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| HEARING AIDS: TYPES OF HEARING AIDS |
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Hearing Instruments come in a number of various styles. The style of hearing instrument determines the size and way it will be placed in or around your ear. Your hearing loss, lifestyle, and cosmetic desires will determine which hearing instrument styles are most suitable for your needs. Your Southwestern Hearing Centers' hearing expert will guide you through this decision to guarantee an effective instrument for all your needs.
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Invisible-In-Canal (IIC)Invisible-In-Canal (IIC)
hearing instruments are a 100% invisible when worn. This instrument sits
deep in the ear canal ensuring sound travels quickly and accurately to
your eardrum. This 100% invisible hearing aid is designed for daily removal. - 100% Invisible when worn
- Hear clearly in noise
- Sculpted for your ear canal
- Highest definition sound quality
- Designed for daily removal
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Completely-In-Canal (CIC)Completely-In-Canal (CIC)
hearing aids are molded to fit inside your ear canal, making it
almost invisible. The Completely-In-Canal (CIC) hearing aid is the most popular custom-made
instrument style because of its' minimal visibility.
- Cosmetically
desirable because these hearing aids are tiny in size
- Programmed to have automatic or push button settings
- Require good manual dexterity in
order to place the hearing aid in the ears
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In-the-Ear (ITE)In-the-Ear
hearing aids are the easiest style to operate and the largest of
the custom-made hearing aid devices. This style fills most of the bowl-shaped area
of your outer ear.
- Easy to insert into the ear because of its larger
size
- Easy-to-operate larger
features such as volume control
- Used to help mild to severe hearing loss.
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In-The-Canal (ITC)In-The-Canal
hearing aids are a style that's custom molded to fit partly in
your ear canal, but not as deeply as the Completely-In-Canal
Instrument.
- Barely visible in the ear
- Easy to use with the telephone
- May not fit well in small ears
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Receivers-in-Canal (RIC)Receivers-in-Canal (RIC) hearing aid is similar to the Over-the-Ear style. These hearing aids are durable,
and water resistant. The sound processor and the
receiver are physically separated, with the
tiny processor hidden
behind the top of the ear and the receiver placed in the ear canal.
- Fits a
large range of hearing loss
- Offers
the greatest flexibility in programming
- Water resistant and very durable
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Over-the-Ear (OTE)The Over-the-Ear hearing aid style that is very similar to the Behind-the-Ear style, but is much
smaller and less noticeable. This
style holds the electronics in a slim case that hooks over the top of the ear
and hides behind the top of the ear, the same place where eyeglasses rest. A clear narrow tube follows the front
of the ear and carries sound to the tiny ear bud, which sits unnoticeable in
the ear canal.
- Allows natural sounds to enter the ear canal
- Can be selected, programmed and fit in a single visit
- Very discreet and appealing to people with cosmetic concerns
- Does not require custom molding
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Behind-the-Ear (BTE)A Behind-the-Ear
hearing aid is a style that consists of two components. The electronic components
of this style are concealed in a casing that hooks over the top of your
ear and rests behind it. The second component is the ear mold that is
custom- made to perfectly replicate the size and shape of your ear. The
two components are connected via small tubing.
- Typically offers more
power than a custom-made hearing aid
- Robust
for active wears
- Suitable
for all degrees of hearing loss
- Large, easy-to-use hearing aids that are very reliable
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