With all the different types, styles, and brands of hearing aids, it can be difficult to choose which one is the best fit for you. The first step you should take is finding out if a Hearing Aid or a Personal Sound Amplifier is best for you. An audiologist can help you make that decision by testing and understanding the type of hearing loss you have and how severe it is.
If you and your audiologist decide that a hearing aid is the best route, the three most popular styles are BTE hearing Aids, ITE hearing Aids, and RIC hearing aids. In some cases, people might be hesitant to get the help and care they need because some may think hearing aids are unattractive. With that being said, if you or someone you know has mild to moderate hearing loss, and are looking for something that is almost invisible, ITE hearing aids are an excellent choice. ITE or “in-the-ear” hearing aids, are made custom to fit inside your ear canal, so you won’t have to worry about it being visible. Lyric, by Phonak, is a new 100% invisible hearing aid that allows you to listen to music with headphones, with the hearing aid in, as well as talk on the phone.
If you are suffering from severe hearing loss, the BTE or RIC hearing devices would most likely be your best choice. The BTE, “behind-the-ear”, and RIC, “receiver-in-the-canal”, style hearing aids are very comfortable and low maintenance. The BTE device is probably the most visible of the three, it sits behind the ear and connects to a mold that sits inside the ear. Though the BTE is more visible than the ITE, it is easier to adjust and control to work in whichever way best suits the user. There is also the Mini BTE, which is essentially the same as the BTE but a little smaller and allows the user to hear some sounds more organically, through the gap between the hearing aid and the ear. The RIC is similar to the BTE because it also sits behind the ear. The main difference between the two is that the RIC hearing aid speaker sits inside the ear.
After deciding which style hearing aid is best for you, you must choose the brand from whom to purchase. ConsumerReports.org suggest that the best hearing aids, when it comes to fit and comfort, are Phonak hearing aids and Oticon hearing aids. If you are someone who spends a substantial amount of time talking on the telephone, Oticon and Phonak recently launched Bluetooth hearing aids that can connect directly to your devices. Resound hearing aids were the best-scored brand when it came to customers that frequently watched TV, movies, and Netflix.
Choosing a hearing aid is about what works best for you, if you have questions about what hearing aid would be best for you, please contact New Generation Hearing Centers today for a free consultation.
