Hearing aid style options
All hearing aid manufacturers make hearing aids in several common styles:
BTE – Behind the Ear
These devices sit behind the ear and use a slim tube or an ear-mould to deliver the sound into the ear canal. All electronic components (including the receiver) are inside the device behind the ear. BTEs are often chosen for their high level of reliability, durability, ease of management and comfort.
RIC/RITE – Receiver in the Canal/Ear
While most of the electronics are within the device behind the ear, the receiver that delivers the sound sits inside the ear canal. The receiver is connected by a fine wire encased in flexible plastic which makes it much less noticeable on the ear, leading to this style becoming the most popular choice today.
ITE/ITC – In the Ear/Canal
The electronic components are located inside the device sitting in the ear canal or the concha – the bowl part of the ear. The shape of the device is taken from a customised mould of your ear, thus customising the fit. Filling the ear canal with the electronics means this style can give a more ‘blocked’ feeling when worn, but there is less device to handle and many people feel these are less noticeable.
CIC/IIC – Completely in the Canal / Invisible in the Canal
The smaller cousins of the ITE and ITC, these devices should not be seen when in the ear. IIC’s fit deeper in the ear canal than a CIC, but both are custom-made from a mould of your ear so a very precise fit can be obtained.
Choosing a style to suit you
The style of a hearing aid is not necessarily indicative of the level of technology it has, or the price of a device, but often it is more to do with how much power it has, a person’s clinical needs, or simply personal preference.
Our audiologists will explain why one style may be more clinically appropriate for you, and the pros and cons of different styles from our wealth of experience so you can make an informed choice.
Hearing aid technology options
Essentially tiny computers with the processing power to outstrip your pc or phone, hearing aids do so much more than just make sounds loud.
Hearing aids these days are smart. They take the sound around us and process it to enhance the sounds we want to hear and reduce the sounds we don’t. They can wirelessly connect to phones, smartwatches, home assistants and more. They can have specific settings for listening to music and can even change the direction they pick up sound from, without you needing to turn your head.
From the simple to the advanced, the technology you need will be discussed at length during your appointment with our audiologists, to demystify it and ensure you have the right features in your device for today, and also for the future.
Let the experienced hearing care professionals help you with the style of hearing aids that will suit you best. Call 07 5493 9001 or click here to complete our online form.