Superior Ear Works - Hearing Aid Dispenser - CA HAD #7370  8790 Cuyamaca St "C" Santee CA 92071 (619)562-4327
Across the street from Santee Sheriff's next to Santee VFW

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:


Open BTE: Open Behind-The-Ear  units use tiny casing and a nearly invisible slim tube. Open fittings  offer a cosmetically apppealing option. They are lightweight and tiny,  with a transparent dome that makes them less noticeable than aids with  custom earmolds.
 

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

ITC: In-The-Canal units are a little more expensive  than ITEs. They require good dexterity to control the volume wheels and  other controls on the faceplate, and they are smaller than ITEs.
 

MC: Mini-Canals are the size between ITC and CIC. A  mini canal is a good choice when you desire the smallest possible  hearing aid while still having manual control over the volume wheel and  possibly other controls.
 

CIC: Completely-In-the-Canal units are the tiniest  hearing aids made. They usually require a "removal string" due to their  small size and the fact that they fit so deeply into the canal. CICs can  be difficult to remove without the pull string. CICs do not usually  have manual controls attached to them because they are too small.
 

RIC:  Receiver-in-canal units are the newest  in technology and offer near invisable fittings.  They are good for  patients that have good hearing in the low frequency (typical) with the  sloping loss.  They don't occlude patients like custom hearing aids by  not plugging the canal.
 

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 custom-made plastic  tubing. The tubing is part of the earmold. The earmold is custom made  from an ear impression to perfectly replicate the size and shape of your  ear.


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