Hearing Aid Styles

There are many styles of hearing aids. The degree of the hearing loss, power and options requirements, manual dexterity abilities, cost factors, and cosmetic concerns are some of the factors that will determine the style the patient will use. The most common styles are listed below:

ITE: In-The-Ear units are probably the most comfortable, and the easiest to operate. They are also the largest of the custom made styles.






Half-Shell Hearing Aid refers to the size of this hearing aid. A Half-Shell Hearing Aid Hearing Aid aid is considered "medium" in comparison to other In-The-Ear types of hearing aids. It’s not as large as the Full-Shell aid that fills up the entire bowl of the ear, nor is it as small as a Canal Aid that fits just at the opening of the ear canal.





ITC: In-The-Canal units require good dexterity to insert into the ear and to use some of the controls on the faceplate. They are smaller than ITEs.






These "open-ear" flex tube devices offer sophisticated sound processors with most of the important sound features of the other syles but incorporated into a tiny size with cosmetic appeal. Many high frequency and flat hearing losses (up to 70dB flat) can be fit with this instrument which can help eliminate the "head-in-a-barrel" or occlusion effect.





CIC: Completely-In-the-Canal units are the tiniest hearing aids made and the most difficult to insert. They usually require a "removal string" due to their small size and the fact that they fit so deeply into the canal. CICs do not usually have manual controls attached to them because they are too small and they do not offer the same feature-rich options available in all the other sizes





BTE: Behind-The-Ear hearing aids are the largest hearing aids and they are very reliable. BTEs have the most circuit options and they can typically have much more power than any of the custom made in the ear units. BTEs are the units that "sit" on the back of your ear. They are connected to the ear canal via tubing and a custom-made plastic mold made from an ear impression to perfectly replicate the size and shape of your ear.