Hearing aids come in various types, to accommodate the desires and budgets of those who have been diagnosed with a hearing loss. Your Audiologist can certainly give you many more details than this short article, but you will be a more informed patient for having done your research.
Gone are the days of putting a horn up to your ear to increase volume. Far from the days of yore, today's hearing aids are almost infinitely adjustable to serve you well during their life.
The two very general types of hearing aids are analog and digital. Being older technology, analog hearing aids are a bit less useful and less expensive. The new digital models can be programmed beautifully by your Audiologist for years of clearn, crisp sound.
If you haven't spoken to your Audiologist about a hearing screening, make sure you do. A formal hearing test will allow her/ him to tailor the settings of the assistive device perfectly for your needs.
With these two main types explained, let's move on to the 4 designs most common when choosing hearing aids types.
The behind the ear, or BTE hearing aid is the first one to understand. These simply rest on the back of your ear in the same way that a pair of glasses do. These hearing aids types are the most noticeable and have a diminished capability when compared with other models.
Next is the In The Ear style, known as ITE, which is less noticeable than the BTE style. This kind of hearing aid sits in the ear and provides better sound quality.
The ITC, or In the Ear Canal, hearing aid type is a bit smaller than the ITE style. These sit within the outer ear and are less noticeable than some other types.
Finally, the CIC, or Completely In the Canal, type of hearing aid is smaller and fits inside the ear canal to be the least detectable of all the hearing aids types.
To sum up, there are a few hearing aids types to choose from, as follows:
Analog- old technology, less effective and precise
The very adaptable digital models, which are a vast improvement on analog
Four other styles remain, other than simply analog and digital models:
1. BTE- Models which sit behind the ear. These can interfere with eyeglasses, as the electronics occupy that space. Also, phone usage can be tricky as the microphone itself sits behind the ear.
2. ITE- Less noticeable, sits inside the outer ear. Some patients report that these can feel strange, as they do take up the outside portion of the outer ear. In addition, children will nedd to be refit for these as they grow.
3. ITC- Even less conspicuous is the In the Canal style of hearing aid. These are a little more tricky to adjust, as the miniaturized controls are naturally smaller.
4. CIC- Least noticeable of all, fits completely inside the ear canal. Because they're so small, the batteries are smaller as well and run down more quickly than other types (another good reason to select good hearing aid accessories!). Your own body's humidity and ear wax can affect these models moreso than other styles. These have no external controls and must be adjusted by your Audiologist.
There are plusses and minuses to each of the hearing aids types, which your Audiologist can help you to consider when you are evaluated.
Along with knowing these differences, it's a good idea to make sure you have the proper accessories and are aware of the maintenance requirements for your model.
Hopefully, this article has helped you to make a more informed decisions, armed with the information on hearing aids types that you need to choose the best model for you.
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There's lots of other helpful information on hearing aids types at the discount hearing aids site
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