Oticon miniRITE hearing aids can be equipped with Ear Grips to help hold them in place. Ear Grips, sometimes called anchors or retention lines, are plastic wires that attach to the tip of the hearing aid and coil up inside your outer ear to keep it from coming out of your ear. They come in two sizes: “60”, which attaches to a 60dB receiver (also known as the speaker of the hearing aid), and “85”, which attaches to an 85dB receiver.
Typically, your hearing aid provider will put the Ear Grips on for you, but there may be times when you need to put them on yourself. For instance, sometimes the 85 Ear Grip can get loose over time and may slide off of the hearing aid when you remove the dome. You can see how to put an 85 Ear Grip on in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vav7J02-s44
And on the following webpage you can watch a video on how to put a 60 Ear Grip on:
As you will see in the videos above, the Ear Grip “tail” (or “ear guide”) is attached to a little sleeve that fits over the tip of the hearing aid. The best orientation is to have the ear guide pointing away from the hearing aid, on the same side of the receiver as where the coloured number is (green for 60 or orange for 85). If there is a curve in the ear guide, it should curve downward, not upward.
If you feel you need hands-on assistance, please contact your hearing clinic. The staff there will be able to help you.
If the ear guides keep sliding off of your hearing aids and you are finding it a hassle, your clinic staff may be able to glue them on for you. Generally they should stay on the hearing aid, but sometimes with use they get stretched and can come off more easily.
Removing the Ear Grip
To remove an Ear Grip, for example to clean underneath it or because you cannot get it to fit in your ear, please follow these steps:
Remove the dome from the tip of the hearing aid.
Place your index finger over the tip of the hearing aid, where the waxguard is.
Brace your thumb against the base of ear guide (tail/wire), as if you are holding your hearing aid receiver between your thumb and index finger.
Squeeze your thumb and index finger together, so that the ear guide gets pushed toward the tip of the receiver.
For an illustration of this, please see the following video:
If you decide to stop using Ear Grips entirely, we recommend that you discuss it with your hearing care provider first, so they can find another way to make sure your hearing aids stay in your ears.