The Three Main Components To All Hearing Aids
The microphone, an amplifier, and a speaker. The microphone receives sound waves as they near your ear and converts these waves into electrical signals. Next, the converted electric signals pass through the amplifier, where they are strengthened and adjusted before they are sent through the speaker. The speaker then transmits them as acoustic sounds to the user.
The latest digital technology has changed and improved many things about hearing aids and listening devices in recent years. The truth, though, is that the basic function is still the same: hearing aids are designed to allow you to hear. Advanced Beltone hearing aid technology has our evolved digital hearing aids to include a variety of styles.
Full Shell
Full shell hearing aids fit partially to fully within the outer ear. They are larger than ITC and CIC style hearing aids and use bigger batteries that power a larger receiver. This leads to full-shell hearing aids being the perfect choice for many cases where patients are dealing with more serious hearing losses.
In-The-Canal (ITC)
ITC hearing aids are custom manufactured that go into your ear canal, but are slightly bigger than CIC hearing aids.
Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC)
Custom created hearing aids designed for the perfect fit, CIC style devices are small and are worn completely inside your ear canal.
Mic-in-Helix (MIH)
MIH hearing aids hide the main part of the device inside your ear canal. They are custom manufactured based on impressions of your ear canal during your hearing exam, so they are designed with your comfort in mind. The hearing aid microphone rests within the curved groove of your external ear, and a transparent tube sends sound from the microphone to the piece inside your ear canal.
Invisible-in-the-Canal (IIC)
IIC hearing aids are about the size of a blackberry and are the style of choice when someone wants to experience hearing help that is invisible to others.
Receiver-in-the-Ear (RIE)
RIE hearing aids are the newest and most popular Behind-the-Ear variation where a smaller casing sits behind your ear and a narrow, transparent tube covers very thin wires to the receiver, which slides into your ear canal.
Behind-The-Ear (BTE)
BTE hearing aids are easy to wear devices that feature a small, curved casing that rests comfortably behind the ear. The hearing aid uses a thin tube that goes into the ear canal that reduces the “plugged up” feeling some people associate with many hearing aids. This type of hearing aid is sometimes referred to as an “open fit” since the ear canal is left open.
PERSONALIZATION
Picking The Right Hearing Aid
Choosing the right hearing aid style and model for you is as important as having one tuned to fit your unique hearing needs. This can make finding the right hearing aid a little more complicated than some people realize. Our expert staff is here to help you make an informed choice to find a perfect combination of performance and comfort.
Beltone’s two most popular categories are Behind-the-Ear (BTE) and custom hearing aids. BTE devices rest comfortably behind your ear, are easy to adjust and program.
Custom hearing aids can come in various styles depending on your preferences and are manufactured from impressions of your ear canal and outer ear. The result is a hearing aid that offers a comfortable custom fit in the style you want with the latest Beltone technology.
Our Beltone Chicago hearing care specialists can help you narrow down the choices when it comes to the variety of styles and features that we offer. After a comprehensive free hearing test, we will understand your unique needs and which options fit. We even offer in-office demos with many models so that you can experience how different hearing aids feel and work.