Types of Hearing Aids
Hear Better with These 4 Types of Hearing Aids
Are you having hearing issues? It’s time to invest in hearing aids. Hearing aids help make the world more audible to you, but first, you need to know what types of hearing aid works for you. After all, everyone has their own needs.
There are different types of hearing aids. There are four common types of hearing aids you can find in Australia. These are:
- Behind the Ear Hearing Aids (BTE)
- Completely in the Canal Hearing Aids (CIC)
- Invisible in the Canal Hearing Aids (IIC)
- Receiver in Ear/ Canal Hearing Aids (RITE/RIC)
Many hearing aid types and designs look towards a few goals. Discreetness is key for many people who use hearing aids. Many are getting smaller and better as technology progresses but won’t have the power to work longer. Below, we discuss the four types of hearing aids and what differs one from the other.
4 Types of Hearing Aids
Compare the different types of hearing aids before you buy one.
-
Behind The Ear Hearing Aids (BTE)
Behind The Ear hearing aids are some of the most common hearing aids in all of Australia. They hook on your upper ear, and most of its body rests on the upper back of your ear. The hearing aid is then connected to a tube that uses a specific earpiece called the earmold.
The earmold will cover your entire ear canal, so Behind The Ear hearing aids are great for every age. They are also an excellent choice for people who have any level of hearing loss.
BTE hearing aids have some of the extensive designs by tradition. Even then, many of them are getting smaller as the years go by. The design makes it so that it can do better amplification, even when compared with other hearing aid types.
-
Completely In The Canal Hearing Aids (CIC)
Completely In The Canal hearing aids are a hearing aid type moulded with the specific function of going inside your ear canal. It’s one of the smallest and most discreet designs, using small batteries to work.
Many CIC hearing aids can suffer from their size and level of discreetness. With their limited size and battery capacity, they can have a shorter battery life compared to their counterparts. Several CIC hearing aids will have almost no granular features like volume control.
People who have mild to moderate hearing loss who need discreetness will find Completely In The Canal hearing aids ideal.
-
Invisible In The Canal Hearing Aids (IIC)
Invisible In The Canal hearing aids are some of the newer models that can come from some hearing aid services. They fit deep in your ear canal, with some IIC models made to stay for months at a time. Some designs are something you can also take out yourself.
IIC hearing aids are suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss. Much like their CIC counterparts, IIC hearing aids have limitations in their features because they’re compact. You can use these if the lifestyle asks for a quick and easy option.
-
Receiver In Ear/ Canal Hearing Aids (RITE/RIC)
Receiver in ear/ canal hearing aids are two specific styles of hearing aids the same as BTE hearing aids. Their style is like BTE, but the speaker/receiver is in your ear canal. Unlike BTE that has an earmold tube, the RITE and RIC hearing aid use a wire connecting the piece.
Most Receiver in ear/canal hearing aids offer the same benefits as BTE. The body, however, is much smaller and compact. It is prone to the same issues as behind the ear hearing aids, including earwax clogs.
Find the Type of Hearing Aid that Works for You
Picking from the different types of hearing aids can be an overwhelming task. It’s ideal to talk to an audiologist and search online reviews or comparison sites like Makes Cents before you buy a hearing aid for yourself or for a loved one.