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Hearing Aid Styles

If you have been considering looking for hearing aids in the Charlotte area, you may not know that there are many options available. While many people know about the older Behind-The-Ear hearing aids, today there are many hearing aid styles to fit any lifestyle and hearing needs. To help you know what kind of options you may have, below are the various hearing aid styles with their potential pros and cons.

Full-Shell In-The-Ear (ITE)

The most powerful type of In-The-Ear hearing aids, the full-shell In-The-Ear (ITE) is custom-made to fit within the shell of your ear. With its greater size, this style of hearing aid is often appropriate for mild-to-severe levels of hearing loss and often can accommodate more useful technology such as feedback reduction, directional microphones, and more.

Pros:

  • Low-profile design
  • Longer battery life than other ITE-style hearing aids
  • Custom made for you
  • Easy to handle
  • Appropriate for mild-to-severe hearing loss

Cons:

  • Can make people feel plugged up
  • Fairly visible style of hearing aid

Half-Shell In-The-Ear (ITE)

Similar to the full-shell variant, the half-shell ITE hearing aids have many of the positives of the larger style while giving you a lower profile. This style of hearing aids can be a little tougher to position in your ear, as they are smaller but still rest outside the ear. When improperly inserted, the hearing aids can’t create a seal around the ear, which tends to lead to whistling feedback sounds.

Pros:

  • Low-profile design
  • Longer battery life than other ITE-style hearing aids but can be shorter than full-shell
  • Custom made for you
  • Appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss

Cons:

  • Can make people feel plugged up
  • Still fairly visible style of hearing aid
  • Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues

In-The-Canal (ITC)

Generally positioned in the canal with some of the device protruding into the bowl of the ear, the In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aid style is more discreet than the ITE hearing aids. With their smaller size, this style of hearing aids is consequently less powerful but can be appropriate for those with mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss.

Pros:

  • Custom made for you
  • Discreet size
  • Still has manual controls for volume, etc.
  • Usually appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss

Cons:

  • Can be prone to moisture and earwax damage
  • Still a visible style of hearing aid
  • May cause feelings of being plugged up
  • Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues

Completely-In-Canal (CIC)

As you can see from our example, the Completely-In-Canal (CIC) hearing aid style lives up to its name, and the main body of the device rests inside your ear canal. The faceplate may be visible to others, and there is a clear plastic stick to help you easily insert and remove this style of hearing aid.

Pros:

  • Barely visible style of hearing aid
  • Custom made for you
  • Appropriate for mild-to-moderate hearing loss

Cons:

  • Short battery life
  • Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues
  • Prone to damage from earwax and moisture
  • Generally, have no manual controls for volume or programs

Invisible-In-Canal (IIC)

Aptly named, the Invisible-In-Canal hearing aid style has the main body of the device placed deep within the ear canal, where only the plastic removal and insertion stick can barely be seen. These hearing aids are perfect for those who have minimal hearing loss and would prefer to keep their hearing needs private.

Pros:

  • Practically invisible style of hearing aid
  • Custom made for you
  • Appropriate for mild-to-moderate hearing loss

Cons:

  • Short battery life
  • Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues
  • Prone to damage from earwax and moisture
  • No manual controls for volume or programs

Reciever-In-The-Ear (RITE)

Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) is also called Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) thanks to the fact that there is a small tube which extends from the main body of the hearing aid into the ear canal. The rest of the RITE is located behind the ear and often does not protrude over the top of the ear. There are also mini versions of this style of hearing aids (mini RITE), which may have different pros and cons, though they are often the same.

Pros:

  • Appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
  • Smaller than BTE style hearing aids
  • Repairs can often be done in our clinic office
  • Lessened feelings of being plugged up
  • More space for hearing technology
  • Easy to handle

Cons:

  • Visible style of hearing aids
  • Speaker in the ear canal can be prone to earwax and moisture damage

Behind-The-Ear (BTE)

Most commonly recognized style of hearing aid, the Behind-The-Ear style of hearing aids are large enough to contain hearing aid technology which can help with tinnitus, Bluetooth sync with smart devices, and many other helpful hearing tech advancements. The tube does not always end in an earmold, but this style is common with BTE hearing aids. There are also mini BTE style hearing aids which provide many of the benefits of this style while being smaller.

Pros:

  • Appropriate for mild-to-profound hearing loss
  • Repairs can often be done in our clinic office
  • More space for hearing technology
  • Easy to handle
  • Earmold custom made for you
  • Longest battery life (some types are rechargeable)

Cons:

  • Most visible style of hearing aids
  • Earmold can cause feelings of being plugged up

There are four basic components which every digital hearing aid has so it can function properly— a microphone, amplifier, receiver, and power supply (batteries).

The microphone captures sounds and transmits them as electrical signals to the amplifier. In the amplifier, sound volume is increased. Depending on the quality of the hearing aid, the amplifier can also determine what kinds of sounds should be louder like human speech and when to quiet down sounds such as slamming doors. Once the sound is processed in the amplifier, the amplified sound is transmitted to the receiver. From there, the hearing aid receiver sends the sound to your inner ear.

Some higher-end hearing aids can offer more features such as greater signal processing and automatic adjustments to different listening environments, but overall, all hearing aids work essentially the same.

Signs You Need Hearing Aids

The signs that indicated whether or not you need hearing aids are nearly the same signs which can show that you have hearing loss. Namely, these signs are:

  • People often sound like they are mumbling their words or talking too quietly.
  • Having your earwax professionally removed did not fix your hearing trouble.
  • Eating out at busy restaurants is frustrating, as the noises tend to drown out conversations you are trying to hear.
  • All of your audio entertainment is near or at the max volume level.
  • Your tinnitus symptoms have become worse.
  • Family and/or friends have mentioned that they notice you are struggling with your hearing.
  • You can’t enjoy the sounds of nature anymore.
  • Higher-pitched voices are hard to hear such as the voices of your grandchildren.

If you find that you are struggling with these issues, then it is time to make an appointment for a hearing evaluation with one of our hearing specialists. With four hearing clinics available, you can easily meet with one of our experienced hearing specialists who can help identify exactly what your hearing needs are and what hearing aids will help you best.

Ways Hearing Aids Improve Your Life

Hearing aids can improve your life in many ways. Some of these ways are more obvious than others. A few of the significant benefits of using hearing aids are:

  • Engage more with family and friends - With hearing aids, you can catch all the inside jokes and the whole conversation when you are with your family and friends, rather than feeling like you always have to say, “Can you say that again?”
  • Manage tinnitus with hearing aids - Many people find that their tinnitus grows louder as they can hear less. With the use of hearing aids with tinnitus support, you can enjoy soothing background sounds as well as all the sounds you wanted to hear.
  • Decrease your risk of cognitive decline - Hearing loss is a significant risk factor of cognitive decline, leading to dementia and other memory issues. By using hearing aids to keep your mind sharp and engaged, you may be able to reduce your risk of increased cognitive decline.
  • Feel more confident in social situations - It’s tough to feel confident when you know your hearing isn’t as good as it could be. With the use of hearing aids, you can more easily navigate social situations and feel confident whether at work, home, or any other circumstance.
  • Increase situational awareness - Hearing is integral to situational awareness, whether it’s the distant sound of a train or the more immediate noise of a dog growling. Missing these sounds can be dangerous, but by using hearing aids, you can stay dialed in with the world of sounds around you.

Basic Styles Of Hearing Aids

There is a variety of hearing aid styles you can choose from when you work with our hearing specialists. We work with all major hearing aid manufacturers, so you can have a full span of choices.

To give you an idea of what hearing aid styles are available for you, we have listed the basic types below.

In-The-Ear Hearing Aids

One of the most popular styles of hearing aids is the In-The-Ear (ITE) style. These hearing aids range in size from the visible, low-profile design above to hearing aids so small that they can be completely placed within your ear and work invisibly. This style of hearing aid can help those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, though some can help those with more severe hearing loss.

Behind-The-Ear Hearing Aids

When most people think about hearing aids, they think of the Behind-The-Ear (BTE) hearing aid style. While the BTE style of hearing aid can vary in size, all of them are positioned behind the wearer’s ear with a tube extending to the ear canal. These hearing aids can usually help with most levels of hearing loss, from mild-to-severe hearing loss. Some of the most powerful units can even assist those with profound hearing loss.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids

If you don’t want to deal with changing out tiny hearing aid batteries, many hearing aid manufacturers now make rechargeable hearing aids. Currently, only BTE style hearing aids are rechargeable. Some, like the Oticon Opn hearing aids, are hybrids. So if you forget to charge up your hearing aids the night before, you can easily pop in some batteries to tide you over.

Find Hearing Aids At Hearing Healthcare Centers

If you are looking for hearing aids in the greater Charlotte area, then you should visit us at Hearing Healthcare Centers. We have four convenient locations, with three in the Charlotte area and one in Rock Hill, SC. At our independent clinics, we can help you find the perfect hearing aids for your needs.

To work with one of our excellent hearing specialists, contact us today to set up an appointment. We will do our best to help you regain your connection with the world of sound around you.