Maybe you’ve been experiencing hearing loss recently. Or perhaps you’re looking for a new hearing aid, one which does the job better than your last one. Whatever the case, this article is here to help you.

There are many brands of hearing aids which can help your hearing, an example is Starkey hearing aids. There are also many types and styles to choose from, which will be covered in the article.

Styles Of Hearing Aids

Hearing aids vary a lot in price, special features, size, and their placement in your ear.

Here are the following hearing aid types and styles, from smallest to largest.

CIC ( Completely In Canal )

As its name suggests, the CIC type of hearing aid is moulded to fit inside your ear canal. It improves mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. The plus points of this style is that it is the smallest type of hearing aid and is nearly invisible.

 It’s also less susceptible to picking up wind noise. On the flip side, it uses tiny batteries that have a short life and are hard to handle. Another downside is that it’s easy for earwax to clog the speaker.

In The Canal

This style is custom moulded and fits partly in the ear canal. Like the CIC, it improves mild to moderate hearing loss in adults. Its positives are that it’s less visible in the ear than other styles. The negative is that it causes ear wax to clog in the speaker.

In The Ear

An ITE( In the ear )is custom made, and comes in two different styles, one that fills most of the bowl-shaped area of your outer ear (called full shell) and one that fills only the lower part (called half shell). Both of these help mild to severe hearing loss and are available with directional microphones.

The benefits of this style is volume control, more easy to use than the smaller styles, has a larger battery which prolongs the battery life. On the other hand, the negatives include susceptibility to earwax clogging the microphone, more visibility since it’s larger, and the fact that it picks up more wind noise than smaller devices.

Behind The Ear

A behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid snugly hangs over the top of your ear and rests behind the ear. There’s a tube that connects the hearing aid to a custom earpiece called an ear mould which fits in your ear canal. The behind the ear hearing aid is beneficial for people of all ages and those with almost any type of hearing loss.

The pros of this style include a rechargeable battery,better amplification  and directional microphones. The cons are it’s tendency to pick up wind noise.

Receiver In Canal

The RIC or receiver in canal type of hearing aid is similar to the already mentioned behind the ear style. A small wire connects the piece behind the ear to the speaker or receiver.

The upsides to this style of hearing aid include: possibly rechargeable, manual control, and directional microphones. The flipsides are the tendency earwax clogging the speaker and more visibility due to it being larger than the previously mentioned types of hearing aids.

Don’t worry if you aren’t immediately adjusting to your hearing aid. It takes time, and you’ll find that the more you use it the more comfortable it becomes in everyday life.

Keep in mind that a hearing aid cannot restore your hearing back to normal. It can however, dramatically improve the quality of your life when you use it. Consider choosing a popular brand like Starkey hearing aids. Also,you may want to go back to the doctor for a follow up appointment for help or if you have any doubts that need to be addressed.