Types of Hearing Aids

Hearing aids can make a huge difference in your life by helping you follow conversations, enjoy social events, and feel more confident. We offer many kinds of hearing aids to suit different needs and budgets. After a hearing test, we’ll talk about which types might work best for you and explain how they can help you hear more clearly.

How Hearing Aids Help

Hearing aids take in sounds around you, make them louder, and send them into your ear so you can understand speech better. They’re small devices, so you can wear them comfortably throughout the day. This extra clarity often cuts down on stress and fatigue, letting you enjoy life more fully.

Different Styles of Hearing Aids: Finding the Best Fit for You

There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to hearing aids. Some rest behind your ear, while others fit snugly inside your ear canal. The design you choose can depend on your level of hearing loss, your lifestyle, and how comfortable you are with the way each style looks and feels. Our team will work with you to find the right match from a range of options, including: 

Behind-the-Ear (BTE)

BTE hearing aids rest on top of your ear and have a small portion that sits behind it. A thin tube connects them to a custom-made earpiece inside your ear canal, which makes sounds louder. People of all ages with moderate to severe hearing loss can use BTE devices, and they’re generally easy to put in and take out without help. Most BTE models also have wireless features so you can pair them with phones and other devices.

In-the-Ear (ITE)

ITE hearing aids fit into the outer part of your ear. They come in two main styles: half shell (fills the lower part of your ear) and full shell (covers more of your ear). These devices can help people with mild to severe hearing loss. One benefit is a longer battery life than smaller hearing aids. They also often include handy tools like volume controls.

In-the-Canal (ITC)

ITC hearing aids are custom-made to fit your ear canal. They’re less noticeable, though a small part still shows. Many ITC devices can connect wirelessly to smartphones or music players. There are also smaller versions, such as completely-in-canal (CIC) and invisible-in-canal (IIC). CIC aids usually skip wireless features to stay tiny and hidden. IIC aids sit deep in your ear and are almost impossible to spot. ITC, CIC, and IIC hearing aids work best for people with mild to moderate hearing loss.

Receiver-in-Canal (RIC)

Sometimes called receiver-in-the-ear (RITE), RIC hearing aids place the speaker in your ear canal, while the rest (including the microphone) sits behind your ear. Keeping the parts separate makes the device smaller and more discreet. Many RIC models have wireless abilities and are a common choice for those with moderate to severe hearing loss.

Middle Ear Implants

For people who can’t use typical hearing aids, a middle ear implant might be an option. A small microphone sits behind the ear, held in place by a magnet inserted under the skin. This microphone turns sounds into vibrations, which travel to another device placed in the middle ear. This approach can help people with mild to moderate hearing loss and may also help those with severe allergies, repeated ear infections, or very narrow ear canals.

Extended-Wear Hearing Aids

These hearing aids sit deep inside your ear canal and can stay in place for weeks or even months at a time. They’re usually a good fit for adults with moderate to severe sensorineural hearing loss. Because they sit so far in your ear, they often reduce problems like feedback, wind noise, and the “plugged up” feeling you can get with other devices.

Digital vs. Analog Hearing Aids

Analog hearing aids make everything louder, but digital models do more. They convert sounds into digital signals, which helps cut out background noises and annoying frequencies. This lets you focus on what you want to hear, like a person speaking. Unlike analog aids—which act like a microphone hooked up to a speaker—digital aids can separate speech from noise and even change the pitch of sounds to make them clearer and easier to listen to.

The primary benefits of digital hearing aids include:

  • Boosting speech while reducing background noise.
  • Helping to prevent that high-pitched squeal known as feedback.
  • Automatic volume level adjustments based on where you are, so you don’t have to keep changing settings.

Bluetooth Hearing Aids

Many modern hearing aids come with Bluetooth so you can link them to phones, tablets, and music players. This lets you stream music or answer calls without draining the battery too fast. Some other devices need a small add-on (called a streamer) to connect through Bluetooth.

Wireless Hearing Aids

You may be asking yourself, “Aren’t all hearing aids wireless?” Even though most newer hearing aids don’t have visible wires, not all are truly “wireless.” A wireless device can actually connect to electronic gadgets—like smartphones or TVs—and also talk to the other hearing aid if you wear two. If your hearing aid isn’t wireless, you won’t be able to stream audio directly or pair it with other devices.

How Wireless Hearing Aids Can Help

  • Send voices and music to both ears at once, even if only one aid picks up the sound.
  • Let you change the volume in both aids by pushing a single button.
  • Quiet background noise so you can focus on what matters.
  • Create custom settings for different places, like busy restaurants or malls.
  • Stream TV shows, music, and internet audio straight to your ears without static.
  • Adjust your TV volume without making it louder for anyone else.
  • Make speech or music clearer.
  • Let you use a remote control to switch between devices or change volume easily.

Rechargeable Hearing Aids

Many hearing aids today come with rechargeable batteries, which means you don’t have to replace tiny batteries on a regular basis. You simply place your hearing aids in a charging dock at night, and they’ll be powered up and ready to go the next day. Rechargeable devices can be easier to handle and are often more convenient for people who don’t want to keep buying and swapping out batteries.

Next Steps

If you think hearing aids might help you, contact us to set up a hearing test. We’ll figure out your level of hearing loss and suggest the best style. After you choose the device you like, we’ll fit and program it, then teach you how to care for it. With the right hearing aids, you’ll be able to enjoy conversations, special moments, and everyday sounds more than ever before.

If you have questions, we have answers. Visit our Hearing Aid FAQs or contact us today.