Skin sensation since using hearing aids

[Robin]

Hi All,
I am just wondering if anyone has experienced anything like this and / or can offer any suggestions - thanks in anticipation - Robin

I have been wearing hearing aids since November 2017 and experience an intermittent “crawling” on my skin. Specific details as per below.
All adjustments have been carried out by my audiologist - who also provided much of the details etc

• Clear otoscopy bilaterally (no exostoses, etc)
• Normal sloping to moderately - severe sensorineural hearing loss bilaterally
• Excellent speech discrimination with amplification, no evidence of rollover
• Normal tympanograms (Type A) i.e. normal middle ear function
• Slightly elevated acoustic reflexes at 2 and 4kHz but not significant
• Initially fitted with Phonak Audeo B50-312, size 2 receivers, M open domes
• Experienced ‘sensation’ like someone touching hair on arms – left ear only, from around the ear and down towards the left shoulder
• Sensation ‘area’ varies – sometimes only around left ear, sometimes travels down neck to collarbone level - front and back - around shoulder - surface only not internal.
• Sensation is ‘surface level’, not internal
• Sensation experienced spontaneously – independent of location and environment (including noise levels) and duration varies (2 minutes to 20 minutes)
• Can be a lasting sensation following removal of hearing devices – takes time to dissipate (can feel as sensation reduces over time) - disappears after an hour or two.
• No surgery has been performed on head/neck/ear/jaw area
• No metal dental implants/fillings
• Removing the battery and wearing the hearing aid eliminated the sensation suggesting that it is not a physical issue of wearing the device on the ear, but something to do with the hearing device operating/communicating

Have tried the following without relief/change:

• Changing receiver length
• Changing dome size (currently using small open domes)
• Removing glasses (metal frame) for a period of a few hours
• Now using smaller model: Phonak Audeo B50-10 devices
• Trying a different manufacturer: Signia Nx3 RIC devices

Have tried ‘uncoupling’ the Phonak hearing aids so that they are acting independently (monaurally i.e. no ear to ear wireless communication) – this reduced sensation by two thirds however, it was still experienced – left ear only
Today - 7 Feb 2018

• Recoupled the Phonak Audeo B50-10 devices to see if there is a subsequent increase in the sensation experienced to confirm if the coupling of the devices has an impact