Helping You Choose Hearing Aids

When in the market for hearing aids, you may come across many designs and names, which might make you feel overwhelmed. You will get to learn about some of these hearing aids below, but you need to know a few important things first.

If you have a friend or relative who uses a particular set of hearing aids and you like them, that alone does not make them suitable for you. Your doctor needs to carry out tests to find out your level of hearing loss and the size of your ears. Your lifestyle, expectations and preference on style, brand and aesthetics also matter. That said, here are the types of hearing aids you may come across:

ITE (In-The-Ear) and (ITC) In-The-Canal

These hearing aids are more suitable for people with severe hearing loss. One part of the hearing aid sits in your ear bowl while the other part extends inside your ear canal. The latter helps in directing sound waves better.

The difference between ITEs and ITCs is size. Even though they are both relatively small, the ITE hearing aids are slightly larger than ITCs. The size difference means that the larger hearing aid is more powerful and might be better for severe hearing loss.

These hearing aids may not be suitable for you if you produce excessive ear wax or suffer from ear infections. Ear wax can negatively affect them because it makes cleaning difficult. Remember, they are already small in size. This already makes cleaning hard; ear wax won't make it any easier and may cause damage.

Because a part of these hearing aids is inserted in your ear, it can make an ear infection worse. That is why they are not recommended for people who suffer from ear infections.

CIC (Completely in the Canal)

These hearing aids are closely related to ITEs and ITCs because they sit inside your ear canal. However, CIC hearing aids do not have the part that sits in your ear bowl; instead, they are fully inserted inside your ear canal.

If you have narrow ear canals, CIC hearing aids may not fit; your doctor might recommend another type that will solve your particular hearing loss level.

BTE (Behind-The-Ear)

This is the most common type of hearing aid. It consists of two parts: the first sits on your ear's top side while the second sits in your ear bowl. The BTE hearing aid is suitable for those people who have minor hearing loss.