good news if you have put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, for "when these things begin to happen, lift up your heads [and rejoice] because your redemption draws near" [Luke 21:28].