Widex SV-CIC User Instructions

User’s instructions

The Senso Vita Series

SV-CIC

Completely-in-canal

2

Contents

Your new Senso Vita SV-CIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

A world of new sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Having something in your ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Practice makes perfect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The road to better hearing and

a more active everyday life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Help to help yourself . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

Senso Vita SV-CIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

The battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Battery type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Inserting the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Changing the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Turning the hearing aid on and off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Left/right identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

Placing Senso Vita SV-CIC in the ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Removing Senso Vita SV-CIC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Automatic adjustment of loudness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Keeping Senso Vita SV-CIC clean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Cleaning accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

The sound outlet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

The relief vent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23

The microphone opening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

The CeruSTOP wax guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

When should I change my wax guard? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Changing the used CeruSTOP wax guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

Inserting a new wax guard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29

Are there times when I should not use the wax guard? . . . . 31

Caring for your hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

In case of malfunction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

3

Your new Senso Vita SV-CIC

We hope you will be pleased with your new Widex
hearing aid. We have included these user’s instruc­tions to inform you about the various aspects associ­ated with wearing hearing aids. The instructions are
made up of two parts: The first part is an introduction
to life as a hearing aid user, how to get used to new
sounds, etc. The second part contains facts about
your hearing aid. How to operate and maintain it and
what you can do if you experience problems. Both
parts are equally important, so we recommend that
you read the entire booklet to get full satisfaction of
the quality and performance we have built into your
new Senso Vita SV-CIC hearing aid.

4

A world of new sounds

Becoming a hearing aid user can be an exciting chal­lenge. Your hearing aid does not restore normal hear­ing, but it brings back sounds that you may not have
heard or thought about for years - everyday sounds
such as a ticking clock, dripping water, the television,
the car, footsteps on hard floors, children’s voices,
music, doors banging, laughter, tools, machinery, etc.
All these sounds can be a bit overwhelming. Try to
identify and localize the sounds you are not accus­tomed to hearing. Once you get used to hearing
these everyday sounds again, they will become a part
of your active world of sounds.

5

Having something in your ear

Your ears need to become accustomed to your new
hearing aids. If you are a first-time user, you also have
to get used to having something in your ear. It is not
uncommon to feel a sensation of pressure in the ear
for the first few days and your ear canal may feel
warm and a bit sore. But if wearing the hearing aid
causes you outright discomfort, you should consult
the hearing healthcare professional where you re­ceived your hearing aid.

6

Practice makes perfect

It is a good idea to start slowly and wear your hearing
aids for just short intermittent periods of time, for ex­ample one or two hours, and first try them in situa­tions with few people and not too much noise. Grad­ually you can use them for longer periods of time and
in noisier environments. It is important that you allow
yourself the time needed to get used to the new
sounds and the new sensation in your ears.

7

The road to better hearing and a more active
everyday life

Your hearing aids may help you regain the pleasure of
communicating with other people and increase your
quality of life. So, although it may feel like a big chal­lenge in the beginning, it will be worth the effort.

8

Help to help yourself

Most modern hearing aids are designed with a multi­tude of options, settings and features to benefit most
hearing aid users. Your Senso Vita SV-CIC hearing aid
is set individually to your hearing loss and hearing to
ensure the best and most comfortable sound repro­duction.

After a period of use, your hearing aid may have to be
fine tuned by your hearing healthcare professional.
Maybe you have discovered new needs or maybe
there are situations where the loudness level or sound
reproduction is not satisfactory. The more details you
can provide for your hearing healthcare professional
about your initial experience with the hearing aids,
the easier it is to find the right solution. Before your
next consultation with your hearing healthcare pro­fessional, it is important that you notice how your
new hearing aids feel.

9

Make a note of the situations where you are not satis­fied and why. Is the problem related to low frequency,
high frequency, weak or loud sounds? Is it all the time
or only in specific situations? Try to describe your ex­periences as detailed as possible so that you and your
hearing healthcare professional have something to go
on when you meet again.

10

Senso Vita SV-CIC

1. Microphone opening, where the sound enters the
hearing aid.

2. Battery drawer, which keeps the battery in place.

3. On/off function, which is built into the battery
drawer.

4. Sound outlet, through which the amplified sound
from the hearing aid reaches your ear.

5. Nail grip on the battery drawer for easy opening.

6. Extraction cord, which makes it easy to remove
the hearing aid from the ear canal.

7. Relief vent

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11

The battery

Battery type

The recommended battery type for your Senso Vita
SV-CIC is:

Zinc Air battery type 10

For acquisition of batteries, consult your hearing
healthcare professional. Please note the expiration
date 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
lifetime of the battery depends 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.

12

Inserting the battery

Before inserting a new battery in
your hearing aid, remember to re­move the adhesive tab. Do not use
batteries on which there is a sticky
residue from the tab or other un­wanted substance as this can block
the battery airholes.

Use the nail grip to gently
swing the battery drawer out­wards. When opening the bat­tery drawer, be careful not to
force it beyond the upright po­sition.

13

Place the battery in the drawer
so that the small plus (+) sign
on the battery is facing in the
direction indicated by the small
plus (+) sign printed on the
round battery holder.

If the battery drawer does not
close easily, the battery is incor­rectly inserted.

Always place the battery in the actual battery
drawer as illustrated and not in the open space
inside the hearing aid.

14

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 beep­tones varies from one case to another. We recom­mend that you always have a spare battery with you.

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.

15

Turning the hearing aid
on and off

The battery drawer of your
Senso Vita SV-CIC also func­tions as the on/off switch. The
hearing aid is turned on when a
battery is inserted correctly and
the battery drawer is complete­ly closed.

The hearing aid is turned off
when the battery drawer 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 again soon.

16

Left/right identification

Senso Vita SV-CIC shells are made with red color
markings to indicate hearing aid use for the right ear
and blue color markings to indicate hearing aid use
for the left ear.

17

Placing Senso Vita SV-CIC
in the ear

Before inserting the hearing
aid, you must place a battery in
the battery drawer and close
the battery drawer.

Hold your hearing aid by the
extraction cord with your
thumb and forefinger. Slowly
guide the hearing aid into your
ear canal until you feel resist­ance. Let go of the extraction
cord 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 upwards and backwards
with the opposite hand.

18

Removing Senso Vita SV-CIC

Gently pull the extraction cord
with your thumb and forefin­ger. If it is difficult to loosen the
hearing aid it may help to try to
move the hearing aid gently
from side to side while pulling
the extraction cord of the hear­ing aid. 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.

19

Automatic adjustment of loudness

Senso Vita SV-CIC adjusts loudness automatically in
accordance with your sound environment. Several
thousand times per second, Senso Vita SV-CIC ana­lyzes the surroundings and tailors its sound accord­ingly. With Senso Vita SV-CIC 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 the hearing healthcare professional where
you received your hearing aid.

20

Keeping Senso Vita SV-CIC clean

Your Senso Vita SV-CIC is a
completely-in-canal instrument,
which means it is worn deep in
your ear canal. It is very impor­tant for its performance that
you inspect and clean the in­strument daily. Clean your

hearing aid daily with a soft
cloth to keep it dry and clean of residue, wax, etc.
Never wash your hearing aid with water, cleaning so­lutions or other liquids. When the hearing aid is not in
use, it is a good idea to leave the battery drawer
open, so as to ventilate the aid and allow it to dry. We
recommend that every time you take the hearing aid
out of your ear, you inspect the sound outlet, the mi­crophone opening in the battery drawer and the relief
vent opening to ensure that no wax or the like has
gathered there.

Cleaning accessories

The following accessories are available for your hear­ing aid. Ask your hearing healthcare professional
which accessories you need for your hearing aid:

1. Battery magnet to facilitate insertion of the

battery into the battery drawer.

21

2. Wax removing tool for cleaning the full length of

a vent.

3. Wax removing tool with a long end for cleaning

the vent and a short end for cleaning the
microphone opening.

4. Small brush for removal of earwax from the area

around the sound outlet.

5. Soft cloth for drying and cleaning the hearing

aid.

Additional supplies of accessories can be acquired
from the hearing healthcare professional where you
received your hearing aid.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5.

22

The sound outlet

If wax has gathered
around the sound outlet
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 Senso Vita SV-CIC may be equipped with a
CeruSTOP wax guard to prevent earwax from work­ing its way into the sound canal. See page 25.

23

The relief vent

If wax has accumulat­ed in and/or around
the relief vent open­ing, it must be re­moved. Use the wax
removing tool in­structed for use by
your dispenser.

Clean any wax from the vent by passing the appropri­ate 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 healthcare professional.

24

The microphone
opening

Sometimes dirt may also
gather around the micro­phone opening on the
hearing aid front. Remove
this with the short end of
wax removing tool 3. Open

the battery drawer and re­move the battery so it does not fall out. Turn the hear­ing aid so the open battery drawer is facing down­wards. Guide the wax removing tool through the mi­crophone opening on the battery drawer from the in­side as illustrated.

Do not insert anything into the microphone it­self.

25

The CeruSTOP wax guard

Earwax is one of the main causes of hearing aid mal­function. During daily use, ear wax can work its way
into the sound outlet of your hearing aid and partially
or completely block the passage of sound. Complete­ly-In-The-Canal (CIC) instruments are especially vul­nerable to wax problems due to their placement deep
in the ear canal. By using a wax guard you can protect
your CIC instruments from ear wax, thereby minimiz­ing ear wax-related problems.

26

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. At the other end is a
hook for removing the used
wax guard.

1.

2.

3.

27

When should I change my wax guard?

Since the amount of earwax produced by each indi­vidual can vary dramatically, it is recommended that
the wax guard be checked daily. If the hearing aid is
weak/silent or if wax is visible in the wax guard, it’s
time to change the wax guard.

Changing the used CeruSTOP wax guard

Wipe away any visible wax from the shell of your
hearing aid. The used wax guard is in the stainless
steel bushing around the sound outlet.

28

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. There is no need to dig or twist the wax
guard from the bushing.

1. Vent opening

2. Sound outlet

3. Used wax guard

1.

2.

3.

29

Inserting a new wax guard

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.

30

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. If
the wax guard fits loosely,
discard it and insert anoth­er.

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.

The use of a CeruSTOP wax guard does not eliminate
the need for daily cleaning procedures.

31

Are there times when I should not use
the wax guard?

If a medical condition exists, such as a perforated ear­drum, or if an ointment is used do not use the wax
guard.

If you have any questions regarding your wax guard,
please contact your hearing healthcare professional.

Warning: 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.

32

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 a day or more, take out
the battery to avoid battery leakage.

• Treat your hearing aid as the valuable object it is:
with care. Keep it in its case in a cool, dry location
where it cannot be reached by children or pets.

• Never expose it to extreme temperatures or high
humidity.

• Do not wear your hearing aid in the shower or
swimming, or when using a hair dryer, hair spray,
or other sprays. Use care when applying topical lo­tions such as sunscreen.

• Never try to open or repair the hearing aid your­self.

33

• Do not wear your hearing aid during x-ray, MR
scans, CT scans, shortwave 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, but at times may cause interference
noise.

• Widex hearing aids are not certified for use in
mines or other areas with explosive gases.

34

Good advice

• You may notice increased accumulation of earwax
with hearing aid use. Contact your ENT doctor/
physician 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 or 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. In case of in­gestion, contact your physician immediately and

The National Button Battery Ingestion Hot­line at: [phone].

• The hearing aid is made of modern nonallergenic
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 healthcare
professional.

35

• 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 or scratches in the ear canal caused by the
hearing aid/earmold. 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 it is a
good idea to clean your hearing aid/earmold with
a disinfecting tissue or the like and seek medical
advice. Do not under any circumstances use alco­hol, chlorine or similar substances to clean your
hearing aid/earmold.

36

In case of malfunction

The following pages include some quick advice to fol­low if you experience problems. Before contacting
your hearing healthcare 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 placed correctly and the battery drawer
is closed correctly.

• The battery does not work/is dead. Insert a new
battery. Make sure the battery is placed correctly
and that the battery drawer 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 22. Do
not insert anything into the sound outlet as this
could damage the hearing aid. If you cannot clean
the sound outlet completely, we recommend that
you contact your hearing healthcare professional.

37

• The battery contacts are dirty. Contact your hear-
ing healthcare professional to have the battery
contacts cleaned.

• The microphone opening is blocked. Wax or dirt
can block the microphone opening. Do not insert
anything into the microphone opening when the
battery drawer is closed. Remove wax and dirt
with the short end of wax removing tool 3. Open
the battery drawer and remove the battery. Turn
the hearing aid, so the open battery drawer is fac­ing downwards. Guide the wax removing tool
through the microphone opening on the battery
drawer from the inside. See page 24.

38

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 22. Do
not insert anything into the sound outlet as this
could damage the hearing aid. If you cannot clean
the sound outlet completely, we recommend that
you contact your hearing healthcare professional.

• Your ear canal is blocked by earwax. Contact your ENT
doctor/physician to have your ear canal cleaned.

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

important that the hearing aid fits snugly in your
ear canal.

• Your ear canal is blocked by earwax. Contact your ENT
doctor/physician to have your ear canal cleaned.

• The hearing aid shell fit is too loose. Contact your
hearing healthcare professional.

39

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 healthcare profession-

al on how to place the hearing aid correctly in your
ear canal.

• The hearing aid shell has a poor physical fit. Con­tact your hearing healthcare professional.

• Your outer ear or ear canal is sore. The skin in the
ear canal is very thin and may swell a little because
of the pressure from the hearing aid. Take 2-3
weeks to gradually get used to the hearing aid. If
the soreness continues, contact your hearing
healthcare professional.

If the hearing aid performs intermittently, it
could be because:

• The battery contacts are dirty. Contact your hear-
ing healthcare professional to have the battery
contacts cleaned.

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