Behind The Ear Hearing Aids: BTE

BTE hearing aids consist of a case, a tube and an ear mould. The case sits behind the ear with the tube coming down the front into the ear mould. The case contains the amplification system.BTE hearing aids can be used for slight to profound hearing losses and can be connected to assistive listening devices, such as FM systems.

In The Canal Hearing Aids: ITC – Half Shell

TC hearing aids are smaller, filling only the bottom half of the external ear and are less visible than an ITE aid. These in ear aids are intended for slight to moderate hearing losses. They are the most popular choice for people when it comes to choosing a custom hearing aid. The ear bowl is left more open and so can perform its function more easily, but with a more natural fitting.

Invisible In the Canal: IIC

The IIC is a recent addition to the range of custom-fitted hearing aids. It is made from a very deep impression which requires one of our highly trained audiologists to work with you. They are suitable for people with slight and moderate levels of hearing losses. Your audiologist can advise you if you qualify following a simple hearing test.

Open and Receiver In Canal Hearing Aids: Open/RIC

The open revolution has made wearing a digital hearing aid more comfortable for many people. These devices look similar to a BTE aid, however, there is one crucial difference: the ear mould is replaced with an open dome that does not block or occlude the ear canal.A recent development of the open style is RIC where the receiver, the speaker, is situated in the ear canal. These hearing aids are also highly cosmetic, often being much less visible than a custom aid.The sound of the hearing aid is arguably smoother than that of a traditional BTE hearing aid. With a RIC hearing aid, the receiver is right in the ear canal and the amplified output of the hearing aid does not need to be pushed through an acoustic tube to the ear mould and therefore has less distortion.RIC hearing aids can typically be made with a very small case behind-the-ear and the wire connecting the hearing aid, and the receiver is extremely inconspicuous. RIC devices are suited to “open fit” technology so they can be fitted without plugging up the ear, offering relief from occlusion.

In The Ear Hearing Aids: ITE – Full Shell

ITE hearing aids are suitable for slight to more severe hearing losses. They fit the full concha of the ear and are often referred to as “Full Shell” hearing aids. Generally this style of aid is chosen where the hearing loss requires more power than can be provided by a smaller in ear hearing aid.

Completely In the Canal Hearing Aids: CIC

As the name suggests, these small hearing aids fit completely in the ear canal and are not visible unless you were to look directly into the ear.The size of these modern hearing aids does lead to some limitations in respect of directional microphones, venting size and battery life, and they need to be carefully considered by your hearing aid audiologist to make a decision as to suitability.