Hearing Aids
Hearing Aid Styles
If you're exploring hearing aid options in the Tulsa area, you'll find a diverse range of styles beyond the traditional Behind-The-Ear models. Modern hearing aids are designed to cater to various lifestyles and hearing requirements. To assist you in understanding the choices available, here's a rundown of different hearing aid styles along with their respective advantages and drawbacks.
Full-Shell In-The-Ear (ITE)
The most powerful type of In-The-Ear hearing aids, the full-shell In-The-Ear (ITE) is custom-made to fit within the shell of your ear. With its greater size, this style of hearing aid is often appropriate for mild-to-severe levels of hearing loss and often can accommodate more useful technology such as feedback reduction, directional microphones, and more.
Pros:
- Low-profile design
- Longer battery life than other ITE-style hearing aids
- Custom made for you
- Easy to handle
- Appropriate for mild-to-severe hearing loss
Cons:
- Can make people feel plugged up
- Fairly visible style of hearing aid
Completely-In-Canal (CIC)
As you can see from our example, the Completely-In-Canal (CIC) hearing aid style lives up to its name, and the main body of the device rests inside your ear canal. The faceplate may be visible to others, and there is a clear plastic stick to help you easily insert and remove this style of hearing aid.
Pros:
- Barely visible style of hearing aid
- Custom made for you
- Appropriate for mild-to-moderate hearing loss
Cons:
- Short battery life
- Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues
- Prone to damage from earwax and moisture
- Generally, have no manual controls for volume or programs
Half-Shell In-The-Ear (ITE)
Similar to the full-shell variant, the half-shell ITE hearing aids have many of the positives of the larger style while giving you a lower profile. This style of hearing aids can be a little tougher to position in your ear, as they are smaller but still rest outside the ear. When improperly inserted, the hearing aids can’t create a seal around the ear, which tends to lead to whistling feedback sounds.
Pros:
- Low-profile design
- Longer battery life than other ITE-style hearing aids but can be shorter than full-shell
- Custom made for you
- Appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
Cons:
- Can make people feel plugged up
- Still fairly visible style of hearing aid
- Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues
In-The-Canal (ITC)
Generally positioned in the canal with some of the device protruding into the bowl of the ear, the In-The-Canal (ITC) hearing aid style is more discreet than the ITE hearing aids. With their smaller size, this style of hearing aids is consequently less powerful but can be appropriate for those with mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss.
Pros:
- Custom made for you
- Discreet size
- Still has manual controls for volume, etc.
- Usually appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
Cons:
- Can be prone to moisture and earwax damage
- Still a visible style of hearing aid
- May cause feelings of being plugged up
- Can be tough to handle for those with dexterity issues
Reciever-In-The-Ear (RITE)
Receiver-In-The-Ear (RITE) is also called Receiver-In-Canal (RIC) thanks to the fact that there is a small tube which extends from the main body of the hearing aid into the ear canal. The rest of the RITE is located behind the ear and often does not protrude over the top of the ear. There are also mini versions of this style of hearing aids (mini RITE), which may have different pros and cons, though they are often the same.
Pros:
- Appropriate for mild-to-moderately severe hearing loss
- Smaller than BTE style hearing aids
- Repairs can often be done in our clinic office
- Lessened feelings of being plugged up
- More space for hearing technology
- Easy to handle
Cons:
- Visible style of hearing aids
- Speaker in the ear canal can be prone to earwax and moisture damage
Behind-the-Ear (BTE)
Behind-the-Ear hearing aids were introduced in the 1950s and are most often used to treat severe to profound hearing loss. The main body of the device sits comfortably behind the ear, with a thin tube or wire connecting it to an earmold or receiver inside the ear canal. BTEs are known for their power, durability, and versatility, making them a popular choice for a wide range of users.
Pros:
- Suitable for all levels of hearing loss, especially severe to profound
- Larger size allows for more power and longer battery life
- Easier to handle and adjust, ideal for users with dexterity challenges
- Available with manual controls and telecoil options
Cons:
- More visible than in-canal styles
- Can be affected by wind noise during outdoor use
- May feel less discreet or bulky to some users