Types of hearing aids
Because of the environment we have these days, a lot of people are suffering from hearing loss. Many of us are exposed to environmental noise which is one of the identified causes of hearing loss. Factories, business establishments involved in noisy activities, machineries are just around us. Military men who are deployed in battles and are assigned in explosives are prone to hearing loss. As a result more and more people are having hearing impairment, aside from those that are caused by genetics, illnesses and continuous medication.
Anyway hearing -impaired individuals nowadays have an array of hearing aids to choose from based on their individual needs. Hearing aids come in different types and styles depending on the need, demand, and lifestyle of the patients. The birth of digital hearing aids has come to attract more people with hearing loss to use hearing aid to enhance their hearing ability, especially that there are hearing aids that are already invisible and are more comfortable to use.
Generally, the smaller the hearing aid type, the more expensive it is. Manufacturers make hearing aids to fit every individual who have hearing loss depending on the severity of their situation whether mild, moderate or severe. The In-the ear (ITE) hearing aid type is big hearing aid. It is impossible to hide but it can have a longer battery lifespan. The in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid type is one that is made specifically to fit the person’s ear canal in shape and in size. This is a small type of hearing aid that it can hardly be seen. Because of its size, it is difficult for the user to change its batteries and to make adjustments.
The CIC or the completely in the canal hearing aid type is very similar to the ITC but is only good for the use of people with mild to moderate hearing loss. This is a small hearing aid type that it cannot be removed by the fingers from the ears, instead you need to pull on the tiny wire and pull it out from the ear. Because of its size the ITC hearing aid type cannot easily be detected and will involve a bigger amount when purchased.
The behind the ear (BTE) hearing aid type is recommended for a person with severe hearing loss. The bigger part of this hearing aid fits right behind the ear of the wearer. It has a tube that is attached to a smaller piece that is placed fitted inside the ear. But because of the size of this BTE, it is easily noticed or seen by other people. This hearing aid type is commonly used by children. Now, there is already the latest BTE type called the behind the ear open fit. It is tiny, not easy to detect but more costly.
As the days pass by and with the growth of technology, more hearing aid types are available in the market to answer the needs and demands of the people with hearing loss. What is certain is, when a person with a hearing loss uses a hearing aid regularly, he will enhance his hearing ability.
