Hearing Aids

Styles & Technology

Hearing Aid Styles
Hearing Aid Technology
The Programmable Advantage
The Digital Advantage
Current Research

Hearing Aid Styles

There are several types of hearing aids. Each type offers different advantages, depending on its design, levels of amplification, and size. Before purchasing any hearing aid, ask whether it has a warranty that will allow you to try it out. Most manufacturers allow a 30- to 60-day trial period during which aids can be returned for a refund. 

There are four basic styles of hearing aids for people with sensorineural hearing loss:

In-the-Ear	Behind-the-Ear (BTE)	In the Canal	Completely-in-Canal

In-the-Ear (ITE) hearing aids fit completely in the outer ear and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. The case, which holds the components, is made of hard plastic. ITE aids can accommodate added technical mechanisms such as a telecoil, a small magnetic coil contained in the hearing aid that improves sound transmission during telephone calls. ITE aids can be damaged by earwax and ear drainage, and their small size can cause adjustment problems and feedback. They are not usually worn by children because the casings need to be replaced as the ear grows. 

Behind-the-Ear (BTE) hearing aids are worn behind the ear and are connected to a plastic earmold that fits inside the outer ear. The components are held in a case behind the ear. Sound travels through the earmold into the ear. BTE aids are used by people of all ages for mild to profound hearing loss. Poorly fitting BTE earmolds may cause feedback, a whistle sound caused by the fit of the hearing aid or by buildup of earwax or fluid. 

Canal Aids fit into the ear canal and are available in two sizes. The In-the-Canal (ITC) hearing aid is customized to fit the size and shape of the ear canal and is used for mild or moderately severe hearing loss. A Completely-in-Canal (CIC) hearing aid is largely concealed in the ear canal and is used for mild to moderately severe hearing loss. Because of their small size, canal aids may be difficult for the user to adjust and remove, and may not be able to hold additional devices, such as a telecoil. Canal aids can also be damaged by earwax and ear drainage. They are not typically recommended for children. 

Body Aids are used by people with profound hearing loss. The aid is attached to a belt or a pocket and connected to the ear by a wire. Because of its large size, it is able to incorporate many signal processing options, but it is usually used only when other types of aids cannot be used.

Hearing Aid Technology

The inside mechanisms of hearing aids vary among devices, even if they are the same style. Three types of circuitry, or electronics, are used: 

Analog/Adjustable: The audiologist determines the volume and other specifications you need in your hearing aid, and then a laboratory builds the aid to meet those specifications. The audiologist retains some flexibility to make adjustments. This type of circuitry is generally the least expensive. 

Analog/Programmable: The audiologist uses a computer to program your hearing aid. The circuitry of analog/programmable hearing aids will accommodate more than one program or setting. If the aid is equipped with a remote control device, the wearer can change the program to accommodate a given listening environment. Analog/programmable circuitry can be used in all types of hearing aids. 

Digital/Programmable: The audiologist programs the hearing aid with a computer and can adjust the sound quality and response time on an individual basis. Digital hearing aids use a microphone, receiver, battery, and computer chip. Digital circuitry provides the most flexibility for the audiologist to make adjustments for the hearing aid. Digital circuitry can be used in all types of hearing aids and is typically the most expensive. 

The Programmable Advantage

One of the most exciting developments of the past several years is the programmable hearing aid.

Unlike standard hearing aids, which arrive preset from the factory/manufacturer, programmable hearing aids can be computer adjusted/programmed at our office. We do this by plugging the hearing aids in to the computer using specialized software designed to send instructions to a tiny computer chip in the hearing aid ... telling it how to operate to best meet your needs.

Programmable hearing aids are now available in behind-the-ear and in-the ear / in-the-canal styles. You do have some choice of style depending upon the degree of your hearing loss. The newest types of programmable hearing aids are 100% digital. Just like CD and other music formats have been for several years. This technology has been miniaturized to fit into small hearing aids.

Programmable hearing aids offer advantages over conventional devices: better sound quality, flexibility and better clarity of speech because they are custom programmed to your hearing loss. The programs can be changed an infinite number of times either because your hearing has changed or the environments you are in are changing.

For example, you hear better in a quiet room, but if you go out to a restaurant you will have more difficulty. Your hearing loss has not changed, just your ability to hear well in a poor acoustic environment. Programmable devices can address environmental problems as well as hearing loss. In multiple memory programmable devices, we give you a program for quiet listening and one for noisy listening. You decide when and where you use either program.