Choosing the right hearing aid is a very essential step taken by a person suffering from hearing problem
. Buying the wrong hearing aid will not resolve their problems. Even though all the hearing aids have the same parts to carry sound from the environment to the ear, they come in different styles to cater to the fit of the ear canal. Sizing will be different for different people as per their ear structure. There are number of hearing aids which are so small that they are perpetually invisible. Some fit partially in your ear canal. Also the battery life is less for a smaller hearing aid and the cost increases with decrease in size.
Common hearing aids styles are:
Completely in the canal:
This fits in a way that it completely gets molded inside the ear canal. These are only used for mild to medium hearing correction. These are difficult to get noticed in the ear. The battery life is less due to its small size.
In the canal:
This type of hearing aid is custom made and is molded to fit party in the ear canal. This type of hearing aid does not fit like a completely in canal hearing aid. It is a bit bigger in size than its successor. This type of hearing aid may not be able to fit on smaller ears.
Half shell:
This style is custom made for people with mild to moderately severe hearing loss. This is a bit bigger than the in the canal hearing aid and fits most of the ears. It also includes features which cannot be fitted in a in the canal hearing aid.
In the ear (full shelf):
His is custom made to bit the bowl shaped area of the outer ear and is more visible than the above mentioned hearing aid styles. It is for people with severe hearing loss and has a longer battery life.
Behind the ear:
This is more visible as compared to all the other hearing aids and is most commonly used for all types of hearing loss and for people of all ages.
Open fit:
These are very small in sizes as fits behind the ear and are best of mild to moderate hearing loss.
The proper fit is vital to redeeming lost hearing, please consult a professional to ensure a proper fit.