Widex Senso Vita SV-38 User manual

User’s instructions
The Senso Vita Series
SV-38
Behind-the-ear

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Contents
YournewSensoVitaSV-38.......................4
Aworldofnewsounds........................5
Having something in your ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Practicemakesperfect.........................7
The road to better hearing and a more
activeeverydaylife ...........................8
Helptohelpyourself..........................9
Senso Vita SV-38 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Thebattery ..................................12
Batterytype................................12
Insertingthebattery .........................12
Turning the hearing aid on and off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Left/right identification. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Placing Senso Vita SV-38 on/in the ear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
RemovingSensoVitaSV-38......................18
Automatic adjustment of loudness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Finetuningloudness ...........................20
Listeningprograms ............................21
Switching between the listening programs . . . . . . . . 22
Keeping Senso Vita SV-38 clean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Cleaningaccessories.........................23
Thehearingaid.............................24
Theearmould..............................25
Caring for your hearing aid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Goodadvice .................................28
Accessories ..................................30
Incaseofmalfunction..........................34
Your hearing aid, earmould, cleaning accessories and
the like may not look exactly the same as in these us-
er’s instructions. We furthermore reserve the right to
make any changes considered necessary.
Hearing aids and their accessories should
not be disposed of with normal house-
hold waste. Please consult your national
Widex distributor for advice on how to
dispose of your hearing aid.

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Your new Senso Vita SV-38
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-38 hearing aid.
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 localise 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.

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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.
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.

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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.
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-38 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.

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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.
Senso Vita SV-38
1. Microphone opening, where the sound enters the
hearing aid.
2. Volume control is available in some Senso Vita
SV-38 models. It makes it possible to fine tune
the automatically adjusted loudness.
3. Program switch, 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.
7. Plastic tubing.
8. Earmould.
9. Sound outlet.
10.Relief vent.
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The battery
Battery type
The recommended battery type for your Senso Vita
SV-38 is:
Zinc Air battery type 675
For acquisition of batteries, consult your hearing health-
care professional. Please note the expiry date on the
battery pack. To ensure proper battery function, do
not use batteries past the expiry 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 func-
tioning after a few seconds. The lifetime of the bat-
tery depends on a number of factors, such as the set-
ting 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 on
which there is a sticky residue from
the tab or other unwanted substance
as this can block the battery airholes.
Push the nail grip downwards 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.
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.

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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.
Left/right identification
If you wear hearing aids on both ears, your hearing
healthcare professional can put a coloured mark (red
nameplate) on your right hearing aid, so you can eas-
ily see which aid is for the left ear and which is for the
right ear.

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Placing Senso Vita SV-38
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 earmould in the ear canal while
holding the lower part of the tubing. It may also be
helpful to pull the outer ear backwards and upwards
with the opposite hand.
Once the earmould 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 hearing
aid.

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Removing Senso Vita SV-38
First remove the hearing aid from its position behind
the ear. Carefully pull the earmould 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 earmould 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.
Automatic adjustment of loudness
Senso Vita SV-38 adjusts loudness automatically in ac-
cordance with your sound environment. Several thou-
sand times per second, Senso Vita SV-38 analyses the
surroundings and tailors its sound accordingly. With
Senso Vita SV-38 you do not have to think about ad-
justing the volume – it happens quite automatically.
Senso Vita SV-38 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.

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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 vol-
ume. Faster adjustments are
obtained by keeping the lever
pressed for some seconds.
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.
Listening programs
Your Senso Vita SV-38 may be equipped with a
number of listening programs optimised for different
listening situations. These listening programs allow
you to focus on the sound source you wish to hear.
You can select the program that is most appropriate
for your sound environment.
M: (microphone). This is the standard program, which
means it is the listening program for ordinary listening
situations.
T: (telecoil) This listening program can only be used
where a loop system or specially adapted telephone is
installed. By selecting this program you can listen to
the sound source and shut out surrounding sounds.
M+T. This listening program is a combination of the
M (microphone) and T (telecoil) programs. If you
activate “M+T” you can listen to the source of sound
and still hear the surrounding sounds.

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Switching between the
listening programs
Switch between the programs
by using the program switch
on the back of the hearing aid,
just above the battery drawer.
Keeping Senso Vita SV-38 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.
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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.
The earmould
Make sure that your ear-
mould is clean and free of
earwax and moisture. If it
is plugged, clear the open-
ing with a wax removing
tool.
Disconnect the plastic tubing
from the hook of the hearing aid
at least once a week and wash
the earmould in lukewarm water.
Rinse the earmould thoroughly
and allow it to dry overnight.
If there is still moisture in
the earmould the next
time you want to use the
hearing aid, use a small
blower or the like to blow
it dry. Never use alcohol or other cleaning solutions to
clean your earmould.
If your earmould tubing becomes slack, stiff, yellow or
cracked, replace the tubing. Consult with your hear-
ing healthcare 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 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.
• Never try to open or repair the hearing aid your-
self.
• 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 tel-
ephones, is weaker and will not damage your
hearing aid.
• 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 accu-
mulation of earwax. Contact your ENT doctor/phy-
sician if you suspect that a plug of earwax has ac-
cumulated 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.
• 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.
• Please be aware that the use of any type of hear-
ing aid/earmould 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/earmould at night to allow the
ear canal to be ventilated. Make sure that you
clean and inspect your hearing aid/earmould as re-
quired. If an infection occurs, disinfect your hear-
ing aid/earmould and seek medical advice. Do not
use alcohol, chlorine or similar substances to clean
your hearing aid/earmould.

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Accessories
Audio input
Your Senso Vita SV-38 hearing aid
can be furnished with an audio
shoe. This allows direct connection
to different kinds of accessories
(radio, TV, FM systems and Bi-
CROS).
When an audio shoe is con-
nected to the hearing aid,
the telecoil signal is re-
placed by the signal from
the external audio equip-
ment. If you set the pro-
gram switch to the MT po-
sition, you will hear both
the sound from the exter-
nal audio equipment and the sound from the hearing
aid microphone. If the program switch is set to T, only
the sound from the external audio equipment will be
heard.
To receive sound from the telecoil again, you need to
remove the audio shoe and switch to the MT or T pro-
gram.
Important: If the hearing aid is connected to equip-
ment which is connected to the electrical mains, this
equipment must meet the safety requirements stated
in the international standard IEC 60065.
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.

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FM systems
The FM system from Widex can be used as an acces-
sory to Senso Vita SV-38. The FM system makes it eas-
ier to understand speech in difficult listening situa-
tions.
The system consists of a small ra-
dio transmitter placed near the
speaker and a small radio receiver
clicked onto Senso Vita SV-38 via
an audio/FM shoe. The operating
range is approx. 15 metres de-
pending on the surroundings. As
the system is wireless both the lis-
tener and the speaker have full
freedom of movement within the
specified range.
Be aware that when you use a Widex FM system with
your Senso Vita SV-38, the switch on the FM receiver
works differently than described in the user’s instruc-
tions for the FM system. In the “2-dot” position (FM
+ Mic), the sound from the FM microphone will be
heard at the same level as the sound from the hearing
aid microphone. In the “1-dot” position (FM), the
sound from the FM microphone will be heard at a lev-
el that is slightly weaker than the sound from the
hearing aid microphone. The program switch is used
to switch between FM and FM+M as described
above.
For more information on the FM system from Widex,
consult the hearing healthcare professional where
you received your FM system.

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In case of malfunction
The following pages include some quick advice to fol-
low 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 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 earmould is blocked.
Blockage of the sound outlet of an earmould is of-
ten 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 bat-
tery. Make sure the battery is placed correctly and
that the battery drawer is closed correctly.
• The sound outlet of the earmould is blocked.
Blockage of the sound outlet of an earmould is of-
ten 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
hearing healthcare professional.

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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. Replace the tubing.
• The tubing is yellow and stiff. Replace the tubing.
• The tubing often comes off the earmould or hear-
ing aid hook. Replace the tubing.
• The hook or elbow is cracked. Contact your hear-
ing healthcare professional.
• The earmould is not correctly placed in your ear
canal. Take the earmould out and reinsert it. It is
important that the earmould is placed correctly in
your ear canal.
• The earmould fit is too loose. Contact your hear-
ing 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.

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