How to choose the right hearing aid?

Selecting a hearing aid is a process that requires comprehensive consideration of personal hearing conditions, living habits, economic conditions and other factors. So, how to choose a hearing aid? Here are some materials we have sorted out. 

I. Classification by shape and wearing position
1. Box-type / Body-worn hearing aids
• Advantages: Low cost, easy to maintain, uses No. 5 or No. 7 batteries, high power, suitable for severe hearing loss.
• Disadvantages: Large size, poor concealment, prone to noise due to friction with clothing, high distortion rate of sound quality.
• Applicable population: Elderly people with limited finger movement or those with economic constraints. 

2. Behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids
• Standard type: The compact body is worn behind the ear, supporting various power levels (low, medium, high), with low noise and easy to wear.
• Open fit: Utilizes a thin sound tube to reduce the occlusion effect, suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss, and comfortable to wear.
• Disadvantages: Prone to moisture, average concealment, and may not be ideal for those with high aesthetic requirements.
• Applicable population: Widely suitable for all types of hearing loss, especially for children and those requiring high-frequency adjustment. 

3. Custom Hearing Aids
• In-the-Ear (ITE): Customized based on the concha cavity, it offers good concealment and is suitable for mild to moderate hearing loss. However, children need to frequently replace the shell due to the development of their ear canals.
• In-the-Canal (ITC) and Completely-in-the-Canal (CIC): Smaller in size, they provide excellent concealment and utilize the resonance of the ear canal to enhance sound clarity. They are suitable for hearing losses within 65 decibels.
• Invisible-in-the-Canal (IIC): Placed in the second bend of the ear canal, it is completely invisible and suitable for those with high aesthetic requirements, but it is more expensive. 

4. New Hybrid Design
• RIC (Receiver-In-Canal) and OTP (Open Canal): Combining the advantages of behind-the-ear and custom hearing aids, it offers both discretion and high sound quality, making it the mainstream in the market. 

II. Classification by Sound Conduction Method
1. Air Conduction Hearing Aids
• Sound is transmitted into the external auditory canal through an ear mold, conforming to the physiological auditory pathway, and is suitable for most sensorineural hearing losses. 

2. Bone conduction hearing aids
• Transmit sound waves by vibrating the skull, suitable for patients with conductive hearing loss such as external ear malformations and chronic otitis media. 

3. Tactile Hearing Aids
• Perceive sound through vibration, mostly used for patients with profound deafness or total deafness, to assist in language training. 

III. Classification by Technical Principles
1. Analog Hearing Aids
• Utilizing transistor components, with fixed parameters, low cost but high noise, they are gradually being phased out. 

2. Digital Hearing Aids
• Programmable: Parameters can be adjusted via a computer to adapt to different environments and support multiple program switching.
• Fully Digital (DSP): Intelligent noise reduction, frequency division processing to enhance speech clarity, support for wireless connection, suitable for complex hearing needs. 

IV. Selection Recommendations
1. Degree of Hearing Loss
• Mild to moderate (≤ 65 decibels): Prioritize deep canal or open behind-the-ear hearing aids.
• Severe or above: Consider high-power behind-the-ear or body-worn hearing aids. 

2. Age and Physiological Characteristics
• Children: Due to the development of the ear canal, behind-the-ear style should be chosen to avoid frequent replacement of custom-made ones.
• People who sweat easily: Avoid behind-the-ear style and opt for in-the-ear style with good moisture-proof performance. 

Therefore, people with hearing impairment need to consider the degree of their hearing loss, their age and physiological characteristics, as well as their own economic conditions, and choose a hearing aid that is cost-effective and more suitable for them.