How to Insert a Retention Lock into the Ear
Retention locks are the tails that are connected to the end of your hearing aid receiver and loop around the concha (bowl) of your ear. They assist with keeping the hearing aid secure in your ear and can be particularly effective if you have an open dome on the end of your hearing aid receiver as these fittings tend to be looser in the ear canal. Retention locks can be found on receiver-in-canal (RIC) and behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids.
Every hearing aid manufacturer may have a slightly different design to the retention lock for their hearing aids; however, the concept of inserting them in the ear is the same.
Please note that new retention locks are straight. It takes up to 1 week of consistent hearing aid use for the retention lock to ‘learn’ the shape of your concha. Once this happens, you will find it much easier to insert. Once shaped, the retention lock usually resembles a ‘U.’
However, if you’d prefer to start the shaping process on a new retention lock, you can train the retention lock to start taking shape by grasping the retention lock between your thumb and index finger & applying a gentle pressure as you move your fingers along the length of the retention lock (similar to curling a ribbon).
Next, insert your hearing aid by placing the hearing aid body behind your ear and then inserting the dome into your ear canal. You may find that the retention lock interferes with your ability to fully insert the dome into your ear canal. You will need to insert the retention lock into your concha at this point. Grasp the end of the retention lock with your thumb and index finger and gently insert the retention lock into your concha.
Once the retention lock is in your concha, continue to insert the hearing aid tubing/receiver and dome fully into your ear canal.
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