Hearing aids come in a variety of forms. Which then suits you the best? See what factors to take into account while selecting a hearing aid.
Maybe you’ve considered buying a hearing aid, but determining if it is beneficial or how it would become apparent is still confusing to you. This article will help you.
Since normal hearing cannot be restored by hearing aids, boosting noises you’ve had difficulty hearing can help you hear better.
How hearing aids function
How do hearing aids work?
The same basic elements are used by all hearing aids to transmit and amplify sounds from the surrounding environment into your ear. A standard hearing aid battery or a rechargeable battery powers the majority of digital hearing aids.
Small microphones gather noise from the surroundings. Digital code is produced from the incoming sound by a computer chip that has an amplifier. It evaluates and modifies the music according to your listening requirements, hearing loss, and ambient noise levels. Speakers, sometimes referred to as receivers, are the devices that transmit the amplified impulses back into sound waves for your ears.
Hearing aid styles
The size, cost, unique features, and insertion method of hearing aids differ greatly.
The smallest and least noticeable in the ear is the first of the common kinds of hearing aids. To satisfy consumer demand for a discreet hearing aid, hearing aid manufacturers continue to produce smaller models. However, the smaller aids might not be able to provide you with the enhanced hearing you might hope for.
Completely in the canal (CIC) or mini-CIC
A hearing aid that fits entirely inside your ear canal is customized to suit. It helps people with mild-to-severe hearing loss.
A hearing aid that is fully in the canal:
- It is the smallest and least obvious kind.
makes use of comparatively tiny batteries, which may be difficult to manage and have a shorter lifespan. - Is less likely to pick up wind noise;
- Frequently lacks other capabilities, such as volume control or a directional microphone.
Has the potential to get the speaker clogged by earwax.
In the canal
A custom-molded in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid partially fits within the ear canal. Adults with mild-to-moderate hearing loss can benefit from this approach.
An aid for hearing in the canal:
- Is less noticeable in the ear than in more voluminous styles.
- Has elements that fit on aids that don’t fit entirely in the canal, but because of its small size, they could be challenging to adjust.
- Has the potential to get the speaker clogged by earwax.
In the ear
A custom-made in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid comes in two styles: the full shell, which occupies the entire bowl-shaped area of your outer ear, and the half shell, which fills only the bottom portion. Both come with directional microphones—two microphones for improved hearing in noisy environments—and are beneficial for those with mild to severe hearing loss.
The in-the-ear hearing aid has:
- Volume control is one of the functions that is not compatible with smaller-designed hearing aids.
- Uses a larger battery for a longer battery life, with a variety of rechargeable battery alternatives.
- Could be easier to handle.
- The speaker may become clogged with earwax, and it has the potential to pick up more wind noise than smaller devices.
- Compared to smaller gadgets, it is more apparent in the ear.
Behind the ear
A behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid is behind the ear and extends over the upper part of the ear. An ear mold, a specially designed earpiece that fits inside your ear canal, is connected to your hearing aid via a tube. People of all ages and with nearly any kind of hearing loss can use this type.
The behind-the-ear kind has
- The most common kind of hearing aid in recent smaller models is svelte and hardly noticeable.
- may pick up more wind noise than other designs;
- Features directional microphones.
- Can amp up more than other styles.
- May come with a rechargeable battery.
Receiver in the canal or receiver in the ear
With the speaker or receiver located inside the ear canal, the receiver-in-canal (RIC) and receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) models resemble behind-the-ear hearing aids. The component behind the ear is connected to the speaker or receiver by a small wire instead of tubing.
The receiver in the canal has:
- Usually has a less noticeable part behind the ear.
- Features manual control options;
- Directional microphones.
- May come with a rechargeable battery;
- Is prone to earwax blockage in the speaker
Open fit
A variant of the receiver-in-the-canal or receiver-in-the-ear hearing aid with an open dome in the ear, or the behind-the-ear model with a thin tube, is the open-fit model. With this design, the ear canal is kept wide open, enabling high-frequency sounds to be boosted by the hearing aid and low-frequency sounds to naturally enter the ear. Because of this, those who have mild to moderate high-frequency hearing loss and improved low-frequency hearing might consider this style.
An open-fit hearing aid:
- Usually noticeable.
- May be more challenging to fit into the ear due to the noncustom dome.
- Doesn’t seal the ear like in-the-ear hearing aid designs, frequently making your own voice seem better to you.