What Style of Hearing Aid I Should Wear?

When it comes to your hearing, your audiologist can talk to you about what you can do to enhance it and make life a little easier. If your hearing aid tests show that you need hearing aids, your audiologist will talk you through the most current types and styles of hearing aids out there. Currently, there are three primary styles of modern hearing aids with variations amongst these options, including:

• In the canal (ITC)
• In the ear (ITE)
• Behind the ear (BTE)

Before you choose the style of hearing aid you’d like to wear, your audiologist will take you through the benefits and the disadvantages of each. There will be some you like the look of but won’t be appropriate for your hearing needs, and others that will be the most desirable and yet will not suit your ears. You can get custom-fit hearing aids to fit your exact ear shape, and you should discuss this with your audiologist during the appointment. Many people choose their hearing aids based on how they look, but as your audiologist will tell you – it’s all about the feel and whether your hearing aids can help you to hear rather than how it looks. Choosing the right style of hearing aid will depend on a variety of factors, and these include physical factors as well as hearing-related factors.

Physical factors

Many physical factors can influence your decision of which hearing aid you choose for your hearing needs. The range of physical factors that you should consider include:

• Shape: Ear shape really does matter when it comes to fitting the hearing aids to your ear, and if your ears are flatter, you may find BTE hearing aids to be uncomfortable – or you may not be able to wear them at all! The choice of hearing aids that you have will depend on the shape of your ear as much as your comfort levels allow.
• Concha: The concha is the depth of the depression near your ear canal. If you have shallow ears, ITE models may not fit as there is not enough space.
• Ear Canal: The size of your ear canal matters during a hearing aid fitting. If your ear canal is too narrow, ITC hearing aids may fall out easily – the same can be said for completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aids.
• Your dexterity: As well as the shape of your ear and the depth of your ears, you must consider whether you have the manual dexterity to put the hearing aids in and take them out again. If you cannot maneuver properly, you may have to consider whether you can get the hearing aids in and out. On top of this, you need to consider that if you deal with a build-up of wax in the ear, ITC or ITE hearing aids may not work for you as there is no adequate ventilation for the ears.

Hearing factors

Physical factors are not the only consideration: hearing factors are, too. Some hearing aids are better for other hearing issues than others, and the hearing-related factors include the following:

• Your personal hearing loss: The most severe hearing loss requires a powerful hearing aid, and BTE hearing aids are the best option for this level of hearing loss. They can hold a bigger battery and better able to enhance your hearing.
• Hearing test: If you have hearing loss, the shape of your hearing test will tell you whether you should have a hearing aid that blocks the ear canal or sits behind the ear.
• Features: If your hearing loss requires you to have special microphones, more than one microphone or specific directional microphones, you may need to choose hearing aids that have special features. There are also hearing aids available with Bluetooth connectivity. Your audiologist will be able to work with you to choose which hearing aids will suit your needs better.
• Feedback: You will be able to try a range of hearing aids, and some of them offer too much feedback and high-pitched whistling. When this happens, BTE hearing aids have a better advantage over the smaller hearing aids. BTE hearing aids, are less likely to have feedback compared to the smaller options.

Contact us today

The best thing that you can do for your hearing is to contact the expert audiologists at Advanced Hearing of Brighton. Contact us today at 810-355-2245 and you could book in to chat about your hearing aid needs with one of the best audiologists around.