HEARING CARE
GENERIC
STYLES OF
HEARING AID
Hearing aids generally come in
5 styles, based on where they
are placed on or in the ear.
1. Behind The Ear (BTE)
Behind The Ear (BTE) The style most
commonly associated with the NHS
provision. This type is very reliable
and a cheaper alternative. When
fi tted with an ear mould, they are
mostly suited to those with very
severe or profound hearing losses.
Some are water resistant or water
proof. Open Ear version is where a
BTE is fi tted with a very fi ne tube
and dome tip, instead of a large
mould. It is a great solution for
those with a high frequency hearing
loss. It can also solve the problem of
one’s own voice sounding too loud,
as can occur with ear mould BTEs.
sound is delivered closer to the
ear drum this tends to make them
more readily accepted and more
effi cient in background noise.
3. In The Ear (ITE)
Also known as In The Canal (ITC)
or Completely in the Canal (CIC).
These types are more prominent in
the US and UK markets. They are
formed from an impression taken of
the user’s ear. The commonest type
is the CIC which is just visible at the
ear canal entrance and the ITC is an
excellent, cosmetically appealing
aid that can be easy to handle
even with poor fi nger sensitivity.
2. Receiver in the Canal (RIC) 4. Invisible in the Canal (IIC)
This style is completely dominant
in the European market. The
behind the ear part is very small as
the loudspeaker is on the end of
the wire (situated at the entrance
of the ear canal). Because the The most advertised style - a
relatively new type, about half the
size of a CIC. Ideally, this should
be fi tted beyond the jaw-line,
thus creating a less blocked up
sensation than In-The-Ear models.