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User’s instructions
The Flash Series
FL-X / FL-XP
In-the-ear
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Contents
Your new Flash hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4
Flash (FL-X / FL-XP). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6
The battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Battery type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Inserting the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Changing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10
Turning the hearing aid on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Right/left identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12
Placing Flash in the ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13
Possible settings when turning on your hearing aid. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14
Removing Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15
Automatic adjustment of loudness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Fine tuning loudness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Listening programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18
Switching between the listening programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21
Keeping Flash clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cleaning accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
The sound outlet. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
The relief vent. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27
The Cerustop wax guard. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28
Caring for your hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
Good advice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34
In case of malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
The hearing aid and accessories shown in these user’s
instructions may not look the same as the ones you
have. We furthermore reserve the right to make any
changes considered necessary.
Hearing aids and their accessories should
not be disposed of with normal household
waste. Please consult your national Widex
distributor for advice on how to dispose of
your hearing aid.
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Your new Flash hearing aid
Thank you for choosing a Widex hearing aid. Flash is a
hearing aid that allows you to be part of the process of
tailoring the sound to your individual hearing loss and
lifestyle requirements.
We recommend that you read the entire booklet to get
full satisfaction from your new Flash hearing aid.
We hope you will be pleased with your new Widex
hearing aid.
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Flash (FL-X / FL-XP)
1. Microphone openings, where the sound enters
the hearing aid.
2. Program button
, which allows you to choose
between different listening programs.
3. On/off function
, which is integrated into the
battery compartment cover (see page 11)
4. Volume control is available in some Flash models.
It makes it possible to fine tune the automatically
adjusted loudness.
5. Nail grip
on the battery compartment cover for
easy opening.
6. Sound outlet
, through which the amplified sound
from the hearing aid reaches your ear.
7. Relief vent for aeration of the ear canal.
8. Color Widex logo
, indicating which ear the
hearing aid fits. Red logo: for your right ear, blue
logo: for your left ear.
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The battery
Battery type
The recommended battery type for your Flash hearing
aid is:
Zinc Air battery type 312
To obtain replacement batteries, please consult your
hearing care professional. Please note the expiration
date and the recommendations regarding disposal of
used batteries on the battery pack. To ensure proper
battery function, do not use batteries past the expiration date. Because they are Zinc Air type batteries, they
need air to work. Therefore, do not remove the adhesive tab until just before inserting the battery in the
hearing aid. Once the tab has been removed, the battery will start functioning after a few seconds. The battery life will depend on a number of factors, such as the
setting of your hearing aid, how many hours you use it
daily and the listening environments in which you use
it.
Inserting the battery
Before inserting a new battery in
your hearing aid, remember to remove the adhesive tab. Do not use
batteries which there is a sticky residue from the tab or other unwanted
substance.
When opening the battery compartment cover, be
careful not to force it beyond the upright position.
Place the battery in the battery compartment so that
the side of the battery with the small plus (+) sign is facing in the same direction as the plus (+) sign on the battery compartment cover.
If the battery compartment cover does not close easily,
the battery is incorrectly inserted.
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Changing the battery
If you hear four rapid beep-tones while wearing your
hearing aid, it is an indication that the battery is nearly
exhausted. Once the battery is totally exhausted, the
hearing aid will be completely silent. Exactly how long
the hearing aid will function after the beep-tones varies from one case to another. We recommend that you
always have a spare battery with you.
For adjustment of the beep-tone level or disabling of
the function, please consult your hearing care professional.
Never leave an exhausted battery in the hearing aid.
Exhausted batteries may leak, which could damage the
hearing aid. When changing batteries, it is a good idea
to hold the hearing aid over a table or a carpet, in case
you drop the hearing aid or battery.
Turning the hearing aid on and off
The battery compartment cover of your Flash hearing
aid also functions as the on/off switch. The hearing aid
is turned on when a battery is inserted correctly and
the battery compartment cover is completely closed.
The hearing aid is turned off when the battery compartment cover is open.
Please remember to switch the hearing aid off when it
is not in use. Remove the battery if the hearing aid will
not be used for several days.
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Right/left identification
If you are wearing hearing aids in both ears, it is easy to
tell them apart as the right-ear hearing aid has a red
Widex logo and the left-ear hearing aid a blue.
Placing Flash in the ear
Before inserting the hearing aid,
you must place a battery in the
battery compartment and close
the battery compartment cover
completely.
Hold your hearing aid with your
thumb and forefinger. Slowly
guide the hearing aid into your
ear canal until you feel resistance. Let go of the hearing aid
and use the tip of your forefinger to gently push the hearing
aid into your ear until it rests
comfortably in your canal.
To ease the final adjustments it can be a help to pull the
outer ear backwards and upwards with the opposite
hand.
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Possible settings when turning on
your hearing aid
Your hearing aid can be set to start up in two different
ways: In the standard start-up setting your hearing aid
may whistle slightly while you insert it in the ear. An alternative is a setting where the hearing aid actively
suppresses whistling while it is being inserted in the
ear. Together with your hearing care professional you
can choose the start-up setting that suits your needs
best.
Removing Flash
Hold the hearing aid with your
thumb and forefinger and pull
gently. If it is difficult to loosen
the hearing aid, it may help to
try to move the hearing aid gently from side to side. It may also
help to pull the outer ear backwards and upwards while applying a little pressure around
the ear opening with the opposite forefinger.
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Automatic adjustment of loudness
Flash adjusts loudness automatically in accordance
with your sound environment. Several thousand times
per second, Flash analyses the surroundings and tailors
its sound accordingly. With Flash you do not have to
think about adjusting the volume – it happens quite
automatically.
Important: If the volume in your hearing aid is too loud
or too weak, or if the reproduced sounds are distorted,
or you would like any further information, consult your
hearing care professional.
Fine tuning loudness
Your hearing aid may be provided with a volume control,
shaped like a small lever. (The
lever on your hearing aid may
be placed differently than the
lever in the drawing).
Push the lever upwards to raise
the automatically set volume. Push the lever downwards to lower the volume. Use short touches for minor corrections of the volume. Faster adjustments are
obtained by keeping the lever pressed for some seconds.
Each time you operate the volume control, you will
hear a beep-tone. For modification of the beep-tones
or disabling of the beep-tone function or volume control, please consult your hearing care professional.
Any adjustment of the volume setting will be cancelled
when your hearing aid is turned off.
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Listening programs
Your Flash hearing aid may be provided with up to four
listening programs optimised for different listening situations. Your hearing care professional can help you
select the programs that are of use to you. If your needs
change over time, the combination of listening programs can be changed. In these user’s instructions, the
hearing care professional can list the listening programs that are available in your hearing aid (see page
20). You can choose from the following programs:
Flash Master: This listening program is Flash’s default
program. In the Master program all the automatic functions of the hearing aid work to optimize audibility,
speech intelligibility and comfort in all listening situations.
Acclimatization program: This listening program has
the same features as the Master program, but provides
slightly less amplification. The listening program is
ideal if this is your first hearing aid and you want to get
used to all the new sounds gradually.
Music: This listening program is ideal for listening to
music.
TV: This listening program is ideal for listening to the
TV.
M+T: In this listening program you listen via the hearing aid microphone (M) and the telecoil (T). This listening program allows you to listen to a specific sound
source and still hear surrounding sounds.
T: In this listening program you listen via the telecoil (T)
and not via the microphone (M) in the hearing aid. The
telecoil can only be used where a loop system or specially adapted telephone system is installed. Activating
this program allows you to listen to a specific sound
source and shut out surrounding sounds.
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Listening program form
Program Chosen
programs
Application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Switching between the listening programs
You can switch between the programs by using the
program button on the battery compartment cover. If
you do not want to use the program button, you can
consult your hearing care professional to have it disabled.
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Each time you switch to another program, you will hear
beep-tones. The beeps tell you which program you
have chosen;
Program 1: One brief beep
Program 2: Two brief beeps
Program 3: Three brief beeps
Program 4: One long and one brief beep
The number of different beeps depends on how many
programs you - together with your hearing care professional - have chosen to have in your hearing aid. The selected listening programs are numbered 1-4.
If you – in consultation with your hearing care professional – decide on other combinations of programs later, these can be written on the blank forms found at
the back of these instructions.
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Keeping Flash clean
Your Flash is an in-the-ear instrument, which means it is
worn in your ear canal.
It is very important for its performance that you inspect and
clean the instrument daily.
Never wash your Flash in water, cleaning solutions or other liquids. Instead, clean
your hearing aid daily with a dry soft cloth to keep the
outside dry and clean of residue, wax, etc. We recommend that every time you take the hearing aid out of
your ear, you inspect the sound outlet and the relief
vent opening to ensure that no dirt has gathered
there.
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Below is an example of how the sound outlet and relief
vent openings can be positioned. The positions can be
slightly different on your hearing aid.
1. Sound outlet
2. Relief vent opening
2.
1.
Cleaning accessories
The following accessories are available for your hearing
aid. Ask your hearing care professional which accessories you need for your hearing aid:
1. Battery magnet to facilitate insertion of the
battery into the battery compartment.
2.
Wax removing tool for cleaning the relief vent
opening.
3.
Small brush for removal of earwax from the area
around the sound outlet.
4.
Soft cloth for drying and cleaning the hearing aid.
Contact your hearing care professional if you need additional supplies of accessories.
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The sound outlet
If wax has gathered
around the sound out-
let, this should be removed with the small
brush or cloth. It is important that the sound
outlet is never blocked.
Important: Do not insert anything into the sound outlet as this could damage the hearing aid!
Your Flash hearing aid may be equipped with a Cerustop wax guard to prevent earwax from working its
way into the sound canal (see page 28).
The relief vent
The relief vent permits aera-
tion of the ear canal. If wax has
accumulated in and/or around
the relief vent opening, it must
be removed. Use the long wax
removing tool.
Clean any wax from the vent by passing the wax removing tool all the way through the vent. It is important for the performance of the hearing aid that the relief vent is never blocked. Make it a habit to clean the
relief vent every day! In rare cases so much earwax can
accumulate in the relief vent that the sound of the hearing aid changes. In that case you should see your hearing care professional.
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The Cerustop wax guard
The Cerustop wax guard system consists of the following parts:
1. Holder
2. Removal hook
3. Wax guard
Cerustop wax guards come in a
carrying case. The wax guard is
mounted on one end of the
holder.
Changing the Cerustop wax guard
The used wax guard is in the stainless steel bushing
around the sound outlet. With the holder perpendicular to the face of the bushing, insert the removal hook
into the used wax guard so that the shaft of the holder
is touching the rim of the wax guard, then slowly pull
the wax guard straight out.
1. Vent opening
2. Sound outlet
3. Used wax
guard
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Now turn the holder around
so that the used wax guard is
away from the instrument
and the new one is in position to be inserted into your
hearing aid.
Gently press the new wax
guard straight into the opening of the sound outlet. Do
not force the wax guard into
the sound outlet. The outer
ring of the wax guard should
sit flat on the stainless steel
bushing.
Then pull the holder straight
out. Do not twist the tool.
The new wax guard will automatically dismount from
the holder and remain in
place.
After inserting the new wax
guard, discard the holder with
the used wax guard attached
to the removal hook. Never
reuse a wax guard.
The frequency with which the Cerustop wax guard
should be changed varies from one individual to another depending on, for example, the type and amount
of earwax produced.
Warning: If the wax guard fits loosely, discard it and insert another. If the wax guard becomes dislodged from
the hearing aid while in the ear canal, please contact
your physician immediately. Do not try to remove the
wax guard from your ear canal yourself.
If you have any questions regarding your wax guard,
please contact your hearing care professional.
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Caring for your hearing aid
With proper care, your hearing aid will give you years
of reliable service. Here are some things you can do to
prolong the life of your hearing aid:
Switch your hearing aid off when it is not in use.
Should you not use it for several days, take out the
battery to avoid battery leakage.
Treat your hearing aid as the valuable object it is:
with care. When your hearing aid is not in use, keep
it in its case in a cool, dry location where it cannot
be reached by children or pets.
When not in use, do not expose your hearing aid to
extreme temperatures or high humidity.
In environments with high humidity (including
that created by heavy perspiration), a Widex drying kit may be used daily to reduce the amount of
moisture inside the hearing aid. See the instructions enclosed with the Widex drying kit.
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Do not wear your hearing aid in the shower or
swimming, or when using a hair dryer, hair spray,
or other sprays and creams (e.g. sun tanning oils).
Never try to open or repair the hearing aid yourself.
Do not wear your hearing aid during x-ray, MR
scans, CT scans, short-wave diathermy, or similar
radiation treatments and never place your hearing
aid in a microwave oven. These are some of the
types of radiation that can damage your hearing
aid. Radiation from, for example, room surveillance
equipment, burglar alarms, and cellular telephones
is weaker and will not damage your hearing aid;
however, you may hear interference noise.
Widex hearing aids are not certified for use in
mines or other areas with explosive gases.
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Good advice
The use of hearing aids increases the risk of accumulation of earwax. Contact your physician/ENT
doctor if you suspect that a plug of earwax has accumulated in your ear. Earwax may not only reduce
your own hearing but also the effect of the hearing
aid considerably. It is a good idea to ask your physician to clean your ears a couple of times a year.
Please be sure to keep your hearing aid and its accessories out of the reach of children, who might
place them in their mouths. Also keep batteries out
of children’s reach and discard used batteries carefully. Do not change batteries in front of children
and do not let them see where you keep your supply.
Never put a battery in your mouth for any reason
as you may risk swallowing it. In case of ingestion,
contact your physician immediately and the 24
Hour National Button Battery Ingestion Hotline
at (202) 625-3333.
The hearing aid is made of modern non-allergenic
materials. Still, in rare cases skin irritation can occur. If you notice skin irritation in or around your
ear or ear canal, contact your hearing care professional.
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Please be aware that the use of any type of hearing
aid/earmold may involve a slightly increased risk of
infection in the ear canal. An infection can arise as
a result of inadequate ventilation of the ear. Therefore, we recommend that you take out your hearing aid/earmold at night to allow the ear canal to
be ventilated. Make sure that you clean and inspect
your hearing aid/earmold as required. If an infection occurs, you should disinfect your hearing aid/
earmold and seek medical advice. Contact your
hearing care professional for further advice on
methods of disinfection. Do not under any circumstances use alcohol, chlorine or similar substances
to clean your hearing aid/earmold.
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In case of malfunction
Before contacting your hearing care professional,
please follow the advice below:
If the hearing aid is dead, it could be because:
The instrument is not turned on. Make sure the battery is inserted correctly and the battery compartment cover is closed correctly.
The battery is dead or does not work. Insert a new
battery. Make sure the battery is inserted correctly
and that the battery compartment cover is closed
correctly.
The sound outlet is blocked. Earwax is often the
cause of a blocked sound outlet. If the hearing aid
is equipped with a Cerustop wax guard, change
the wax guard. If the hearing aid is not equipped
with a wax guard, clean the sound outlet of the
hearing aid with the small brush. See page 26. Do
not insert anything into the sound outlet as this
could damage the hearing aid. If you cannot clean
the sound outlet completely, you should contact
your hearing care professional.
The battery contacts are dirty. Contact your hearing
care professional to have the battery contacts
cleaned.
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The microphone opening is blocked. Wax or dirt can
block the microphone opening. Do not insert anything into the microphone opening. Contact your
hearing care professional.
If the hearing aid volume is not powerful enough, it
could be because:
The sound outlet is blocked. Earwax is often the
cause of a blocked sound outlet. If the hearing aid
is equipped with a Cerustop wax guard, change
the wax guard. If the hearing aid is not equipped
with a wax guard, clean the sound outlet of the
hearing aid with the small brush. See page 26. Do
not insert anything into the sound outlet as this
could damage the hearing aid. If you cannot clean
the sound outlet completely, you should contact
your hearing care professional.
Your ear canal is blocked by earwax. Contact your
ENT doctor to have your ear canal cleaned.
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If the hearing aid whistles continuously, it could be
because:
The hearing aid is not correctly placed in your ear canal. Take the hearing aid out and reinsert it. It is im-
portant that the hearing aid is placed correctly in
your ear canal.
Your ear canal is blocked by earwax. Contact your
ENT doctor to have your ear canal cleaned.
The hearing aid shell fit is too loose. Contact your
hearing care professional.
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If the hearing aid is uncomfortable to wear, it could
be because:
The hearing aid is not placed correctly in your ear canal. Consult your hearing care professional for ad-
vice on how to place the hearing aid correctly in
your ear canal.
The hearing aid shell has a poor physical fit. Contact
your hearing care professional.
Your outer ear or ear canal is sore. It is important for
first-time users to only wear the hearing aid for
short periods of time at the beginning. The skin in
the ear canal is very thin and may swell a little because of the pressure from the hearing aid. Take 23 weeks to gradually get used to the hearing aid. If
the soreness continues, contact your hearing care
professional.
If the hearing aid performs intermittently, it could
be because:
The battery contacts are dirty. Contact your hearing
care professional to have the battery contacts
cleaned.
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Listening program form
Program Chosen
programs:
Application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Listening program form
Program Chosen
programs:
Application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Listening program form
Program Chosen
programs:
Application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
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Widex,
DK-3500 Vaerloese
Denmark
•
www.widexusa.com
Printed by FB / 02-07
9 514 0089 041 #01
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