Different Types of Hearing Aids
- The completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid is very small and good for mild hearing loss.
- The behind-the-ear (BTE) aid fits behind your ear and has a tube that connects to an ear piece (earmold) in your ear. It is good for severe hearing loss.
- The mini-BTE, with a very thin tube or thin wire-speaker unit, is the least visible of all hearing aids. It is the most comfortable to wear, and is good for mild to moderately severe hearing loss.
- Digital hearing aids have a microprocessor that analyzes sound and automatically adjusts speech to reduce the interference of background noise.
- Dual microphones enable the microprocessor to help you tell the difference between sounds in front of you and noise behind you.
- Some models have left and right hearing aids that "talk to each other." They work as one unit so you can tell where sounds are coming from. Some models are also Bluetooth compatible for use with phones, iPods and other portable audio sources.