A Guide to 3 Common Hearing Aid Styles

 As well as providing the comprehensive hearing examination that can help you diagnose the type and severity of your hearing loss, your hearing health professional can also lend a lot of help when it comes to choosing hearing aids.

With insight and information on the market of hearing aids out there, they can help you find the most suitable device for your needs. Amongst these devices, you’re likely to come across these three common hearing aid styles, but what do you need to know about them?

Behind the ear (BTE)

One of the larger styles of hearing aids out there, BTE devices are designed to be positioned discreetly behind the ear. For the receiver in canal subtype, they also come with a microphone and receiver that are worn just inside the outer ear. Recommended for mild-to-profound hearing loss, they have a larger external shell. This means that they are a good fit for children and people who have issues with manual dexterity and can feature controls on the exterior of the device that are easier to operate.

In the ear (ITE)

Smaller than both regular BTE and receiver in canal hearing aids, ITE stands for in the ear. ITE hearing aids sit in the lower portion of the outer ear. Mid-sized and offering some discreteness, they are a good fit for those who might not be as dexterous. Well-suited to those with mild-to-moderately-severe hearing loss, they are custom molded to the shape of your ear, which means that they aren’t likely to cause discomfort or fall out due to movement, chewing, speaking, and so on. They are also likely to come with controls and features on the outer shell which are easy to operate manually.

In the canal (ITC)

These devices are much like their ITE counterparts, fitting into the ear rather than behind it. However, they are considerably smaller and extend a little further into the canal, meaning that they are less visible on the outer ear. They are the most discreet of the three common types of hearing aids. With their smaller size, they are likely to be slightly less powerful on average, meaning they are usually suited to those with mild-to-moderate hearing loss, but there are some exceptions. They have a larger battery size in comparison to the entire device size, which means that they are not likely to feature as many manual controls, but still have some external features, such as a volume dial. Because of this, they may not be as well suited for children or those with issues with their manual dexterity.

Even with the three main styles mentioned above, there is a lot of variety between the various models of hearing aids out there. Choosing with your hearing health professional can ensure that your level of hearing loss, budget and lifestyle needs are taken into account during the process, so it’s always wiser to make a choice with a little help.