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What are Hearing Aids?
A hearing aid is a small electronic device that you wear
in or behind your ear. It makes some sounds louder so
that a person with hearing loss can listen, communicate,
and participate more fully in daily activities. A
hearing aid can help people hear more in both quiet and
noisy situations.
A hearing aid has three basic parts: a microphone,
amplifier, and speaker. The hearing aid receives sound
through a microphone, which converts the sound waves to
electrical signals and sends them to an amplifier. The
amplifier increases the power of the signals and then
sends them to the ear through a speaker.
Types of Hearing Aids :
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Digital Hearing Aid
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Programmable Hearing Aid
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Conventional Hearing Aid
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Digital Hearing Aids
Digital Hearing instruments
represent the most advanced
technology available today. These
instruments actually contain a
computer chip that is programmed by
a computer. This offers the best way
currently available to match a
particular hearing loss with the
most prescriptive amplification
needed. Complete flexibility and
amazing fine-tuning capability are
among the many benefits. This unique
technology separates the incoming
sound into bands and channels; and
processes each band and channel
independently. This class of hearing
instruments utilizes separate
circuit paths to independent process
different frequency regions of
sound. This is the most advanced
technology that allows the most
precise prescriptive fitting
available today. |
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Programmable Hearing Aids
Programmable hearing instruments
represent a more advanced technology
than conventional. These instruments
are programmed by a computer,
allowing a better way to accommodate
a given patient's amplification
needs, thus allowing greater
flexibility and fine-tuning
capability. Most of the technology
in these types of instruments is
basically analog conventional
circuits that are set and controlled
by a computer. |
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Conventional Hearing Aids
Hearing aids, which use conventional
electronics, have been the mainstay
of the hearing aid industry for 40
years. Conventional hearing aid
electronics use basic analog
technology to provide quality,
amplification to patients with a
wide range of hearing losses. These
hearing aids have as their defining
feature the characteristic of adding
the same amount of amplification to
all levels of sound intensity. Thus,
low bass type sounds will be
amplified with the same amount of
volume as high treble sounds. For
this reason, some patients may find
that conventional electronic hearing
aids provide either too little sound
or to much sound to comfortably
reach a listening level for the
particular hearing loss. When this
is the case, the patient should
consider a prescription circuit
instrument of the programmable or
digital type. Priced at the lower
end of the cost scale, conventional
electronics represent the most basic
type of amplification and are a good
choice when finances are the major
concern. |
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Types of Hearing Styles :
CIC (Completely in the Canal)
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This is the smallest type of hearing aid
made and is almost invisible in the ear.
All the components are housed in a small
case that fits far into the ear canal.
This takes advantage of the ear's own
natural sound-collecting design and
offers convenient telephone usage.
CICs are custom made for each ear;
however, these hearing aids are
restricted to persons with ear canals
large enough to accommodate the
insertion depth of the instrument into
the ear. Also, the CIC style uses a very
small battery that requires good manual
dexterity. This type of hearing aid is
not suitable for persons with severe
hearing losses. |
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ITC (In the Canal)
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A little bigger than the CIC, the ITC
hearing aids also fit far into the ear
canal. Canal hearing aids use a slightly
larger battery than the CIC style. This
style is used for mild to moderate
hearing losses. |
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ITE (In the Ear)
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These hearing aids can be used for a
wider range of hearing losses. Due to
their larger size, ITEs can accommodate
larger sound amplifiers and more
features such as a telephone switch.
They are also easier to handle. |
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BTE (Behind the Ear)
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In BTE hearing aids, the electronics are
housed in a case that fits behind the
ear. Tubing and a custom made earmold
direct the sound to the ear canal. Due
to its robust design, this style is
especially recommended for children. BTE
hearing aids can provide more
amplification than smaller devices due
to the stronger amplifier and the larger
battery. This style is available in
several colors for hair and skin tone
matching. |
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RIC (Reciever in Canal)
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These
devices are similar to the BTE hearing
aid. The only difference is that the
speaker ('receiver') of the hearing aid
is placed inside the ear canal of the
user and acoustic tube
is replaced by thin
electrical wires
of the BTE aid.
The
sound of the hearing aid is smoother
than that of a traditional BTE hearing
aid. With a traditional BTE hearing aid,
the amplified signal is emitted by the
speaker (receiver) which is located
within the body of the hearing aid
(behind the ear) thus making it bigger
in size. The amplified signal is then
directed to the ear canal through an
acoustic tube. With a RIC hearing aid,
the speaker (receiver) is right in the
ear canal and the amplified output of
the hearing aid does not need to be
pushed through an acoustic tube to get
there, and is therefore free of this
distortion and very small in size thus
making it nearly invisible and more
cosmetically acceptable . Also. RIC
devices are suited to "open fit"
technology so they can be fitted
without plugging up the ear, offering
relief from occlusion to the patient. |
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Invisible Hearing Aid
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Lyric
is the first and only extended wear
hearing device that is 100% invisible.
Lyric is comfortably placed in the ear
canal by a Lyric trained hearing
professional and can be worn 24 hours a
day, seven days a week, for months at a
time.* No surgery or anesthesia is
required. Unlike many other hearing
aids, Lyric is positioned completely
inside the ear canal, so it uses your
ear’s natural anatomy to provide
exceptional sound quality. Lyric lets
you hear better and live life to the
fullest! |
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