What are the Different Types of Hearing Aids?
If you’re looking for hearing aids and hearing impairment solutions, SoundLife Hearing Technologies is just the place you’re looking for. But if you’re new to the world of hearing aids, you might find yourself quickly swamped with model types, technicals specs, jargon, and much more.
You’d be forgiven for thinking that there’s just one simple type of hearing aid, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The variety of hearing aids is always getting bigger as manufacturers find new ways to innovate. SoundLife Hearing Technologies is here to help simplify things for you, so you know where to start. In this blog, we’re going to look at the basic types of hearing aids and their unique benefits.
In-Canal
In-canal models typically come in two variations: in-canal and “completely” in-canal. Standard in-canal models are custom molded to fit partially in your canal, while the completely in-canal version is molded to fit entirely inside the ear canal. Both options offer an extremely low-profile solution, and they help with mild to moderate hearing impairments.
In-Ear
In-ear models are also custom-molded to sit comfortably in your ear (rather than inside the ear canal), or just the lower half of the “bowl” of your ear. This type of aid is more often used for moderate to severe hearing impairments.
Receiver In-Ear
The receiver in-ear type is a great low-profile option for mild to moderate hearing issues. This open fit type of hearing aid sits behind the ear with a receiver fed into the ear canal by thin wires to reduce potential distortion.
Behind-the-Ear
Behind-the-ear hearing aids for moderate or severe hearing loss use a tube feeding amplified sound into the ear canal through a custom mold. While this type is typically larger, most manufacturers design them to be small, simple, and low-profile.
Analog or Digital?
You’ll also find options between analog and digital hearing aids. Simply put, an analog hearing aid works by amplifying continuous sound waves — making everything louder equally. Digital options convert sound into a digital signal to recreate what they receive. This means that they can better filter background sounds from more immediate sounds like speech.
Contact Us About Hearing Aids
This is just a brief summary of some of your options. When it comes time to find the right device, your audiologist will discuss and explain the details of your choices with you. With the information here as a starting point, you can get in touch with our hearing specialists at SoundLife to discuss your options. We care about your hearing health and will do our best to find your ideal solution, provide regular checkups and repairs, and give you the best in customer service.