As you search for a hearing aid – either for a loved one or yourself – one of the more widespread alternatives you will encounter is the in-the-ear (ITE) style. In-the-ear hearing aids are a popular choice for individuals with mild to moderate hearing loss. They are custom-made to fit comfortably in the lower portion of the outer ear. What follow is a summary of the advantages and disadvantages of the ITE hearing aid style.
An in-the-ear hearing aid is a small device that is custom-made to fit your ear shape. If you choose to use this type of device, your hearing professional will use a mold to make sure it fits your ear perfectly. By doing so, you will enjoy high quality sound, low feedback, and an extremely comfortable overall experience. All of the hearing aid components fit inside the case. That means that the in-the-ear hearing aid has no external tubes or wires. This makes them lightweight and easy to wear.
The ITE hearing aid style has certain distinct advantages. It tends to be excellent at handling high-frequency sounds (which is the range where many people have the most significant hearing loss). This enhanced ability to collect and focus high-frequency sounds is a result of their location inside rather than behind the outer ear. ITE devices are also recessed far enough into the ear that headsets and telephones can usually be used normally. In-the-ear hearing aids are very small, which offers both advantages and disadvantages.
Their small size keeps them from being very obvious, making them a great choice for listeners who are a little self-conscious about wearing a device. The downside of this is that they cannot store all of the features that other hearing aid styles do. Their small size also keeps people who have poor eyesight or motor control from easily operating the controls and replacing the batteries.
As with all the hearing aid styles available, in-the-ear hearing aid has both advantages and disadvantages. Give us a call for help choosing the best hearing aid style for your lifestyle and hearing loss.