Hearing aids amplify sounds and improve speech comprehension for people who suffer from hearing loss due to age or other conditions. Hearing aids come in different styles and are suited to different kinds of hearing loss. Here are the major styles available on the market today.
Completely in The Canal (cic) or Mini-Cic
This hearing aid fits neatly inside the ear canal and is the least visible. It improves mild to moderate hearing loss and doesn’t pick up wind noise. However, it doesn’t come with volume control and can be damaged when earwax clogs the speaker.
In the Canal
This is a custom-molded hearing aid that fits partly in the ear canal. It may include some features that the CIC won’t carry.
In the Ear
ITE aids are helpful for people with severe hearing loss. The ITE is available in a full shell style (it fits in the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear) or the half shell style (it only fills the lower part of the outer ear). Naturally, this hearing aid is a little more visible than the styles above, but it does come with directional microphones, is easier to handle, and has a longer life.
Behind the Ear
This type hooks over the top of the ear and rests behind the ear. It’s designed so that a tube connects the hearing aid to an ear mold in the ear canal. Some of its features include directional microphones and more amplification. However, it does pick up more wind noise.
Receiver in The Ear or Receiver in Canal
These styles mimic the general design of a BTE. The only difference is that a wire connects to the ear mold rather than a tube. This hearing aid has manual control options and directional microphones too.
Open Fit
An open-fit hearing aid keeps the ear canal open. This allows low-frequency sounds to naturally enter the ear and only amplifies high-frequency sounds. It has a thin tube that connects to an open dome in the ear. Since it doesn’t plug the ear, it doesn’t change the sound and is suitable for people who have better low-frequency hearing and only suffer from high-frequency hearing loss.
