Hearing Aids Overview

The Latest Achievements in Hearing Aid Technology Provides Many Solutions for You

If you are in the market for hearing aids, the best solution for you is the one you’ll feel comfortable wearing while fitting your hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget.

Don’t settle for less than the best, but take action now by allowing Lifesounds Hearing Healthcare to help you hear with the most advanced hearing technologies available today.

With so many options to choose from, it can be a bit confusing. Trust in the expertise of Lifesounds Hearing Healthcare to help guide you and work with you, step by step, in the selection of the best hearing solution that fits your hearing health needs.

Before you start the process, however, here are some ABC’s of hearing aid basics to help you learn and understand hearing aids a little better as you begin your journey to better hearing:

Hearing Aid Components

All hearing aids contain three basic electronic components: a microphone, amplifier, and speaker/receiver.

The small microphone collects sounds and sends them to the amplifier, which changes the sound, based on your hearing loss, by analyzing and converting the sounds using a tiny but powerful computer chip processor. These manipulated sounds then get transmitted to the speaker/receiver which allows you to hear the sound signals much more clearly.

Which hearing aid is right for you depends on the severity of your hearing loss, the environment where you want to hear better, your lifestyle and budget. There are about six major style categories available on the market today, but not all styles are suitable for all degrees of hearing loss. The style is relative to how the hearing aid looks, feels, and fits in your ear.

Hearing Aid Styles

Behind-The-Ear (BTE)

Recommended for people of all ages and degrees of hearing loss.

BTE hearing aids are designed to give your ears an incredible boost in power. The casing of the hearing aid fits directly behind the top of your ear and can be discreetly hidden by your hair. The BTE is connected to the ear by a custom earmold, which is shaped to fit the contours of your outer ear. This type of device comes in many different colors to match your skintone. It also has a wide array of programming features and customizable options to meet your individualized needs.

Receiver-In-Canal (RIC / RITE)

Recommended for mild to severe hearing loss.

Because of the combination of features and sizes, this device is perfect for active adults and is one of the most popular hearing aid styles. Like the BTE model, a RIC hearing aid’s casing rests behind the ear, so visibility is not an issue. The directional microphone technology makes it easier to understand conversation in competing sound environments by detecting and amplifying the target speech signals and decreasing the background noise. An ultra-thin wire connects the body of the hearing aid to the receiver that fits invisibly into the ear canal. The RIC model is available with programming features including telecoil, automatic programming, multiple microphones for superb directionality, volume or programming controls, and more. Also Bluetooth-compatible, the RIC model can seamlessly stream phone calls, music, and TV, so that you can enjoy an active lifestyle with ease.

In-The-Ear (ITE)

Recommended for people with disabilities or dexterity challenges who have mild to severe hearing loss.

ITE hearing aids are custom designed to exactly fit the contours and shape of your outer ear. This style is generally referred to as a full-shell style hearing aid and is large enough to include higher tech features such as directional microphones, telecoils, and/or programming buttons if needed.

In-The-Canal (ITC)

Recommended for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

In-the-canal hearing aids are also completely custom designed to match the contour of your outer ear and ear canal. Although still visible, this style is much more discreet than the ITE model, but yet flexible enough to contain high-tech features such as directional microphones and ability to stream wirelessly to your phone, TV, or other Bluetooth wireless devices.

Completely-In-Canal (CIC)

Recommended for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.

This style is one of the smallest, most discreetly designed hearing aids that fits completely within your ear canal and allows for a natural sound quality. This small device includes a tiny, transparent filament used for removal. Because of the size, this hearing aid does require good dexterity to handle and replace the smallest sized hearing aid battery. CICs come with standard features and may have wireless capability.

Invisible-In-Canal (IIC)

Hearing Aid Technology & Features

Many manufacturers have introduced hearing aid product lines where various styles share some of the same features and others incorporate more advanced features. Below are just a few of the available technologies and features that most hearing aids offer today. There are so many options available today but, in general, there are four main technology levels: Economy, Basic, Advanced, and Ultimate. Each level offers digital hearing solutions based on your level of hearing loss, lifestyle, and budget.

Speech Recognition Technology

The newest hearing aids on the market today all include some form of technology that helps improve speech understanding. Many include more advanced features such as dual microphones to help speech clarity in noisy environments. These types of technologies help those with hearing loss make conversing with others an easier and more enjoyable experience.

Direct, Wireless Connectivity Technology

These days, everyone is streaming some type of device into their ears. Therefore many people with hearing loss are also seeking out hearing aids that offer direct, wireless connectivity technology. Hearing aid users that have hearing aids with wireless capabilities can now stream music or even conversations from their smartphone or tablet directly to their hearing aids, along with hearing TV or home phones in stereo.

Rechargeable Hearing Aid Technology

Like with our smartphones, tablets, or laptops, rechargeable hearing aid options are also available. The popularity of such devices has grown substantially over the years. The majority of hearing aid manufacturers today offer at least one if not more options for rechargeable hearing devices. No more batteries to charge! This technology is especially helpful for those with eyesight or dexterity issues and is highly recommended.

Tinnitus Therapy Technology

Many of those who experience hearing loss also experience tinnitus. Tinnitus can be described as a ringing, buzzing, hissing, or chirping sound in one or both ears. Many hearing aid manufacturers have incorporated new tinnitus therapy technologies within the hearing aid itself to help combat issues by aiding in masking those uncomfortable sounds and thereby providing relief to the tinnitus sufferer.

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