Types of Hearing Aids
Invisible ' In - The - Canal' Hearing Aids (IIC)
Invisible 'In - The- Canal' Hearing Aids are the newest category of hearing aid. They are 'custom made' - deep insertion devices. They sit deeper in the ear canal of any other aids and are literally INVISIBLE.
Their benefits are; invisibility, good sound quality, reduced wind noise interference, good telephone use ability, good sound localisation, reduced occlusion effect (see; The Occlusion Effect - below - for more information on this). Advanced manufacturing techniques makes the production of these deep fitting aids possible. They are safe and easy to insert and remove.
These aids are suitable for people with a reasonable sized ear canal, good manual dexterity and a mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
‘Open - Fit’ Hearing Aids
Open - Fit type Hearing aids are virtually invisible and less visible than In - The - Ear hearing aids.
A small unit sits on the back of the ear and a virtually invisible wire connects this unit to a small dome that sits inside the ear canal.
These type of instruments are ideal for mild and high frequency hearing losses.
They amplify mainly middle and high frequency sounds.
These higher frequencies correspond to the quieter, high frequency parts of speech such as s/sh/ f/ th/ t and k sounds. These quieter sounds are critical to the understanding of speech.
The goal of this sort of hearing device is to make speech clearer rather than an obvious overall increase in loudness.
They are comfortable, small and allow natural sounds to enter the ear.
'Open- fit' hearing aids greatly reduce one of the very common complaints of hearing aid wearers – that of ‘the occlusion effect; a feeling that they are speaking with their head in a barrel. The occlusion effect is often a cause of hearing aid rejection and is caused by the vibration of your voice box when you talk. These low frequency vibrations normally escape naturally from your ears (when they are NOT blocked by an ear mould). Wearing a mould blocks their escape route – the effect is that you feel as though you have your head in a barrel when you speak. Keeping the ear canal as open as possible - as with the 'open - fit' type instruments can greatly reduce this effect – making your experience of amplified sounds and your own voice much more natural.
Receiver - In - The - Canal Hearing Aids
Receiver - In - The - Canal hearing aids are virtually invisible and less visible than In –The - Ear hearing aids.
A small unit sits on the back of the ear and a virtually invisible wire connects this unit to the ‘Speaker’ or ‘Receiver’ which sits inside the canal.
This arrangement allows for management of a wider range of hearing loss.
For more severe losses, a custom made ear mould is taken of the ear and the receiver is situated inside the mould. This mould is still considerably smaller than the usual type of mould which is used with a standard type Behind - The - Ear - hearing aid.
Completely - In - The - Canal (CIC) Hearing Aids
Completely - In - The - Canal (CIC) hearing aids usually sit deeply inside the ear canal but are often still slightly visible depending on the size of the ear canal.
These aids are designed to terminate in the inner bony portion of the ear canal which can be uncomfortable.
(The skin is much thinner in that part of the canal).
Jaw movements can cause the aid to work out of the ear. It may be necessary to have the aid remade a couple of times before a satisfactory fit is achieved.
These very small hearing aids can be less reliable than the larger hearing aids and can be difficult to handle due to their small size. This type of aid is usually purchased on the basis of its cosmetic appeal – with the new technology of open fit and receiver in the canal instruments the completely in the canal aid has largely been replaced.
Mini - Canal Hearing Aids
Mini Canal type hearing aids are slightly larger than the Completely - In - The - Canal hearing aids.
Again, the hearing aid is discreet.
They are for hearing aid wearers who wish to
have a small, In - The - Canal instrument.
For people with mild to moderate hearing loss.
In - The - Canal Hearing Aids
In - The - Canal hearing aids are larger than the Mini Canal Type hearing aid. It is visible in the outer bowl part of the ear and is still reasonably discreet. It’s larger size enables easier handling and allows for directional microphones (which improves speech intelligibility in noise).
Full Shell Hearing Aids
Full Shell hearing aids are an In -The - Ear device which fills the outer bowl part of the ear.
They allow for a greater amount of gain with reduced probability of feedback.
The larger size of the aid allows for a larger battery (and therefore longer battery life), volume control, telecoil and is easier to handle.
Behind - The - Ear Hearing Aids
The standard Behind The Ear hearing aid with a custom made ear mould is still a good choice for people who would like an easy to handle instrument or for people with a severe to profound hearing loss.
Follow up Service
Once you have purchased a hearing instrument from Central England Hearing Care, any subsequent hearing tests and fine tuning of the hearing aid is FREE of CHARGE.
(Some companies offer very low prices but then charge you for each follow up visit after the initial fitting and follow up appointment).
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