Hearing Aids and The Digital Revolution

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Your Style Preference: Physical Design
While there are slight variations, there are five basic styles of hearing aids. The styles differ by size, their placement on or inside the ear, and the degree to which they amplify sound. There are many advantages and disadvantages to the different styles, so it is important to select what best suits you. The style of the hearing aid will primarily affect cosmetics, performance, and durability. The five basic styles are as follows:

Behind-the-ear (BTE)
Micro behind-the-ear (mBTE)
In-the-ear (ITE)
In-the-canal (ITC)
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC)

Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids consist of a hard plastic case worn behind the ear and connected to a plastic or soft silicone earmold that fits inside the outer ear. The electronic parts are held in the case behind the ear, and as a result are more moisture resistant and generally immune to damage from ear wax. BTE instruments have the greatest durability, lowest repair rate, highest flexibility for comfort and adjustments, and in summary, the best longevity, usually lasting 7-10 years. Battery life is usually very good (10-20 days). BTE aids can be worn with any degree of hearing loss (mild to profound).
Micro behind-the-ear (mBTE) The advancements in digital technology led to the development of better feedback control measures, and as a result, allowed for the development of miniature BTE instruments. This also allowed for "open-fit" hearing aids for persons with mild to moderate hearing loss. Open-fit aids fit behind the ear completely, with only a narrow tube inserted into the ear canal, enabling the canal to remain open. Since the ear canal remains open, the patient's perception of his/her own voice is less altered and they do not sound "plugged up." They have a more limited range of amplification, so their lifespan is slightly shorter than standard BTEs (about 5-7 years). They still benefit from a very low repair rate, high flexibility, and improved comfort. Battery life is average, less than what you might get with a full-size BTE due to the smaller battery size (7-14 days). They can fit mild to moderately-severe losses, but are ideal for high frequency hearing losses.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids, sometimes called "full-shells", fit completely inside the outer ear and are used for mild to severe hearing loss. The case holding the electronic components is made of hard plastic. As a result, if physical comfort is an issue, the hearing professional is a bit more limited in regards to options to adjust the physical fit of the instrument; the shell may be buffed to improve comfort, but only to a limited degree. They are also a bit more prone to the effects of moisture, and must be routinely cleaned for earwax that can potentially get into the internal workings of the instrument and damage the electronics. They have a good longevity (typically 5-7 years), but a higher repair rate. Battery life is normally very good, comparable with full-size BTE instruments (10-20 days).
In-the-canal (ITC) hearing aids fit into the ear canal and are basically a smaller version of an ITE. Cosmetically they are somewhat better than ITEs, and still have options for telephone compatibility and directional noise reduction. They are comparable to ITE instruments in regards to durability, repair rate, and longevity (5-7 years), but are a bit less flexible for adjustments for comfort and usually have a shorter battery life (7-14 days). They are appropriate for persons with mild to moderately-severe hearing loss.
Completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids fit deep into the ear canal. Because of their smaller size, they have the least amount of flexibility for accommodating comfort issues, do not have enough room for telephone or noise reduction features, and have the shortest battery life span (4-10 days). They are excellent when it comes to cosmetics, and may be a better choice for certain work environments. They have a shorter life span (3-5 years) and a higher repair rate due to their smaller, more fragile nature. They are appropriate for persons with mild to moderately-severe hearing loss.

Comparison	BTE	mBTE	ITE	ITC	CIC
Comfort	Very Flexible	Very Flexible	Flexible	Flexible	Less Flexible
Moisture Problems	Rare	Rare	Average	Average	Average
Wax problems	Rare	Rare	Average	Average	Average
Repair Rates	Low	Low	Average	Average	High
Lifespan	7-10 years	5-7 years	5-7 years	5-7 years	3-5 years
Typical Battery Life	10-20 days	7-14 days	10-20 days	7-14 days	4-10 days
Channel Options	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels
Program Options	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels
Directional Noise Reduction	Usually standard, all levels	Usually standard, all levels	Usually standard, all levels	Usually standard, all levels	No
Ambient Noise Reduction	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels
Telecoil Option	Usually standard; All Levels	Sometimes; All Levels	Usually standard; All Levels	Sometimes; All Levels	No
Feedback Reduction Technology	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels	All Levels
Remote Options	Often	Often	Often	Often	Sometimes
BlueTooth Capability	Often	Often	Often	Rarely	No
Wind Noise Manager	Often	Often	Often	Often	Often
Ear-2-Ear	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Rarely	No
Frequency Compression	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes	Sometimes

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Not good with previous purchase or any other offer. Free BlueTooth device value up to $350. Promotion ends on 02/28/2010 .