What type of hearing aid is right for you?
There are three main types of hearing aids—Behind-The-Ear (BTE), Receiver-In-Ear (RIE), and In-The-Canal (ITC). Several styles fall under the ITC hearing aid category.
The type and style that will work best for you depends on your degree of hearing loss, your lifestyle, your overall health, and your cosmetic wishes.
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Outside the ear
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RIE
Receiver-in-Ear
The main section of this hearing aid is hidden behind your ear. Unlike a standard BTE, the receiver has been removed from the housing and mounted externally in a tube fitted into the ear with a soft dome. You will therefore find that RIE hearing aids are usually smaller than standard BTE hearing aids.
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BTE
Behind-the-Ear
This style rests comfortably behind your ear. The sound travels through a tiny tube to a custom earpiece called an earmold that fits in your ear canal. This style is appropriate for people of all ages and fits the widest range of hearing loss.
Inside the ear
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IIC
Invisible-in-Canal
IIC is the smallest custom product available. It sits deep inside the ear canal, so it’s almost invisible. It’s the perfect solution for those who want a discreet hearing aid and have a mild to moderate hearing loss.
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CIC
Completely-in-Canal
The CIC is a small custom style, however it’s available with options such as volume control and buttons that change environmental programs. Since there are opportunities for customization, it is popular for those with a mild to moderate hearing loss who want a little more control over their hearing aids.
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ITC
In-the-Canal
ITC is the most popular form factor within custom hearing aids.
In addition to more options available such as dual mic (directionality), ITC has wireless functionality, which can connect with smartphones and stream phone calls and music directly to the hearing aids.
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ITE
In-the-Ear
ITE is the biggest form factor within custom, but it then covers up to severe hearing loss, and has most of the advanced features such as ear to ear communication, wireless connectivities, MFi, etc.
This model is available in half shell and full shell, half shell seems to be the popular device as it is smaller.
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MIH
Mic-in-Helix
MIH is designed to provide the most natural sound quality and collects sound in the most efficient ways using your own ears.
In MIH the microphone is taken out from the device giving several advantages:
- The devices can be built much smaller
- It’s a perfect solution for the wind in noise
- There is a lower risk of feedback as the distance between microphone and receiver is further than normal custom products
Want to learn more about which type of hearing aid will work best for you?
Find your local Beltone center for a hearing test and consultation with a hearing care professional.
Find your local Beltone Center
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