HEARING AID TYPES

Every person whom we examine is unique!….not just as an individual, but also the shape of their ears!

The shape of the ear, damage, extent and complexity of hearing loss, social life requirements, manipulative and visual skills etc all mean that we have to choose aids which will prove suitable in many different ways, which sometimes conflict, so that two people with exactly the same loss may be fitted with totally-different hearing aid models from different manufacturers.

It may be that someone wants a very small discreet canal aid, but the loss and manual skills mean that a larger model would be much more satisfactory. This may not be what they had originally wished and it might take some time to indicate that this would not be possible.

So let’s have a look at the types available, irrespective of manufacturer, names or models……

Completely in the Canal (C-I-C)

 

The intention here is to build the complete aid into the deep, narrow bit of the ear (canal). It is the smallest type and also uses the smallest battery, so requires an large element of dexterity. There is often a small nylon cord to assist in taking the aid out. To help in differentiating the left and right aids, the colour code is RIGHT= RED, and BLUE= LEFT.

Just because it is small does not mean that it cannot have sophisticated circuitry, and we have a high success rate with them as people in general feel very comfortable with this size of aid.

Canal or Mostly-In-The-Canal

 

For those with a narrow canal, or who require a volume control and perhaps a telecoil for a loop system, this size is required. Much of the electronics sits close to the end of the canal, but the larger size allows more facilities to be incorporated, including  twin microphones. To allow this, the aid will extend a liitle bit into the bowl of the ear, but will still be well-protected. It is also a bit easier to remove, and you can ask for a small cord to help with that.

HALF-CANAL/HALF-SHELL

 

Where a small ear cannot be fitted with a tiny aid, or the facilities necessary for a satisfactory fitting require a lot more space, or you would be happier holding a slightly-larger aid, then a half-canal,  or half-shell aid may be more beneficial. As the name implies, about half of the shell of the ear  is utilised, and we can now easily fit on a volume control, programme switch and internal telecoil for use in a loop system, as well as.

FULL-SHELL/FULL CONCH

The name tells it all here, as the full area of the ear is utilised. It gives us a good area of surface contact to minimise the risk of feed-back or whistling when we are dealing with very high losses. It is much easier to insert and remove and gives space for a large number of facilities. All of the above are available and at this size the directional microphone effect is maximum.

BEHIND-THE-EAR

The mere mention of a B-T-E aid sometimes make people think twice about having an aid. They remember the large bulky ones which at one time were the only ones available. Not so, nowadays. If we decide together that this is what is necessary, then we can provide very attractive, miniature models, in different colours so that they ‘disappear’ into the hair colour. In some, you can even change the colour of the shell!

• Power…..the separation of the microphone from the receiver helps to prevent feedback (whistling) and allows higher gain to be available for larger hearing losses.
• Manipulation…..many people have decreased sensitivity in their fingers as they age. The larger size permits more self-confidence in handling the aid, in comparison to very-small models.
• History….if you have been used to having a behind-the-ear models for (perhaps) decades, then this is a relatively-simple way to improve the quality of listening with improved electronics, and not having to learn too many new skills in the handling.
• Facilities…..it is often possible to provide extra facilities such as a telecoil, large volume control, microphone and receiver, and again this will improve listening pleasure

SITE STILL IN PREPARATION………call 0141 776 2556 for more details