What Are the Main Devices to Help with Hearing Loss?

Nobody particularly wants to experience hearing loss, but a great many of us will at some point or other and it is something that you are going to want to prepare for in many ways if you are to make the most of it. The truth is that hearing loss is, for many people, a normal part of life and it’s something that you are going to want to think about, especially if you are starting to get older and you think you might have to start getting some kind of treatment for it soon. As it happens, when you do experience hearing loss, there are many treatment options out there, including a range of devices that you might be able to make use of. In this article, we are going to take a look at some of the main devices that you might want to try and make use of, or which you audiologist might recommend at some point in the near future.

Behind the ear (BTE)

Behind-the-ear hearing aids are one of the most common kinds of hearing aid out there to help with hearing loss. You might well have seen this kind of hearing aid in your daily life, and it is one that you are certainly going to want to consider as essential in the list of possible devices that you might use to help your hearing loss along. These fit the widest range of hearing loss, meaning that it is a very commonly used one. The earmold generally fits snugly so that it is a particularly comfortable option for most people, and the one without an earmold is still comfortable while being somewhat less visible, which is important to many people – although not to everyone. All in all, the BTE is a considerable all-rounder, and many people swear by it.

Receiver in the ear (RITE)

Another very common kind of hearing aid is the receiver in the ear, otherwise known more generally as the RITE hearing aid. In general, this has all of the benefits of the BTE, but with the added plus of being fitted with more open amplification, which is something that is going to be helpful in many circumstances. As some of the parts sit inside the ear, this kind of hearing aid is often much smaller than BTE models, which is something that can prove important for many people with poor hearing who don’t want to draw too much attention to it if possible. In general, a RITE is likely to be a good choice if you are looking for a good all-rounder which doesn’t show itself too much in the ear.

In the canal (ITC)

ITC hearing aids are smaller still, and are located – as you would guess from the name – directly in the ear canal itself. The entire aid fits in the ear, so it is one of the least visible kinds out there, and there are no parts behind the ear. However, it is not the ideal choice for everyone, as they do not provide quite the same level of all-round amplification, and there is also something to be said for the fact that they do tend to need a little more maintenance work than some other types too. Nonetheless, it is a common and popular hearing aid device for a reason, and it’s definitely one that will be considered in many cases to be one of the best.

Completely in canal (CIC)

A CIC hearing aid is fitted entirely within the canal, and it is quite a different thing to many other types of hearing aid for this. This is generally only used for mild to moderate hearing loss, and it is the smallest type of hearing aid available at the moment. It is practically invisible, with all working parts being completely in the earmold. It is however not the one for you if you are prone to frequent ear infections, and it can be vulnerable to becoming plugged with earwax or even by sweat. Nonetheless, it is something that you should consider, and often it is going to be one of the most popular options for those with only a little hearing loss.

Finding the right one

If you are looking for a hearing aid device, then you are probably going to need some help along the way. You should be able to find that by visiting your audiologist, who is going to be able to take you through the different types as you see fit and show you which are suitable for you. To find out more about that process, call Audiology Associates at (707) 981-4336 today.