Question
I would like to enquire as to what is currently accepted as the most useful with soft headbands for bone conduction hearing aids? Is it best to buy a fabric headband, and attach the bone conduction aid with velcro? Are there any companies that provide such equipment? We are currently seeing a few children with difficulties with the hard headbands, either due to cosmetics reasons, or discomfort.Answer
There are a few options for Bone Conduction headbands. If cosmetics are the main problem, some parents have sewn the headband into a favorite hat (that often helps with comfort too). Girls can use butterfly clips both to decorate and to anchor the headband in their hair. Some children use sports headbands. Make a slit on the inside only of one side and run the wire through the headband to a matching slit on the other side, just above the ear. An elastic band or a small pocket can be attached to the inside to hold the hearing aid (make certain that the microphone can "peek" out the edge). The oscillator must directly contact the skin so must be attached in such a way that nothing comes between the oscillator and the skin. Often just the fit of the headband will achieve this or velcro could be attached to the back of the oscillator.
Sheila Douglas has been an audiologist for 23 years. She is the In-House Audiologist for Unitron Hearing Canada and lives in Guelph, Ontario.
For more information on Unitron, visit www.unitronhearing.us