User’s instructions
The Senso Vita Series
SV-19
Behind-the-ear
Your new Senso Vita SV-19
We hope you will be pleased with your new Widex
hearing aid. We have included these user’s instruc-
tions to inform you about the various aspects associ-
ated 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-19 hearing aid.
3
A world of new sounds
Becoming a hearing aid user can be an exciting chal-
lenge. Your hearing aid does not restore normal hear-
ing, 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 accus-
tomed to hearing. Once you get used to hearing
these everyday sounds again, they will become a part
of your active world of sounds.
4
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 re-
ceived your hearing aid.
5
Practice makes perfect
It is a good idea to start slowly and wear your hearing
aids for just short intermittent periods of time, for ex-
ample one or two hours, and first try them in situa-
tions with few people and not too much noise. Grad-
ually 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.
6
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 chal-
lenge in the beginning, it will be worth the effort.
7
Help to help yourself
Most modern hearing aids are designed with a multi-
tude of options, settings and features to benefit most
hearing aid users. Your Senso Vita SV-19 hearing aid
is set individually to your hearing loss and hearing to
ensure the best and most comfortable sound repro-
duction.
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 pro-
fessional, it is important that you notice how your
new hearing aids feel.
8
Make a note of the situations where you are not satis-
fied 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 ex-
periences as detailed as possible so that you and your
hearing healthcare professional have something to go
on when you meet again.
9
Senso Vita SV-19
1. Microphone openings, where the sound enters
the hearing aid.
2. Volume control is available in some Senso Vita
SV-19 models. It makes it possible to fine tune
the automatically adjusted loudness.
3. Program button, which allows you to choose
among different listening programs.
4. On/off switch
5. Battery drawer with a nail grip for easy opening.
6. Earhook – non-detachable.
7. Plastic tubing.
8. Earmold.
9. Sound outlet.
1.
6.
10.Relief vent.
2.
7.
3.
4.
9.
8.
10.
5.
10
The battery
Battery type
The recommended battery type for your Senso Vita
SV-19 is:
Zinc Air battery type 13
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 adhe-
sive tab until just before inserting the battery in the
hearing aid. Once the tab has been removed, the bat-
tery will start functioning after a few seconds. The
lifetime of the battery depends on a number of fac-
tors, such as the setting of your hearing aid, how
many hours you use it daily and the listening environ-
ments in which you use it.
Inserting the battery
Before inserting a new battery in
your hearing aid, remember to re-
move the adhesive tab. Do not use
batteries on which there is a sticky
residue from the tab or other un-
wanted substance as this can block
the battery airholes.
11
Push the nail grip upwards to
swing open the battery drawer.
The nail grip is located on the op-
posite side of the on/off switch at
the bottom of the hearing aid.
The plus (+) sign of the battery must face upwards. If
the battery drawer does not close easily, the battery is
incorrectly inserted.
12
Changing the battery
If you hear four rapid beep-tones while wearing your
hearing aid, it is an indication that the battery is near-
ly 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 recom-
mend 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.
13
The hearing aid can be provided
with a battery drawer lock, if re-
quired. This is a particularly good
idea if the hearing aid is worn by a
child. A special tool for opening
the lock will be included when or-
dering the lock (see the drawing).
You open the lock by push-
ing it to the right and then
downward with the tool in
one movement as illustrat-
ed.
14
Turning the hearing aid on and off
The battery drawer is placed at
the bottom of the hearing aid.
The battery drawer also func-
tions as the on/off switch.
The hearing aid is turned on
when the switch is pushed up-
wards, and off when the switch
is pushed downwards.
The word “OFF” is clearly visi-
ble on the switch when the aid
is turned off.
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.
15
Left/right identification
If you wear hearing aids on
both ears, your hearing health-
care professional can install
color markers on your hearing
aids so you can easily identify
the aid for the left ear (blue)
versus the right ear (red ).
16
Placing Senso Vita SV-19
on/in the ear
Insert a battery in your hearing aid. We recommend
that you turn off the hearing aid before placing it on
the ear. First insert the earmold in the ear canal while
holding the lower part of the tubing. It may also help
to pull the outer ear backwards and upwards with the
opposite hand.
17
Once the earmold has been inserted, you place the
hearing aid behind the ear, so that the hook rests
comfortably on the ear, close to your head. When the
hearing aid is in its correct position, turn on the hear-
ing aid.
18
Removing Senso Vita SV-19
First remove the hearing aid from its position behind
the ear. Carefully pull the earmold out of the ear ca-
nal, while holding the lower part of the tubing. If it is
difficult, it may help to try to move the earmold care-
fully from side to side while pulling it out. It may also
help to pull the outer ear backwards and upwards
with the opposite hand.
19
Automatic adjustment of loudness
Senso Vita SV-19 adjusts loudness automatically in ac-
cordance with your sound environment. Several thou-
sand times per second, Senso Vita SV-19 analyzes the
surroundings and tailors its sound accordingly. With
Senso Vita SV-19 you do not have to think about ad-
justing the volume – it happens quite automatically.
Senso Vita SV-19 is a powerful hearing aid. Avoid pro-
longed use at uncomfortably high sound pressure lev-
els – it might damage your hearing.
Important: If the volume in your hearing aid is too
loud or too weak, or if the reproduced sounds are dis-
torted, or you would like any further information,
consult the hearing healthcare professional where
you received your hearing aid.
20
Fine tuning loudness
Your hearing aid may be pro-
vided with a volume control,
shaped like a small lever. 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 sec-
onds.
When you raise the volume, you will hear a beep-tone
for each step the volume is raised. When you lower
the volume, you will hear a higher beep-tone for each
step the volume is lowered. When the maximum or
minimum adjustment level is reached, a steady tone
will sound until you release the lever.
Any adjustment of the automatic volume setting will
be cancelled when your hearing aid is turned off.
21
Listening programs
Your Senso Vita SV-19 may be equipped with a num-
ber of listening programs optimized for different lis-
tening situations. Your hearing healthcare profession-
al can help you select the programs that are of use to
you and make them available on the hearing aid pro-
gram button. If your needs change over time, the
combination of listening programs can be changed. In
these user’s instructions, the hearing healthcare pro-
fessional can list the listening programs that are avail-
able in your hearing aid (see page 25).
22
Listening programs:
Your Senso Vita SV-19 hearing aid may be provided
with up to four different listening programs optimized
for different listening situations. You can select the
program that is most appropriate for your sound en-
vironment.
Quiet (the hearing aid microphone picks up sounds
from all directions). This program is recommended for
quiet environments.
Noise (the hearing aid microphone focuses on sounds
coming from the direction in which you turn your
head by attenuating sounds coming from behind).
This program is recommended for noisy environments
where you wish to focus on speech.
T (telecoil). This listening program will be most use-
ful with an induction loop system. It may also be use-
ful with hearing aid compatible telephones. By select-
ing this program you can listen to the sound source
and shut out surrounding sounds.
M+T. This listening program is a combination of the
Quiet and T (telecoil) programs. If you activate “M+T”
you can listen to the source of sound and still hear the
surrounding sounds.
23
Switching between the
listening programs
Switch between the pro-
grams by using the pro-
gram button on the back of
the hearing aid, just above
the battery drawer. Each
time you switch to another
program, you will hear
beep-tones. The number of
beeps tells you which program you are in; one beep-
tone for program 1, two beep-tones for program 2,
three beep-tones for program 3 and four beep-tones
for program 4. Please note that if, for example, you
only have 3 programs, program 3 will be followed by
program 1 as you switch programs.
24
Listening program form
Program Chosen
programs:
Application:
1.
2.
3.
4.
25
Keeping Senso Vita SV-19 clean
Cleaning accessories
The following accessories are available for your hear-
ing aid:
1. Battery magnet to facilitate insertion of the
battery into the battery drawer.
2. Wax removing tool for cleaning the relief vent
opening.
3. 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.
26
The hearing aid
Never wash your hearing
aid with water, cleaning so-
lutions or other liquids. In-
stead, clean your hearing
aid with a dry soft cloth af-
ter use.
When the hearing aid is not in use, it is a good idea to
leave the battery drawer open, so as to ventilate the
hearing aid and allow it to dry.
27
The earmold
Make sure that your ear-
mold is clean and free of
earwax and moisture. If it
is plugged, clear the
opening with a wax re-
moving tool.
Disconnect the plastic tubing
from the hook of the hearing aid
at least once a week and wash
the earmold in lukewarm water.
Rinse the earmold thoroughly
and allow it to dry overnight.
28
If there is still moisture in
the earmold the next time
you want to use the hear-
ing aid, use a small blow-
er which can be obtained/
purchased through your hearing healthcare profes-
sional to blow it dry. Never use alcohol or other clean-
ing solutions to clean your earmold.
If your earmold tubing becomes slack, stiff, yellow or
cracked, consult with your hearing healthcare profes-
sional to have it replaced.
29
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 lo-
tions such as sunscreen.
• Never try to open or repair the hearing aid your-
self.
30
• 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 surveil-
lance equipment, burglar alarms, and cellular tele-
phones, is weaker and will not damage your hear-
ing aid, but may at times cause interference
noise.
• Widex hearing aids are not certified for use in
mines or other areas with explosive gases.
31
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 re-
duce 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 ac-
cessories 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 chil-
dren 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 and The Na-
tional 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 oc-
cur. If you notice skin irritation in or around your
ear or ear canal, contact your hearing healthcare
professional.
32
• Please be aware that the use of any type of hear-
ing 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 alco-
hol, chlorine or similar substances to clean your
hearing aid/earmold.
33
Accessories
Audio input
Your Senso Vita SV-19 hearing aid
can be furnished with an audio shoe.
This allows direct connection to dif-
ferent kinds of accessories (radio, TV,
FM systems and BiCROS).
When an audio shoe is
connected to the hear-
ing aid, the telecoil sig-
nal is replaced by the sig-
nal from the external au-
dio equipment. If you set
the program button to
the MT position, you will
hear both the sound
from the external audio equipment and the sound
from the hearing aid microphone. If the program but-
ton is set to T, only sound from the external audio
equipment will be heard.
To receive sound from the telecoil again, you need to
remove the audio shoe and shift to the MT or T pro-
gram.
34
Important: If the hearing aid is connected to an ac-
cessory requiring use of a power outlet, the accessory
unit must conform with the safety requirements stat-
ed in the international standard IEC 65.
Do not connect the hearing aid to sockets that are la-
belled with one or more of the following symbols:
For more information on the use of audio input, con-
sult the hearing healthcare professional where you re-
ceived your hearing aid.
35
FM systems
An FM system can be used as an
accessory with the Senso Vita SV-
19. The FM system makes it easier
to understand speech in difficult
listening situations.
An FM system consists of a trans-
mitter (with a microphone) and a
receiver which attaches to the au-
dio input boot of the Senso Vita
SV-19. The use of the FM system
gives you the ability to hear clearly
at a distance up to 45 feet. Both
the speaker wearing the transmit-
ter and the listener using the re-
ceiver obtain the freedom to move
around within the specified range.
36
Please be advised that some FM systems used with
the Senso Vita may have an additional switch on the
receiver. Please review the instruction manual of the
FM system or consult with your hearing healthcare
provider for the proper operation of the FM unit
switch.
For more information regarding the use of FM sys-
tems with your Senso Vita SV-19, consult your hear-
ing healthcare professional.
37
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 bat-
tery drawer, which functions as the on/off switch, is
pushed all the way upwards and that the word
“OFF” is not visible on the switch.
• The battery is dead or does not work. Insert a new
battery. Make sure the battery is placed correctly and
that the battery drawer is closed correctly.
• The sound outlet of the earmold is blocked. Blockage
of the sound outlet of an earmold is often caused by
earwax. Clean the blocked sound outlet.
If the hearing aid volume is not powerful enough,
it could be because:
• The battery is nearly exhausted. Insert a new battery.
Make sure the battery is placed correctly and that the
battery drawer is closed correctly.
• The sound outlet of the earmold is blocked. Blockage
of the sound outlet of an earmold is often caused by
earwax. Clean the blocked sound outlet.
• Your ear is blocked by earwax. Contact your ENT
doctor/physician.
• Your hearing may have changed. Contact your hear-
ing healthcare professional.
38
If the hearing aid whistles continuously, it could
be because:
• Your ear is blocked by earwax. Contact your ENT
doctor/physician.
• The tubing is broken. Contact your hearing health-
care provider to have the tubing replaced.
• The tubing is yellow and stiff. Contact your hearing
healthcare provider to have the tubing replaced.
• The tubing often comes off the earmold or hearing
aid hook. Contact your hearing healthcare provider
to have the tubing replaced.
• The hook or elbow is cracked. Contact your hearing
healthcare professional.
• The earmold is not correctly placed in your ear canal.
Take the earmold out and reinsert it. It is important
that the earmold is placed correctly in your ear ca-
nal.
• The earmold fit is too loose. Contact your hearing
healthcare professional.
If the hearing aid performs intermittently, it could
be because:
• The on/off switch is dirty. Push the switch back and
forth a couple of times.
39
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