How to Choose the Best Hearing Aids

The first consideration to make when choosing the best hearing aids for you is to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the different designs. There are five main types of hearing aids on the market today:

• ITE (in-the-ear)
• BTE (behind-the-ear)
• ITC (in-the-canal)
• IIC (invisible-in-canal)
• CIC (completely-in-canal)

Although ITE and BTE hearing aids are the largest, they’re also appropriate for individuals with severe hearing loss. Due to their larger size, they’re able to hold a larger battery and therefore do not need to be charged as often. 

For those with mild to moderate hearing loss, ITC, IIC and CIC may be a good choice. Though they have a shorter battery life and may be challenging to handle for individuals with dexterity issues, they are also the most discrete and less likely to pick up wind noise. However, due to their small size, they often lack features and controls, and can also become clogged with ear wax if they are not regularly cleaned and maintained. 

Special hearing aid features

In addition to hearing aid style, it is important to consider what unique features you may need. Some of the most popular features are as follows:

• Directional microphones: These can help reduce background noise. 
• Multiple programming capabilities: Instead of being programmed for one environment, your hearing aids can be programmed to respond to several with the click of a button. 
• Bluetooth capabilities: To make watching television and talking on the phone easier, you can simply connect to these devices with Bluetooth through your hearing aids. The call or television program will go straight into your hearing aids, eliminating the need for constant volume control. 
• Artificial intelligence: Some hearing aids use self-learning to recognize the manual changes you make in different environments. After a few instances of manual adjustment, your hearing aids will automatically make programming changes for you as you switch from one environment to another. 
• Tinnitus masking: Though there is no cure for tinnitus, the masking feature on some hearing aids can reduce symptoms. This feature will produce sounds that cancel out the ringing in your ears. Different types of noise are available depending on your tinnitus, so talk to your audiologist to receive recommendations on the type of sound that is right for your unique symptoms. 

Factoring in your unique lifestyle and needs

With knowledge of the different hearing aid styles and features, you have the information to choose the best hearing aids for your lifestyle. 

When considering your lifestyle needs, it’s best to think about the situations that you find you struggle with the most. For example, if you’re often in loud, crowded places, you may want your hearing aids to effectively cancel out background noise. 

It also helps to consider each of the different environments you spend time in. If you’re generally home all day and do not lead an active lifestyle, a larger design with Bluetooth features may be the best choice. Alternatively, if you enjoy regular outdoor exercise, a smaller device that is less likely to pick up wind noise may be more appropriate.

If you have any doubts about which hearing aid is best for you, schedule an appointment with your audiologist, and they can guide you through the process.