Hearing Aid Comparisons: What you need to know before buying
Before spending a prodigious amount of money on a hearing aid, or more likely on two of them, you need to know what is available and what best suits your individual needs.
Your first priority when making hearing aid comparisons is not necessarily the brand of hearing aid but the type that would be best for you.
There are four basic types of hearing aid, Behind the Ear or (BTE) is the most prevalent and addresses more types of hearing loss than any of the others.
The BTE is the one that fits behind the ear and is much smaller than any of the others, it contains a small plastic tube, which is almost invisible, that runs from the device into the ear cavity.
The BTE is considered an open-fit device because it isn’t molded to your ear canal, and it comes in several colors to match your skin tone or hair color. The BTE has become the most popular hearing aid type in the last few years, one of the reasons being it doesn’t give the wearer the stopped up feeling that the other types give.
The next type is the In The Ear type (ITE) and as the name implies is molded to your ear canal and completely fits within the ear. The full size in the ear style is large enough to accommodate more features, such as directional microphones and other useful programmes.
The ITE also accommodates a larger battery for longer battery life, and it’s easier to handle than the smaller hearing aids, which is a consideration for those of us who’s fingers don’t work the way they used to. The third basic type of hearing aid is the (ITC), you guessed it, in-the-canal.
The ITC is a smaller version of the ITE device and is considered a good choice for mild to moderate hearing loss. This device normally provides better sound localization because the microphone is located deeper in the ear and uses the ears natural sound gathering qualities.
The last major type of hearing aid is called the (CIC) completely in the canal. This device resides deeply in the ear canal and can be a problem to fit properly to insure retention in the canal without a lot of fiddling on the owners’ part.
Several visits to your hearing expert may be necessary to get the CIC just right. Hearing Aid Comparisons should be based on your specific needs so a hearing professional is an absolute must.