How to Choose the Right Hearing Aid

[Adam Alford]

Along the road of evolution, the human has eliminated several diseases that, once, used to plague mankind. We have the technology now; instruments and machines influenced by that technology are the key to fulfilling several deficits that our body encounters as we grow old. These instruments can range from pacemakers to prosthetics.

Hearing aids are such an innovation. A hearing aid ensures the proper functioning of one of our five primary senses. Oticon hearing aids are instruments from an advanced line of modern innovation. They are helpful for people with mild-severe hearing loss. Usually, there are two types of preferred hearing aid, based on their position or placement: in the canal, outer ear. Besides these two, there are other choices of hearing aids, which you can choose from based on your preference:

Completely In the Canal – CIC:
• The hearing aid is molded for your ear canal, therefore, it fits perfectly.

• It is prescribed to adults with moderate loss of hearing.

• Since it sits wholly inside the canal, it is the least visible of all other hearing aids.

• Its position makes it less susceptible to pick up background interference like wind noise.

• Battery life is very low; hence, they need to be replaced frequently.

• It may cause some issues with ear-wax clogging inside the canal.

In The Canal – ITC
• These are also molded to be fit inside the canal.

• These are not all the way inside your ear as some components need to stay out of the ear.

• This visible component makes it bigger than the CIC one.

• The bigger component allows some extra features like sound amplification, filtering etc.

In the ear – ITE
• This type of hearing aid is almost wholly visible because it sits on the bowl-shaped area of the ear.

• This is prescribed to people suffering from mild-severe hearing loss.

• This is larger in size and has a feature of controlling the volume.

• This comes with a larger battery, hence, a longer battery life.

• This device is prone to pick up background noises and static.

• This device may be easier to handle than the smaller ones.

Behind The Ear – BTE:
• This is a large instrument and suitable for people of all ages suffering from any range of hearing loss.

• This device sits conveniently behind the ear

• There’s a tube connecting the hearing aid to a piece of a component called ‘earmold’ inside the canal.

• This device allows for more amplification than the other types.

• Wind noise and background noise is also amplified, which can be a hindrance sometimes.
Open Fit:

• This is a variation of the BTE; the only difference being is the open fit type has a very thin tube.

• The thin tube allows the ear canal to stay open, and certain low-frequency sounds can enter naturally; high-frequency sounds get amplified through the hearing aid.

• This makes it a perfect choice for those who want to avoid any type of ear-wax clogging.

• This is usually used by people with mild hearing loss.
It is advised to consult a professional audiologist prior to getting any hearing aid. And it is recommended to have regular check-ups with the audiologist. It will take time to adjust to the new hearing enhancements, but with sufficient patience and professional help, the essence of hearing the nuances of the world will grow on you.