Guide to Hearing Aids

Your guide to the best hearing aid for you

Choosing which hearing aid can be a daunting task, with so many styles and features to choose from. Your Hear Always Audiologist is here to help so you do not need to feel overwhelmed. If you are not sure which type of hearing aid might best suit you, your local Audiologist will be happy to advise you and make some recommendations based on your level of hearing loss and your lifestyle.
Our guide to the different hearing aid types is aimed at helping you to understand the differences so you can then make an informed choice.

Considerations when choosing a hearing aid type

Choosing which hearing aid type will suit you best is likely to depend on:

Your level of hearing loss
Your lifestyle
The styles you like
Comfort
Technological features you require
Price and quality

Receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) and Receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids

These are similar to open-fit BTE hearing aids, except that the part of the hearing aid that sits behind the ear is smaller. It has a thin wire that connects to a speaker inside the opening of the ear.

Smaller and less visible than BTE hearing aids
Suitable for a wide range of hearing loss, from mild to profound loss
All the benefits of open-fit BTE aids but they can be fitted with more amplification
Can be vulnerable to wax and sweat so regular cleaning of the receiver is important

Open-fit Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids

These send sound through very thin, clear tubing that is connected to a dome (soft tip) that sits inside your ear canal. Open-fit BTE aids are suitable for people with mild to moderate hearing loss and a good option for people who can hear low pitches well.

Lets you hear sound naturally as it does not block up the ear
Soft tip reduces that feeling of being plugged up that can happen with an earmould
Comfortable and less visible than an earmould
Need to be inserted correctly so they do not become loose
Not usually suitable if you suffer from ear infections
Cleaning can require more dexterity

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids with earmold

BTE aids have microphones that sit behind the ear and send sound through a piece of clear, flexible tubing.

Suitable for most people, from mild to severe hearing loss
Earmold fits snugly in your ear
Versatile and reliable
Most visible type of hearing aid
Ear might feel full though vents in the mould relieve this feeling

In-the-ear (ITE) and In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids

ITE and ITC hearing aids have microphones in the earmould, so the whole hearing aid fits into your ear. ITE aids come in different sizes and can be seen in the ear, when looking side-on. ITC aids are smaller and less visible as they fit inside your ear canal.

Much less visible than BTE hearing aids, with no parts behind the ear
Suitable for a wide range of hearing loss, from mild to profound loss
Convenient for people who wear glasses
Not usually suitable if you suffer from ear infections
The small controls can be more fiddly, so a remote control can be very beneficial
Not generally as robust as BTE hearing aids

Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids

CIC hearing aids are not usually seen when worn as the working parts are in the custom moulded earmould, unless someone looks closely at your ear. They fit further into the ear canal than ITE and ITC hearing aids.

Extremely discreet and lightweight
Extremely comfortable as they are custom made to fit your ear shape
Only suitable if you have mild to moderate hearing loss
Can be prone to wax and sweat so regular cleaning is important
The small controls can be more fiddly, so a remote control can be very beneficial

Invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aids

IIC hearing aids are fitted very deeply into the ear canal. They are invisible when worn as they cannot be seen and they are custom moulded to the shape of your ear.

Invisible when worn
The ultimate in comfort
Durable
Only suitable if you have mild to moderate hearing loss
Because of their small size, they may have limited features