Hearing aids, behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, in-the-canal, completely-in-the-canal :: Digi-Sound

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There are five basic types of hearing aids common to most manufacturers. These types are: Open Fit, Behind-the-ear, In-the-ear, In-the-canal and Completely-in-the-canal. All five will help with mild to moderate losses, but if loss is more severe, choices can be more limited. While size is the most obvious difference, each style has different attributes that are important to consider. Hearing aids worn behind-the-ear or in-the-ear can carry more sophisticated technology and more powerful amplifiers. In contrast, smaller models reside closer to the eardrum and that proximity to the inner ear can help deliver a more natural sound quality. We will provide you with a recommendation and rationale that's based on your specific needs and physiology.

Open fit hearing aids were designed to improve listening comfort and hearing aid cosmetics. With an open fit, people with hearing loss can enjoy all the advanced technologies found in regular-sized hearing aids, but a fraction of the size. Open fit hearing aids allow patients to hear more naturally, even the sound of their own voice, which is a common complaint of hearing aid wearers. They are stylish, fit discreetly behind the ears, and are easy to maintain. Because they are light-weight and non-occluding, they are very comfortable and help patients adapt to wearing hearing aids.

These hearing aids have plastic housings for the component which rest behind the ear. A transparent plastic tube funnels amplified sound into an earmould in the canal. This model, though developed decades ago, can be as sophisticated as smaller hearing aids. In fact it can hold more circuitry and amplify sounds to a greater degree than in-the-ear types.

These hearing aids have their components in the custom-made shell, so the whole hearing aid fits into your ear.

These hearing aids are smaller and they fit down into the ear canal, only a smaller portion faces out into the outer ear. They are discreet, yet still visible within the outer ear.

These hearing aids are those that barely visible - and then only if someone is peering into your ear - the only clue to their existence is the head of a tiny plastic line with which you place or remove the hearing aid. CICs are popular for their aesthetic appeal, but the physiology of some individual's ears (e.g., a very narrow canal) may make this unsuitable for them.