Why might I need a hearing aid?
Being unable to hear properly can have a significant impact on your daily life. When you can’t hear what people are saying to you, it’s frustrating and isolating. You might feel miserable because you can’t enjoy music, and watching television is unrewarding because you can’t hear what the people on screen are saying.
You might even be in danger at certain times, for example, if you can’t hear traffic or a warning shout. A hearing aid can restore your hearing so you can participate more fully in life and hear everything that people are saying.
Am I a suitable candidate for a hearing aid?
Hearing aids work best for people who have inner ear damage, or damage to the nerve that connects your ear to your brain. This type of damage is typically due to:
- Disease
- Aging
- Loud noises
- Medications
If you have a reasonably normal external ear and an open ear canal, a hearing aid could well help you hear better.
What types of hearing aids are there?
Hearing aids can be analog or digital. Analog hearing aids turn sound into electrical signals and then increase the volume of the sound. They’re less costly than digital aids but don’t offer the same quality of hearing.
Digital hearing aids turn sound into code before increasing the volume. The code contains information about pitch, volume, and direction of the sound, as well as the sound itself.
Digital hearing aids are smaller and more powerful than analog hearing aids. They often have automatic adjustments to optimize your hearing, depending on whether you’re in a quiet place or a crowded room.
What styles of hearing aids are available?
There are a number of options to choose from at Felipe J. Martinez MD when it comes to hearing aid styles:
Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
BTE hearing aids have a plastic case that follows the line of your outer ear where it joins your head. A softer plastic mold goes in your outer ear to direct sound into the ear canal. BTEs are suitable for people who have mild, moderate, or severe hearing loss.
Canal hearing aids
These fit into your ear and are harder to see than a BTE hearing aid. An in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid goes into your ear canal. A completely-in-canal (CIC) hearing aid is even smaller and less easy to see. An invisible-in-canal (IIC) hearing aid is so small it’s almost impossible to see. Canal hearing aids are usually best for people who have mild to moderate hearing loss.
In-the-ear (ITE) hearing aids
These fit inside your outer ear, without any parts around the back of your ear. ITEs are suitable for people who have a wide range of hearing loss but aren’t the best type for children, as the child’s ears are likely to continue growing and changing shape.
Receiver-in-canal (RIC) and receiver-in-the-ear (RITE)
These types of hearing aids have a behind-the-ear element that links to the receiver in your ear (RITE) or ear canal (RIC) via a very small wire.
If you have trouble hearing properly, or you aren’t happy with your current hearing aids, call Felipe J. Martinez MD today, or book an appointment online.
