How to Choose The Right Hearing Aid For You!

Do you need a hearing aid? Maybe you’ve been having trouble hearing. You thought it was just age at first, but now you’re unable to hear entire parts of conversations. You find yourself asking people to repeat what they said more often, or maybe just smile and nod when they say something, hoping it was not a question. You don’t know what’s going on, but you are sure of one thing – your hearing is just not what it used to be.

The first thing to do is ensure there are no other causes for your hearing problems. A simple check up with your ENT specialist can rule out most common reasons for hearing problems (including earwax and/or ear infections). In worse cases, it might a tumor blocking your hearing. If need be, you could have your hearing tested by an audiologist for further analysis of the situation. If all causes are eliminated, and the hearing test concludes lowered hearing, you may have only one solution – A hearing aid.

Choose the right hearing aid – for you.

There are several types of hearing aids. Technology advancements have changed this market widely, and today there are even hearing aids you can connect directly to your phone. However, even with technology at your side, the first thing to remember is that hearing aids won’t allow you to hear like ‘normal’, so beware of salespeople that claim otherwise.

Unlike other devices which can fit you “off the shelf”, a hearing aid should be fitted to you and your needs. The best option is to purchase a customized hearing aid, fitted for you, but it may be expensive. If it is too expensive, don’t settle for the first hearing aid you find – try a few brands and models. A hearing aid will be with you all day every day, so you should feel comfortable with it (physically and mentally).

When searching for a hearing aid, check out local dealers to get the feeling, and maybe after you know what you are looking for, check it out online to see what are the reviews and what are your options.

As with any device, you’d be well advised to check warranty and the device’s capacity; if your hearing gets worse (god forbid), you might need a stronger hearing aid, and it would be more convenient if you could use the same one.

Types of hearing aids

There are several types of hearing aids available. They differ by placement (in the ear or outside, for example), strength, capabilities and customization. The different types of hearing aids include:

“Completely In Canal” aids (also called CIC aids, or Mini CIC):
Least noticeable of the hearing aids, this type of hearing aids suites a wide range of hearing loss – from mild to severe. Their advantages are their small size, which makes them less noticeable, and the fact that wind won’t cause a lot of noise. On the other hand, they don’t have a volume button or any other control, and their size means small batteries – which could prove to be a problem for some.

“In The Canal” hearing aids (ITC hearing aid)
Very useful and common for mild to moderate hearing loss, the ITC aids are a bit larger than CIC, offering more features and customization. They usually come with more capabilities and control than CIC. Still small and less noticeable, the ITC aid is fitted for the ear and canal shape of the patient. Since In The Canal aids are prone to ear wax clogging, it’s important to clean them (as well as the ear canal) constantly (but not too much!).

“Half-Shell” – in the ear aid
For mild to severe hearing loss. The Half-Shell is a smaller version of the in-the-canal hearing aid, customized to fill the lower portion of your outer ear. This model is fitted with supplementary features like directional microphones to improve its capabilities. It is a little more visible than the former types of hearing aids, but also comes with volume control and the adjustable microphones. The Half-Shell fills the lower part of your our ear.

“Full-Shell” – in the ear aid
A more “potent” in the ear hearing aid, very similar to the “Half Shell”. The Full Shell hearing aid fills your whole outer ear, blocking external noises. The Full Shell is designed for mild to severe hearing loss. A Full Shell hearing aid is custom made and fills most of the bowl-shaped area of the outer ear.
An in-the-ear (full-shell) hearing aid contains helpful features, such as volume control, that are easier to adjust since it is larger than the other hearing aids.

“Behind The Ear” hearing aid (BTE)
For almost all types of hearing loss. This type of aid is appropriate for people of all ages.
Currently, a behind-the-ear hearing aid is the largest type and most visible hearing aid, but innovative models are now less and less visible, more streamlined and better fitted for the user. On the good side, it is suitable for all ages and all levels of hearing loss, and provides better amplification than other types. On the bad side, it picks up more wind noise than other types, as well as more visible than other hearing aids.

BTE hearing aids now have new designs, which are sometimes called RIC or RIE (R for Receiver) where the hearing aid is behind the ear, and the in-ear or in-canal piece is connected by a wire rather than a tube.

Open fit Hearing aids
Very similar to BTE hearing aids, and Open Fit is designed the same with a unit behind the ear connected to an ear piece by a tube or wire, but not fitted or customized to the ear. The Open Fit is placed in the entrance to the ear canal, and usually addresses those with high frequency sound hearing loss. Since the ear piece doesn’t block the ear canal completely, low frequency sounds travel in to ear naturally and high frequency sounds are amplified.

An open-fit hearing aid is less visible and often lacks manual adjustments due to the small size. An Open Fit hearing aid is a good choice for those with mild to profound hearing loss.

Choose the right hearing aid

We hope we have helped you learn some more about the different types of hearing aids. Before you choose, be sure to aks your ENT or audiologist about the best fit for your needs, and what they recommend. After you have the professional opinion, you’ll know what to look for. Each type has its benefits and disadvantages, so choose wisely!